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charlesembury
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Why does a newly elected Pope assume another name, ie; Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger to Pope Benedict XVI ?
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SacredHeartFan
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It’s an old tradition. Mostly they take their confirmation name. Other than that, I’m not excatly sure.
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Didi
Guest
It is a biblical precedent that when you begin a new mission, you receve a new name.
Abram became Abraham, Saul became Paul.
Usually a pope will take the name of a saint or past pope they greatly admire.
Abram became Abraham, Saul became Paul.
Usually a pope will take the name of a saint or past pope they greatly admire.
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SacredHeartFan
Guest
Saul was always his hebrew name. His latin name is Paulos (spelling?) and his english name is Paul.
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Didi
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I’ve never heard this, and I’ve heard several theologians speak about this – can you provide a link for this?Saul was always his hebrew name. His latin name is Paulos (spelling?) and his english name is Paul.
What about Simon becoming Peter?
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SacredHeartFan
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Ok I looked in my “Catholicism Answer Book”:
If I were ever to beccome pope, I would take the name Peter II just to get a good laugh!
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SacredHeartFan
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Well, my personal thing is that Jesus told Simon he was Peter, so therefore he was Peter. Although alot through the Gosples, he is sometimes reffered to as Simon the one called Peter.
Footnotes of my NAB
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Genesis315
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The last Pope to use his real name was Pope Lando in the 900s. But, even before then, Popes were taking a new name. The first to do it did so because his given name was the name of a pagan god, and he didn’t think that was an appropriate name for a Pope.
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Ghoti
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Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter. (Matthew 16:18)
The first pope to adopt a new name was John II (533-35; born Mercurius, after the pagan god Mercury). The next one, as a coinkydink, was John XII (955-64), originally named Octavian. After that was John XIV, 983-84, who was originally named Peter (Pietro Canepanova), but changed his name so as not to be identified with St. Peter. John XV seemed to have kept his own name, and was the last pope to do so.
John Paul I named himself after the previous two popes, and John Paul II
What can I tell you. “Johns” are trendsetters.
The first pope to adopt a new name was John II (533-35; born Mercurius, after the pagan god Mercury). The next one, as a coinkydink, was John XII (955-64), originally named Octavian. After that was John XIV, 983-84, who was originally named Peter (Pietro Canepanova), but changed his name so as not to be identified with St. Peter. John XV seemed to have kept his own name, and was the last pope to do so.
John Paul I named himself after the previous two popes, and John Paul II
What can I tell you. “Johns” are trendsetters.
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teadough
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Joseph Ratzinger said he chose “Benedict” because the name had been used by Popes who just happen to serve short terms.
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JFT
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I recently read that one of the early pope took a new name because the name he received at birth was Mercurius, derived from the name of the Roman deity Mercury. This possibilty, along with biblical precedent, could be factors. I hope that this helps.
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Tim_c
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Paul (Paulus) was originally named Saul (Saule) but changed his name after his conversion. See Acts 22.Saul was always his hebrew name. His latin name is Paulos (spelling?) and his english name is Paul.
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Jordan_Francis
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The original St. Benedict began the monastic order that basically saved Western civilization from complete destruction…
I think, knowing Benedict’s feelings on the malaise of the West, (ie. read “Without Roots”) his name indicates that he considers the two situations to be analagous in some capacity and that Church will again be the savior of Western civilization.
I think, knowing Benedict’s feelings on the malaise of the West, (ie. read “Without Roots”) his name indicates that he considers the two situations to be analagous in some capacity and that Church will again be the savior of Western civilization.
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Crumpy
Guest
Aside from anything else, the new Pope establishes a new personality with a new name.
Consider: Look at all the stage names that people take in Hollywood. Even Adolf Hitler took a new name. His real family name was Schickelburger, or something like that, that sounds like you’d want to say “sauerkraut, please” when you hear it.
The Pope’s new name sort of places him in a new family, in the lineage of his predecessors, rather than maintaining him in the lineage of a shoe cobbler or beer brewer or something like that.
Like I say, whatever the reason, the new name creates a new identity.
Consider: Look at all the stage names that people take in Hollywood. Even Adolf Hitler took a new name. His real family name was Schickelburger, or something like that, that sounds like you’d want to say “sauerkraut, please” when you hear it.
The Pope’s new name sort of places him in a new family, in the lineage of his predecessors, rather than maintaining him in the lineage of a shoe cobbler or beer brewer or something like that.
Like I say, whatever the reason, the new name creates a new identity.
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Mintaka
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Don’t forget that there’s a very long Catholic tradition of copying the Biblical name changes.
Baptism – you have to take a Christian name if you didn’t have one already.
Confirmation – often includes a new name, like your sponsor’s.
Entering a religious order – tons of this.
Secularly, of course, women still often take their husband’s family name.
Baptism – you have to take a Christian name if you didn’t have one already.
Confirmation – often includes a new name, like your sponsor’s.
Entering a religious order – tons of this.
Secularly, of course, women still often take their husband’s family name.
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Ghoti
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Urban legend. Hitler’s father was illegitimate, born Alois Schickelgruber. He later took his stepfather’s name, Hiedler, which had numerous spellings, but was prob. spelled “Hitler” by a clerk, according to the inerrant and infallible Wikipedia.
Hitler was himself legitimate.
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Ghoti
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Says who?
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Aramis
Guest
Many Eastern Rite Bishops, both catholic and orthodox, also change their name upon enthronement.
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Crumpy
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Yes, there is a lot of precedent for doing this, but my previous post attempted to explain the psychological reasons for doing this. This person, the pope, is now not the person you knew before (well, not exactly).
And, likewise, it has a psychological and hopefully spiritual effect on the person being re-named.
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MaryJohnZ
Guest
I am not sure but I do know that whenever someone was given a new role in the Old testament they also received a new name.
It was a sign of having a special calling,… Abrham, Sarah both received new names…
And Peter was given a new name, Simon became Peter.
Paul received a new name…Saul became Paul…
MaryJohnz
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