JOIIN (ante), the name of twenty-three popes.—I., a Tuscan. who followed Hormis das in the papal chair, in 523. He was employed by king Thoodoric on a special mission to Constantinople. in which he would appear to have been unsuccessful, as 011 his return he was east into prison, where he died, after having been pope only three years.—II. succeeded Boldface II. about 533, after an election on the part of the clergy and people of Rome. Died 535.—III. succeeded Pelagins I. in 560. receiving his confirmation from the emperor Justinian, at the hands of the exarch of Ravenna. His occupancy of the papal see was made noteworthy by the occurrence of his conflict with the French clergy. who refused to recognize his authority. lie died in 573.—TV., bons' in Dalmatia, became pontiff on the death of Severinus in 640. The emperor Heraelins Laving issued an edict in defense of the Monothelites. a schismatic sect. John assembled is council in Rome which condemned both the heresy and its defender. Ilis death occurred in 642.—V., born at Antioch in Syria, and succeeded Benedict II. in 685; died in Aug..
687.—VI., horn in .Greece; succeeded to .701: Certain charges ..
having been brought by the English clergy against Wilfred, archbishop of York, John called a council at Rome, which acquitted him. This pope died in 705.—VIL, a Greek, who succeeded John VI., but only lived two years.—VI1I., born in Rome, and suc ceeded Adrian II. in 872, devoted himself to extending the limits of the papal power, but was greatly thwarted by'frequent incursions of the Saracens into Italy. Ile died by assassination in 882.IX., born at Tibia (Tivoli). in Italy, and was raised from a convent of Benedictines to be pope in 898. He died two years later.—X. (Giovanni Cenci) succeeded to the chair in 914, and displayed great courage and force of character. He commanded in person a victorious movement of his armies against the Saracens, but becoming the victim of plots and intrigues on the part of the duke of Tuscany and his wife, was, by their orders, thrown into prison, and afterwards mur dered, in 928.—XI. (Giovanni Conti), the natural son of the infamous Marosia, wife of the duke of Tuscany, already mentioned. The two were seized by Alberico, another on of Marosia, and were imprisoned together in the castle of Saint Angelo. John succeeded Stephen VIII. in 931, and was himself succeeded by Leo VII. in 936.—X1I. (Ottaviano Conti) was the son of And was elected pope when only eighteen years of age, and assumed the name Offavianns, being the first pope to adopt this custom. Ills licentiousness and his many crimes caused him to be summoned before a council called by Otho I., the first German emperor, and whom John had crowned. By this council he was condemned and deposed in 963. The following year he succeeded in partially reinstating himself, but fell suddenly ill, and died in 964.—X111 was
bishop of Narni, and was elected to the 'papacy on the demise of Benedict V. iu 965, with the approval of the emperor Otho. A revolution broke out in Rome against this pope, which resulted iu his capture and imprisonment. He was sustained by Otho, who marched on Rome, defeated the insurgents, and after hanging thirteen of their leaders, restored John to his position. The latter died in 972.—XIV. (Peter), bishop of Pavia, became pope about 984, succeeding Benedict VII. He retained the pontificate only nine mouths, when he was overthrown by Boniface VII., who procured his imprisonment, and finally his assassination, which took place in prison.—XV. suc ceeded John XIV. in 985, but died a few days after his election.—XVI. was elected in 985, and continued to occupy the holy see until his death, which occurred in 996.— XVII. (Philagathus), a Roman by birth, who became pope in 997, through the influence of the consul Crescentius, who deposed Gregory V. in his favor. The latter was, however, restored by the aid of Otho III., and John was murdered.—XVIII. (Siceo), an Italian of noble birth, who died a few months after assuming the pontifical title.—. XIX (Phasianus) became pope in 1903, but retired to a monastery six years later.— XX. (Romanus), son of one of the counts of Tuscany (Gregory), and succeeded his brother, Benedict VIII., in 1024. He died ten years iatcr.—XXI. (Pedro), a native of Lisbon, succeeded Adrian V. in 1276, but only survived his election a few months.— XXII. (Jacques d'Euse, or James of Ossa), was elected to succeed Clement V. in 1316. At this period the fend of the Guelphs and the Ghibellines was disturbing Italy, and John espoused the cause of the former. The families of Visconti, Colonna, and other well-known names were among the leaders of the Ghibellines, who fought under the banner of Louis, king of Bavaria, afterwards crowned emperor in St. Peter's. While John held court at Avignon, a monk of Abruzzo. named Peter de Corvara, was made pope by Louis, under the name of Nicholas V. There were thus a pope at Avignon and another pope at Rome. John died at the former place in 1334, without having succeeded in relieving Italy from her warlike condiiion.—XXIII, (Cardinal Cossa), a Neapolitan, who succeeded Alexander V. in 1410. He held a disputed title, his rivals being Benedict XIII. and Gregory XII. His morals were loose, and his miserly nature made him many and powerful enemies. Having quarreled with Ladislaus, king of Naples, the latter roused the people of Rome against him, and procured his expulsion. .Having appealed to the council of Constance, Ile was' required to abdicate, Was imprisoned for three years, and died in 1419.