Antipope John XVI

Who was Antipope John XVI?

John XVI was an antipope from 997 to 998.

John was of Greek descent and was a native of Rossano in Calabria, southern Italy. The region was at the time a territory of the Byzantine Empire, while John was the chaplain of the Greek-born Empress Theophanu, wife of Holy Roman Emperor Otto II. Twice he acted as Imperial chancellor in Italy for Otto, in 980–982, whereupon he was appointed Abbot of Nonantola. He was the godfather of the imperial couple's son, the future Emperor Otto III. He was his tutor when he was seven. By the Empress's persuasion, John was appointed Bishop of Piacenza, and he was sent to Constantinople to accompany home a Byzantine princess for the younger Otto. After Otto II's death, the youthful Otto III came to the aid of Pope John XV in 996, to put down the rebellion of a faction led by the rich and powerful Roman nobleman Crescentius the Younger. 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, and the new pontiff then crowned Otto III emperor on 21 May 996.