JOHN XV, Pope. - A Roman, elected in August 985, died in March 996. He is remembered in some lists of popes as John XVI, since another John XV was erroneously inserted before him, whence in those lists the increase by one unit for all the popes up to John XIX and the absence of a John XX.
Elected perhaps by an agreement between the imperial and the anti-imperial faction, he had to leave the direction of political affairs to Giovanni Crescenzi. Then, having fled to Tuscany, he implored the help of Otto III. As the latter approached Rome, G. was received back into the city, but met his death before Otto entered it.
G. XV, who is remembered as skilled in arms and the author of many books, displayed a very remarkable religious activity. He imposed (991) peace on Ethelred king of England and on Richard duke of Normandy; in a Synod held at Rome (31 Oct. 993), he canonized Ulrich bishop of Augsburg, the first example known to us of a canonization carried out by a pope. He energetically vindicated the authority of the pontificate in a very serious controversy that broke out in France, the first clamorous episode of Gallicanism. At the will of Hugh and Robert kings of France, a Synod of the bishops of Gaul had been convened on 17 June 991 at St-Basle de Verzy (Reims), to judge Arnulf, archbishop of Reims, accused of treason. Since the defenders of the latter objected, on the basis of the pseudo-Isidorian Decretals, that the Council was incompetent to judge a question that had already been referred to the Pontiff, the harshest accusations against the Holy See and the clergy of Rome had resounded in the assembly; and the Council, denying in fact the authority of the Pope over the national Churches, had forced Arnulf to resign, replacing him with the famous Gerbert. The Pope summoned the bishops and the two Kings to Rome (992), but a new Council at Chelles, under the presidency of Robert, decided to resist the orders given by Rome "against the canons of the Fathers," while the King invited the Pope to go to France. G. instead sent the Roman abbot Leo, who gathered at Mouzon, on the borders between France and Germany, a Synod of bishops, all, except Gerbert, subjects of the German Kingdom (2 June 995): Gerbert, invited to abstain from all ecclesiastical functions until a new council, submitted: the bishops who had taken part in the deposition of Arnulf were likewise deposed. The sequel of the controversy is a matter of discussion: it is certain only that Arnulf, Hugh and G. XV being already dead, was reinstated in the see of Reims by Gerbert, who had become Pope Sylvester II.