Nos últimos dias, obscuros e tristes, do antipapa Bonifácio, fora indicado para pontífice um monge João, filho de Roberto. Não foi reconhecido, nem consagrado. Após quatro meses acordaram os partidos e Clero na escolha do sacerdote João Leão. Daí a dúvida dos autores (João XV e XVI), cuja maioria, porém, chama a este de '''João XV''', não contando o primeiro. Foi consagrado em setembro de 985. Era erudito e piedoso. Procurou defender os direitos da Igreja. Seu epitáfio em São Pedro chama-lhe:"'''invencível ao temor e ao lucro, egrégio doutor".''' O imperador Oto III era muito jovem e estava longe. Então Crescênzio Nomentano, senador em Roma, tornou-se ditador. João XV solicitou auxílio à imperatriz regente Teofania, que veio a Roma (989) e governou em Ravena com o estranho título de "'''IMPERADOR'''" Ela celebrou o Natal em Roma; uma grande benfeitora dos pobres e dirigida espiritual de são Adalberto. Morreu na Alemanha em 991. A regência passou a santa Adelaide, avó de Oto III. Rebelou-se Crescêncio, que obrigou o papa a fugir de Roma (995); mas quando soube que Oto marchava contra a cidade com gigantesco exército, o povo (sempre volúvel) chamou o pontífice de volta e preparou grandiosas festas ao soberano! João morreu em abril de 996. Fora fraco no governo civil da cidade, mas forte, vigoroso no trato da Igreja. Conseguiu promover a paz entre Etelredo, rei da Inglaterra, e Ricardo, duque da Normandia(991). Num sínodo, realizado em Roma, canonizou a São Ulrico, bispo de Augusta, primeiro exemplo de canonização feita por um papa. Por meio de missões aproximou os povos da Polônia ao Cristianismo. Defendeu com energia os bispos franceses contra o rei Hugo Capeto.

{{SucessãoPapas|
|nome=João 15
|num=138
|ant=João XIV
|seg=Gregório V
}}

Joao 15

{{Infobox Pope|
English name=John XV|
image=150px|
birth_name=John|
term_start=August, 985|
term_end=March, 996|
predecessor=John XIV|
successor=Gregory V|
birth_date=???|
birthplace=Rome, Italy|
dead=dead|death_date=March, 996|
deathplace=Rome, Italy|
other=John}}

'''John XV''' (born in Boniface VII (974, 984&ndash;985), (said to have been Pope for four months after Pope John XIV (983&ndash;984), but now considered an antipope).

John XV was the son of Leo, a Roman presbyter. At the time he mounted the papal chair Crescentius II was Patrician of Rome, significantly hampering the pope's influence, but the presence of the Empress Theophano, regent for her son, Holy Roman Emperor Otto III (983&ndash;1002), in Rome from 989 to 991 restrained Crescentius's ambition.

The Pope's venality and nepotism had made him very unpopular with the citizens, but to his credit, John XV was a patron and protector of the reforming monks of Cluny.

During this papacy, however, a serious dispute arose over the King of France's investing and then deposing an Arnulf archbishop of Reims in 988, even though Arnulf was the nephew of the King's bitter rival, Charles of Lorraine. Charles thereupon succeeded in capturing Reims and took the archbishop prisoner. Hugh, however, considered Arnulf a turncoat and demanded his deposition by John XV. The turn of events outran the messages, when Hugh Capet captured both Charles and Archbishop Arnulf and convoked a synod at Reims in June 991, which obediently deposed Arnulf and chose as his successor Abbot Gerbert, afterwards Pope Silvester II (999&ndash;1003). These proceedings were repudiated by Rome, although a second synod had ratified the decrees issued at Reims. John XV summoned the French bishops to hold an independent synod outside the King's realm, at Aachen, to reconsider the case. When they refused, he called them to Rome, but they protested that the unsettled conditions en route and in Rome made that impossible. The Pope then sent a legate with instructions to call a council of French and German bishops at Mousson, where only the German bishops appeared, the French being stopped on the way by Hugh Capet and Robert. Through the exertions of the legate, the deposition of Arnulf was finally pronounced illegal. After Hugh Capet's death (October 23, 996), Arnulf was released from his imprisonment, and soon restored to all his dignities. As for Gerbert, he set out for the imperial court at Magdeburg, and became the preceptor to Emperor Otto III. 

At a Roman synod held in the Lateran on January 31 993, John XV solemnly canonized Bishop Ulrich of Augsburg, an event which the Pope announced to the French and German bishops in a papal bull dated 3 February. This was the first time in history that a solemn canonization had been made by a Pope. 

In 996, Otto III undertook a journey to Gregory V (996&ndash;999). 