Are popes required to change their names?

  • Thread starter Thread starter UtahMaggie
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
U

UtahMaggie

Guest
Hello everyone,

Gosh, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted I almost forgot how!

A few months ago, my 9 year old daughter asked me if popes are required to change their name when the become pope. I told her I honestly didn’t know the answer. She went on to say that if girls could be pope and if she were chosen, she would change her name to Judy! 😃 I laughed so hard my stomach hurt! Now we call her “Pope Judy”. My husband refers to her as the “Holy Daughter”. She thinks it’s funny.

Back to my question, is a man required to change his name when he is elected pope? I’d like to be able to give my daughter an answer.

God bless,
Maggie
 
UtahMaggie said:
Hello everyone,

Gosh, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted I almost forgot how!

A few months ago, my 9 year old daughter asked me if popes are required to change their name when the become pope. I told her I honestly didn’t know the answer. She went on to say that if girls could be pope and if she were chosen, she would change her name to Judy! 😃 I laughed so hard my stomach hurt! Now we call her “Pope Judy”. My husband refers to her as the “Holy Daughter”. She thinks it’s funny.

Back to my question, is a man required to change his name when he is elected pope? I’d like to be able to give my daughter an answer.

God bless,
Maggie
Click to expand...
No
 
It’s custom going back to the election of a man named Mercury, who did not want to take the name of a pagan god when Pope.
However, the precedent was started by Simon who was named Peter of course.
 
BillyT92679 said:
It’s custom going back to the election of a man named Mercury, who did not want to take the name of a pagan god when Pope.
However, the precedent was started by Simon who was named Peter of course.
Click to expand...
Thank you, that’s interesting. There are so many customs in our Church that it’s not always easy to find out how they began and I’m always interested in hearing their origins. I’ll share this with my daughter.
 
No - Giuliano della Rovere, for example, just became Julius II (the Latin version of his Italian name).

But most Popes, being humble, choose to honour past Popes who they admire. Hence John Paul II - his name honoured ALL THREE of his predecessors (John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul I)
 
BillyT92679 said:
It’s custom going back to the election of a man named Mercury, who did not want to take the name of a pagan god when Pope.
Click to expand...
I’ll take “Papal Names” for 100, Alex.

Who was Pope John II, elected in 533?
 
A funny thought just occurred to me…If a pope didn’t want to change his name, who’s going to make him? 😛
 
It seems we’ve gotten in a bit of a rut the last 300 years or so. The next pope should mix things up and pick some papal name that no one has used for a while, like Lando II or Conon II 😃
 
here is an interesting thing to ponder. Lets say that the next pope decides to call himself “Jon” wouldn’t he technically be “Jon I” (as opposed to jon XXIV) since all previous “pope johns” have spelled their names J.O.H.N as opposed to J.O.N
 
Well, at some point we are going to have a pope with a modern name, like Trevor or Connor. I can’t see us having a Pope Trevor, so I think the tradition will continue of popes taking the name of a predecessor, or at least a biblical name.

Also, taking a new name is symbolic of a major change in life, like when God called Abram, Abraham, and Jesus named Simon, Peter. So I think that is why a pope takes a new name… he has a new purpose for the Lord.
 
It seems we’ve gotten in a bit of a rut the last 300 years or so. The next pope should mix things up and pick some papal name that no one has used for a while, like Lando II or Conon II
Click to expand...
Oh please not a Pope Lando II - everyone would start calling the Vatican “Cloud City” and referring to the pope-mobile as the Millenium Falcon.
 
Tell your daughter women can not be Priests, therefore they can not be Popes.

Its really not funny that she does not see how this is an impossibility.
 
Hellisreal said:
Tell your daughter women can not be Priests, therefore they can not be Popes.

Its really not funny that she does not see how this is an impossibility.
Click to expand...
Read the OP’s post: “…She went on to say that if girls could be pope and if she were chosen, she would change her name to Judy…”
(bolded emphasis is mine)

The girl sees that it is an impossibility. She was making a joke. Lighten up.
 
jpjd said:
Read the OP’s post: “…She went on to say that if girls could be pope and if she were chosen, she would change her name to Judy…”
(bolded emphasis is mine)

The girl sees that it is an impossibility. She was making a joke. Lighten up.
Click to expand...
But the parents are encouraging her, and yes, maybe I should “lighten up” but I have to wonder if this contributes to further misunderstandings.

We as parents are charged with teaching the faith not mocking it.
 
Rawb said:
Oh please not a Pope Lando II - everyone would start calling the Vatican “Cloud City” and referring to the pope-mobile as the Millenium Falcon.
Click to expand...
And Conon II … if Conon was non-Italian they’d call him ‘the Barbarian’ grooooan
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top