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Ioannes XIVPope from December 10, 983 to August 20, 984
Date of Birth: .
Country:  Italy |
Content:
Papacy
John XIV was elected Pope on December 10th, 983, and served until his death on August 20th, 984. Prior to his ascent to the papacy, John was Bishop of Pavia and Chancellor to Otto II.
Otto II's Influence
Initially, Otto II proposed the sainted Abbot of Cluny, Majolus, as Pope, but he declined. Negotiations with John XIV proved arduous and delayed the election for four months. Upon his election, John XIV changed his name to denote humility, distancing himself from comparisons to Saint Peter.
Imperial Departure
Soon after John XIV's election, Otto II died in Rome at the young age of 28. His successor, Otto III, was only three years old, and the imperial family decided to return to Germany to address the threat of Henry, Duke of Bavaria.
Crescentius and Boniface VII
Without imperial protection, John XIV was vulnerable to the powerful Roman family, the Crescentii. They reinstated Franco Ferruccio, the antipope Boniface VII, who had gained support in exile from the Byzantine Emperor Basil II, an adversary of the Holy Roman Empire.
Deposition and Death
In April 984, at a synod convened by Boniface VII, John XIV was deposed and imprisoned in the Castel Sant'Angelo. He died four months later from starvation and torture. Boniface VII was enthroned immediately after John XIV's deposition, but is considered an antipope and excluded from the list of legitimate popes.
