Popes choosing a name

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ehanway

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Ok, so here’s a question I never thought about before. My husband asked me why popes don’t keep their given name and take another name. For example why did Pope Benedict XVI take that name and not become “Pope Joseph Ratzinger”?
I honestly couldn’t think of a reason other than it has always been thus. Anyone know?
Just curious, thanks!

Elizabeth
 
ehanway said:
Ok, so here’s a question I never thought about before. My husband asked me why popes don’t keep their given name and take another name. For example why did Pope Benedict XVI take that name and not become “Pope Joseph Ratzinger”?
I honestly couldn’t think of a reason other than it has always been thus. Anyone know?
Just curious, thanks!

Elizabeth
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It has become a tradition that began with Mercurius who changed his name because he believed that a Pope should not carry the name of a Pagan God. Some would thing that reason is ridiculous…but we did believe the world was flat and the sun revolved around the earth…
 
I think it must be rooted In God’s tendency for renaming his chosen followers esp. St. Peter

Anyone have verification?
 
JoeyWarren said:
It has become a tradition that began with Mercurius who changed his name because he believed that a Pope should not carry the name of a Pagan God. Some would thing that reason is ridiculous…but we did believe the world was flat and the sun revolved around the earth…
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That doesn’t seem ridiculous at all. Its probably similar to when a man is about to be married, he might strive to give up a bad habit before he takes his vows so he can be a better husband and father.
 
ehanway said:
Ok, so here’s a question I never thought about before. My husband asked me why popes don’t keep their given name and take another name. For example why did Pope Benedict XVI take that name and not become “Pope Joseph Ratzinger”?
I honestly couldn’t think of a reason other than it has always been thus. Anyone know?
Just curious, thanks!

Elizabeth
Click to expand...
He could have. The tradition started when a person named Mercury was elected pope. Until then they used their own names. But Mercury being a pagan god didn’t fly. So he changed his name. It is also reflective of the fact the Christ changed Peters name and others had name changes when something significant happened to them. Like Saul and Paul.
 
ehanway said:
Ok, so here’s a question I never thought about before. My husband asked me why popes don’t keep their given name and take another name. For example why did Pope Benedict XVI take that name and not become “Pope Joseph Ratzinger”?
I honestly couldn’t think of a reason other than it has always been thus. Anyone know?
Just curious, thanks!

Elizabeth
Click to expand...
As stated above, it was the pagan names. It probably wasn’t a very good example to be named after a Roman god and leading the Christian Church.

The best example of this? Two words: Pope Dionysius! (260-267 AD)

You’ve got to think that a pope named after the Roman god of wine, song, and drunkenness would want to consider a name change!
 
<<The best example of this? Two words: Pope Dionysius! (260-267 AD)>>

No chance that he was named after the great Archbishop and mystical theologian and disciple of the Apostle Paul, Dionysius, is there?
 
bpbasilphx said:
<<The best example of this? Two words: Pope Dionysius! (260-267 AD)>>

No chance that he was named after the great Archbishop and mystical theologian and disciple of the Apostle Paul, Dionysius, is there?
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Quite possibly! But who was THAT Dionysius named after? 😉
 
Thanks for the insight. Had not heard of that story. My husband wondered why all popes were not “Peter the whatever” since Peter was the first pope. I guess since they didn’t start out changing their names they picked up the tradition later on.
🙂
 
ehanway said:
Thanks for the insight. Had not heard of that story. My husband wondered why all popes were not “Peter the whatever” since Peter was the first pope. I guess since they didn’t start out changing their names they picked up the tradition later on.
🙂
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By the way there has never been a Peter II. Our Bishop is named Peter I always do a double take when his name is mentioned at Mass. “And Peter our Bishop”
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
By the way there has never been a Peter II. Our Bishop is named Peter I always do a double take when his name is mentioned at Mass. “And Peter our Bishop”
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I bet it does. I wonder why a Pope has never taken the name of Peter. Some superstitious nonsense? Or an unwritten law that says a Pope can’t do it?
 
JoeyWarren said:
I bet it does. I wonder why a Pope has never taken the name of Peter. Some superstitious nonsense? Or an unwritten law that says a Pope can’t do it?
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There has never been a Pope Peter II. Even though there is no specific prohibition against doing so, men elected to the Papacy have refrained from doing so. This is because of a tradition that only Saint Peter should have that honor. In the 10th century John XIV used the regnal name John because his given name was Peter. While some antipopes did take the name Peter II, their claims are not recognized by the mainstream Roman Catholic Church, and each of these men only either has or had a minuscule following which recognized their claims.
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From the wiki article linked to in post #5. Thanks MH84
 
There is a story that the last Pope, before the end of the world, will be Peter II. Just a legend.

Peace,
Linda
 
So how would it be taken if next Pope does take the name Peter. Will the Cardinals rescind their vote?

That quote above tends to indicate that it is indirectly an unwritten law. A law that is not a law.
 
JoeyWarren said:
So how would it be taken if next Pope does take the name Peter. Will the Cardinals rescind their vote?

That quote above tends to indicate that it is indirectly an unwritten law. A law that is not a law.
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One cannot rescind a vote, especially after the new pope has been introduced to the world! using his new name.

Peter’s name was Simon. His name was changed to Peter (by Jesus AT his election by the Holy Spirit and noone complained about him taking that name.)
 
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