Pope John XIV

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For the 16th-century pope of Alexandria, see Pope John XIV of Alexandria.
Italy
Died(984-08-20)20 August 984
Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome, Papal States
BuriedOld St. Peter's Basilica, Rome
Other popes named John

Pope John XIV (

bishop of Pavia was made without consultation with the clergy
and the Roman people, nor was it confirmed by formal election.

Canepanova took the papal name John. Otto's death in December left the Pope without allies, and he was deposed and confined at Castel Sant'Angelo after the seizure of the papal throne by Antipope Boniface VII. John died, either by starvation or poisoning, on 20 August 984 and was buried in Old St. Peter's Basilica.

Pontificate

John XIV was born as Peter Canepanova in

bishop of Pavia and had previously served as Otto's archchancellor in Italy.[1]
Negotiations with Canepanova stalled until December, at which point he accepted the papal throne.

Upon his accession, Canepanova decided to adopt a new

archbishop of Benevento; the action is indicative of Otto's political interests in southern Italy.[2]

Soon after John's installation, the Emperor fell ill with malaria and died on 7 December 983 in the Pope's arms after John performed the rites of absolution.[5] His widow, the Empress Theophanu, immediately left Rome to travel to Germany to protect the interests of her infant son Otto III (r. 980–1002), leaving John isolated in the city without allies.[5] Upon the return of Antipope Boniface VII from Constantinople in April 984 and his installation as pope by the influential Crescentii family, John was assaulted, deposed, and confined at Castel Sant'Angelo.[5] Information regarding the charges laid against John do not survive, nor do any details surrounding his trial.[5] John died four months after his imprisonment, either of starvation or poisoning.[6] The historian Hans-Henning Kortüm wrote that, "Because of the brevity and weakness of his reign, very few documents bear his name".[4] John was buried in Old St. Peter's Basilica;[2] his tomb was destroyed in the seventeenth century during the Basilica's demolition.[7] His epitaph there, erected under the pontificate of Antipope Boniface VII, records John's death date as 20 August 984, but does not state a cause of death.[5] Because Antipope Boniface VII was only considered an antipope in the 20th-century, Pope John XV was considered to be the successor of Antipope Boniface VII and not John XIV.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Kelly & Walsh 1988, p. 132.
  2. ^ a b c d e McBrien 2000, p. 163.
  3. ^ Kelly & Walsh 1988, pp. 132–133.
  4. ^ a b Levillain 2002, p. 842.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Kelly & Walsh 1988, p. 133.
  6. ^ McBrien 2000, pp. 163–164.
  7. ^ Reardon 2004, p. 74.
  8. ^ McBrien 2000, p. 164.

Sources

  • Kelly, J. N. D.; Walsh, M. J. (1988) [1986]. Oxford Dictionary of Popes. Oxford University Press.
    ISBN 9780192820853
    .
  • ISBN 0415922283
    .
  • McBrien, Richard P. (2000). Lives of the Popes. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
    ISBN 9780060653040
    .
  • Reardon, Wendy J. (2004). The Deaths of the Popes. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co.
    ISBN 0786415274
    .
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Benedict VII
 Pope
983–984 		Succeeded by
John XV
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