Antipope John Xvi

Greek by birth, he was the chaplain of Theophanu Arnulf Of Milan , ''Liber gestorum recentium'', I.11–12., the Empress consort of Emperor Otto II (973–983), who had come from Constantinople. By her persuasion he was appointed bishop of Piacenza . After the Emperor's death, the youthful Emperor Otto III (983–1002) came to the aid of Pope John XV (985–996) in 996, to put down the rebellion of a faction led by the rich and powerful Roman nobleman Crescentius . Otto III stopped to be acclaimed King of Lombardy at Pavia , and failed to reach Rome before the Pope died. Once in Rome, Otto III engineered the election of his cousin Bruno of Carinthia as Pope Gregory V (996–999), and the new pontiff then crowned Otto III Emperor, 21 May 996.

Once Otto III had returned to Germany, the faction headed by Crescentius II violently unseated Gregory V and acclaimed John as Pope John XVI (997–998).

The revolt of Crescentius II was decisively suppressed by Otto III, who marched once again upon Rome. John XVI fled, but the Emperor's troops pursued and captured him, cut off his nose and ears, cut out his tongue, blinded him, and publicly degraded him before Otto III and Gregory V. John XVI and Gregory V were rivals until the council of Pavia in 997 decided in Gregory V's favour. John XVI was sent to the monastery of Fulda , in Germany , where he lived until about 1013 .

Although he was not a legitimate Pope , the next Pope John took the regnal number XVII, and the sequencing was never subsequently corrected. Further, there was never a Pope John XX at all. Hence, the most recent John, Pope John XXIII (1958–63), was in fact only the 21st legitimate Pope of that name.

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Antipope John Xvi