How Popes Choose Their Names And What's Its Significance

When white smoke billows from the Sistine Chapel and the words "Habemus Papam" (We have a pope) echo across St Peter's Square, the Catholic Church gets its new leader. But even before he steps onto the balcony, one crucial decision is already made: his name.

Choosing a new name is the pope's first public act. From Francis to Benedict, John Paul to Pius, papal names carry stories of reform and transformation. 

The pope's chosen name isn't just a preference or a nod to a favourite saint. It is often the first message to the world about who he intends to be, the legacy he honours, and the direction he hopes to steer the Church.

History Of Papal Name Changes

For the first 500 years, popes retained their birth names. The practice of adopting a new name began with Pope John II in 533, born Mercurius. He changed his name to avoid the pagan connotations associated with Mercury, the Roman god.

The last pope to keep his birth name was Marcellus II in 1555.

Over time, adopting a papal name became customary, with most popes choosing names of predecessors or saints they wished to emulate. The most popular papal names have been John, Gregory, Benedict, Clement, and Innocent.

How Does A Pope Choose His Name?

There are no formal rules governing how a pope selects his name. Joshua McManaway, assistant professor at Notre Dame's McGrath Institute for Church Life, told The Pillar, "There are very few rules for the man at the top, so they're allowed to choose what they want."

While popes have freedom in choosing their names, there's an unwritten tradition. No pope has taken the name "Peter II." This is likely out of reverence for St Peter, the first pope appointed by Christ. Mr McManaway said, "I suspect it is humility or perhaps even because one does not want to compare oneself to the one pope we know Christ chose himself."

Not all popes choose their names based on past pontiffs. Pope Pius II, who led from 1458 to 1464, picked his name because he loved books. His real name was Enea Silvio Piccolomini, and he chose "Pius" after a character named Aeneas in a famous poem, 'The Aeneid', who was called "pious Aeneas."

Another example is Pope Julius II. He first wanted to be called "Formosus II". "Formosus" means "handsome" in Latin. The cardinals, however, advised against it, so he went with "Julius II" instead.

There is something odd about the numbering of popes named John. In 1958, Pope John XXIII was elected, but there was never a Pope John XX. This mix-up happened because of confusion in old records, including mistakes and the counting of some fake popes (called antipopes). So now, the official list says there have been 21 Popes named John, even though number 20 is missing.

Why Pope Francis Chose His Name

In 2013, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio became pope and chose the name "Francis," inspired by St Francis of Assisi. It was a big deal since no pope had picked a completely new name in over 1,000 years, not since Pope Lando in 914.

Pope Francis later said he was moved by Cardinal Claudio Hummes, who hugged him after his election and said, "Don't forget the poor." That made him think of St Francis of Assisi, who is known for living simply and caring for the poor.