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What's in a name for a newly-elected pope?

What's in a name for a newly-elected pope?

Independent08-05-2025
As the Catholic faithful await their new pope, cardinals might well be pondering names they would choose should they be picked as the next pontiff.
When asked if he accepts his election as pope, the new leader of the Catholic Church is also asked about how he would like to be known to the world.
The late Pope Francis was clear from the beginning of his papacy about how he wanted to lead the Church.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he picked Francis – associating himself with the much-loved Italian saint who focused on peace, poverty and simplicity.
His 12-year reign of the Church, ending with his death on Easter Monday, was characterised by social outreach, urging people to remember the poor and the marginalised and speaking out against war.
Catholic commentator, Joe Ronan, said: 'If you were going to change your name you would want to change your name for a particular reason and you would want to make a particular point with it.'
He said generally popes picking a name are likely to choose one of someone they have admired or want to emulate.
'I think that's very much where these names are coming from and which is of course why they're significant,' he said.
'It's the first indication of what the direction of the papacy might be.'
While he added that it could also be possible someone simply likes a particular name, he said that 'generally there'll be some form of a devotion to a particular person or somebody with a particular style.'
A new pope, as supreme leader of the Church, can choose to keep his own name as there are no set rules on changing it.
Mr Ronan, who works with the Catholic Voices media charity, said the tradition of choosing a papal name only began in the 500s.
He recalled a pope called Mercurius whose name was 'a little close to the Roman God Mercury, so he probably thought 'that's not a good idea' so he actually took the name John and became John II.'
John has been the most popular name, with Pope John the 23rd the most recent of these. Others such as Gregory and Benedict have been chosen multiple times too.
Only two have double-barrelled their chosen names – John Paul I and John Paul II.
There is a name that has never been chosen and is unlikely ever to be picked – Peter.
Saint Peter was the Church's first Pope, and all those after him are seen as chosen successors.
'I don't think anybody that would be pope would take it upon himself to call himself Peter.'
He said 'they wouldn't be demonstrating humility' if they did.
Another unlikely name would be Joseph – the name of Jesus's earthly father.
'If somebody went for Benedict now, which is a popular name, the immediate assumption might be that they would want to be more theologically-based, like Benedict the XVI – but there are 15 other Benedicts.
'So it is a very personal choice and it is a very indicative choice.'
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