What's in a papal name?

[Ardeur]

Here's something I've never quite grasped, and considering last week's Conclave was the first I'd ever experienced, I'm curious, why does the Pope change his name? What is the significance of the name he chooses?

[mib]

I'm guessing they need to have a more or less 'universal' name so as not to end up with a name unpronouciable to anyone but his home country.

[Ó Cathasaigh]

It started when one pope had a similar name to a heathen God, they didn't find that a good idea so changed it, they've been doing it ever since.

[MoROmeTe]

It's also a way of saying that he has transceded his condition as only man and that he is now a new person, imbued eith the Holy Spirit and the succesor of Peter. Also the name gives out a view of the Pope, as the forebearer of the name is though to be the Pope most honored by the one who uses the name. Benedict the XV was Pope during the First World War and he is seen as a Pope of peace, neutrality and fervor. I think Benedict the XVI is going to be much the same, with a new mediatic twist to it.

[Nationalist_Cause]

I was always under the impression that it was designed to give the pope a more "christian" sounding name. I saw it somewhere on TV a while back. I guess this tradaition started in the 4-5 century.

[spence]

What's in a papal name?

letters, maybe some roman numerals and maybe even a vowel carol
ommm

[hormiga]

There is some speculation that the early Popes may have changed their names to Greek names, as Jesus had done to St. Peter. This is based on the fact that most of the early popes were Italian or Roman and yet have Greek names.

The first known pope, after Peter, to take a new name was John II in 533. His given name was Mercury, the name of a pagan god, and hardly suitable for a pope, so he adopted the name of the martyred John I instead.

There wasn't another papal name change until John XII (originally Octavian) in 955. Name changes became common after that, but not every pope took a new name. Several eleventh-century Johns kept the name John, for example.

It's possible that some very early popes took different names. We know almost nothing about many of the popes (then called bishops of Rome) who served during the church's first centuries, so tidbits like given names could easily have been lost.

http://64.224.198.230/FAQ.htm#name

[stop-3]

Well, you see, the pope is christ's representive on earth. Presumably the name is is important, unless it isn't, whateaver the holy ghost thinks. Seeing that I'm god's great nephew eighty-seven times removed (from his aunties side) you shoudn't take my word as sacrosant, unless you are some rotten nasty athiest in which case you must be completely bonkers.

[biodaemon2]

Letters.

And some Roman Numerals if you cant be original.

The Pope is like Christs Chosen clothing designer.

He gets to look great, gets lots of press, gets some large houses, changes his name to something more special, and he doesnt actually have to do much work.

If Buddha ever wants to get some more American followers, Kalvin Kline would be a great messiah. Or perhaps Abercrombie would be interested? (Just Abercrombie, as Fitch is a total A-hole, and a horrible tipper&#33

[stop-3]

My name is Count-mudpit von Gibberstutter-stuffemall (roughly translated), and I currently rule one of the nearby local group mini-cluster of galaxies in the local super-cluster. Yet not one of you pathetic earthlings recognise this fact. All you seem to care about is this 'popes' name, who is (if I understand correctly is responsible for one planet only - and then only to a part of the superior species), by comparison a tiny lord of segments of nematodes to my mighty self. Huff! Just goes to show what a load of bollocks this power-worship is.

[biodaemon2]

I for one, feel surely disrespected by the masses of humanity who writhe beneath my notice.

I place myself before them, in the vain chance that perhaps some of my magnificence will rub off upon the bleak masses, and instead they get so called "experts" to tell my how my own thoughts Work! They claim I have "himicidal tendencies" and my "troubled mind" is a "threat to myself and others"!!

The nerve of a mere man to challenge me! To dare say that I am the inferior one in need of pills and medication!

However, I learned to move past such insults in time. I let the healing begin after I gouged out the doctors eyes with his damnably loud pen whose clicking drove me mad! Mad I say!

The screams only lasted for a while, thank the Gods.