Pope John XV was the controversial head of the Catholic Church from 985 to 996 AD. Though he made the first papal canonization in history, his reputation suffered due to greed, nepotism, and his domination by the Roman Crescentii family. His political maneuvering led to conflict, though his canonization of Bishop Ulrich was a landmark event.
Greed and Family Dominance Overshadow Pope John XV
The controversial reign of Pope John XV was dominated by greed, nepotism, and political power plays. Yet it still produced a landmark event in papal history: the first solemn canonization of a saint. John’s early life remains obscure – he was born in Rome around 950 AD, the son of a priest named Leo. By 985 he had risen to become a cardinal-priest before his election to the papacy at the mere age of 35. So how did such a young pope come to power? The previous popes, Benedict VI and John XIV, had been murdered by the antipope Boniface VII. With the backing of the powerful Roman Crescentii family, Boniface briefly ruled as pope before his sudden death in 985. This dealt a blow to the Crescentii’s influence. Enter John XV.
With the support of Crescentius II, a patrician of Rome, John was elected as compromise candidate – restoring the family’s fortunes. Yet this patronage came at a cost. As John embarked on his decade-long reign, Crescentius dominated affairs – enabling greed, bribery and nepotism to flourish. The pope became deeply unpopular with Roman citizens as a result. Though some historians dispute this, claiming the evidence is unproven. Luckily the influence of Crescentius – and indeed John’s own flaws – were kept in check thanks to Empress Theophano. As regent for her son Otto III, the Holy Roman Emperor, Theophano curbed Crescentius II’s control in Rome from 989 to 991. What did Pope John XV actually accomplish at this time with his compromised authority? Surprisingly, he made papal history.
On January 31, 993 John solemnly canonized Bishop Ulrich of Augsburg – the first ever saint formally declared by a pope. This moment is seen as establishing canonization as a papal prerogative. Beyond this religious milestone, John also furthered peace among secular leaders. Through his legate Leo of Trevi he helped broker an end to hostilities between England’s King Ethelred II and Richard I, Duke of Normandy.
Yet as his pontificate entered its twilight years, controversy continued to dog John’s reign. Disputes over the deposition of Arnulf as Archbishop of Reims in 991 soured relations between the papacy and the newly crowned King Hugh Capet of France. Capet, believing Arnulf to be disloyal, held a synod to install Gerbert of Aurilliac in his place – despite papal objections. When John’s attempts to reverse the deposition failed, this set the stage for growing conflicts ahead between the French monarchy and the Holy See.
Weary of Crescentius II’s ongoing influence even after Empress Theophano’s departure, John turned to Otto III for support in 996. But he fell ill and died of fever before the German ruler reached Rome. At just 46, his life and contradictory pontificate came to a premature end. In his wake, Crescentius engineered the brief appointment of John XVI before Otto III installed his own favored candidate Bruno of Carinthia as Pope Gregory V.
Despite the controversies tied to greed and outside control, Pope John XV’s canonization of Ulrich of Augsburg still resonates through history. It established papal canonizations that continue as a central part of the Catholic faith today. For this reason alone, John XV retains a small but significant legacy – no matter his other flaws as pope.
So ended the controversial reign of Pope John XV – dominated by outside powers, nepotism, and conflict, yet redeeming himself with the first papal canonization. This singular act established a new papal tradition, securing John’s legacy despite his pontificate’s darker chapters.
References
Brusher, J. (1959). Popes Through the Ages. Van Nostrand.
Duchesne, L. (1892). Liber Pontificalis (Vol 2). Paris.
Kelly, J.N.D. (1986). Oxford Dictionary of Popes. Oxford University Press.