Pope John XVII

John XVII
Papacy began 16 May 1003
Papacy ended 6 December 1003
Predecessor Sylvester II
Successor John XVIII
Personal details
Birth name John Sicco
Born ???
Rome, Papal States
Died 6 November 1003
Rome, Papal States, Holy Roman Empire
Other Popes named John

Pope John XVII (died 6 December 1003), born John Sicco, and the son of another John Sicco,[1] was born in the region of Rome then referred to as Biveretica.[2] He succeeded Pope Silvester II as Pope on 16 May 1003, but died less than six months later.

John XVII was nominated to the papacy by John Crescentius, a Roman noble who held power in the city in opposition to Emperor Otto III. John XVII's successor, Pope John XVIII, was also selected by Crescentius.

John died on 6 November 1003 and was buried in the Lateran Basilica between the two doors of the principal façade. According to John the Deacon, his epitaph began by stating that “here is the tomb of the supreme John, who is said to be Pope, for so he was called.”[3]

Contents

Family

Before entering the priesthood, Sicco had been married and had three sons who also entered Holy Orders:

Confusion over ordinals

The previous legitimate Pope John is generally considered to be John XV (985–996). John XVI (997–998) was an antipope according to official reckoning, and thus his regnal number XVI should have been reused. But this did not occur, and the sequencing has never been corrected.

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

Footnotes

  1. ^ Mann, pg 121
  2. ^ Mann, pg 122
  3. ^ Mann, pg 124
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Silvester II
Pope
1003
Succeeded by
John XVIII