What's in a 'papal name' and what the new pope's choice could mean for the church

Calgary Herald

08-05-2025

The significance of a papal name lies in its symbolic power and the message it sends about a new pope's intentions, priorities, and the direction he hopes to set for the Catholic Church.
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When a new pope is elected, one of his first acts is to choose a new name. It's a tradition dating back to the early Middle Ages. This name is not required by doctrine but has become a deeply rooted custom.
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Pope Francis selected his name to honour St. Francis of Assisi, signalling a focus on humility, care for the poor, and environmental stewardship. Similarly, Pope John Paul I combined the names of his two immediate predecessors to signal continuity and commitment to their reforms.
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Ultimately, the papal name serves as a public declaration of the new pope's vision and the values he intends to emphasize during his papacy.
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It is closely watched as an early indicator of whether the new leader will continue the work of his predecessors or chart a new course for the Church.
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Do popes ever choose names that have never been used?
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Popes rarely choose a name that has never been used before. In fact, before Pope Francis in 2013, it had been over 1,000 years since a pope — Pope Lando in 914 — selected a completely new name.
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Most popes opt for names with historical or spiritual significance. There are, however, several unique papal names from the early centuries that have never been repeated, such as Lando, Romanus, and Formosus.
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How might a pope's cultural background affect his choice?
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Different cultures have influenced the choice of papal names in several ways, especially as the Church became more global. In the early centuries, popes from outside Italy — especially from France and Germany — often adopted more traditional or Italian-sounding names to align themselves with their Roman predecessors and the local culture of the papacy. This practice helped foster unity and continuity within the Church.
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A pope from Africa or Latin America might select a name associated with early non-Italian pontiffs or saints from those regions to highlight the Church's diversity and global reach.