Saints Names that future Popes could select (that haven't yet been used as regnal names)

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PeterT

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The current topic Where is Pope Joseph? has got me wondering what other saints names could future popes select as their regnal name (and would be a worthy choice) that haven’t been used before like how Pope Francis chose Francis to honor Saint Francis of Assisi?

I think Popes could start by maybe selecting the names of the Apostles that have been used (which would be most of them) like Thomas, Matthew, James, etc.

Or they could select a name of the saint who is a doctor of the church, like Saint Ambrose, Saint Basil or Saint Athanasius.

It’s interesting that most modern popes have selected from a pool of relatively few names, many being named Pious, Leo, Clement, Alexander, Innocent and Benedict before the some of the most current ones selecting John and Paul as their names.
 
PeterT said:
what other saints names could future popes select as their regnal name (and would be a worthy choice) that haven’t been used before like how Pope Francis chose Francis to honor Saint Francis of Assisi?
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To be a bit brief, in my opinion, there are probably hundreds. The Church has had over two-hundred Popes and there are easily over a thousand Saints.
 
Fauken said:
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PeterT:
what other saints names could future popes select as their regnal name (and would be a worthy choice) that haven’t been used before like how Pope Francis chose Francis to honor Saint Francis of Assisi?
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To be a bit brief, in my opinion, there are probably hundreds. The Church has had over two-hundred Popes and there are easily over a thousand Saints.
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So which names of saints to you think might be most worthy of the honor of a new pope choosing that name?

I would think it probably should be a saint whose feast day is celebrated worldwide on all the official Catholic liturgical calendars of every countries conference of bishops.
 
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Why a European name?

How about Ji Tianxiang?

As in St Mark Ji Tianxiang, who was a prominent physician in China until he succumbed to opium addiction (which happens more frequently among HCPs than a lot of people realize).

Long story short, he was never able to overcome his addiction, but he became a Saint through martyrdom during a Chinese persecution of Catholics.

I’m particularly fond of him because I’ve known several HCPs (some co workers and a relative) who became addicted to prescription medications partly due to easy access.
 
PeterT said:
So which names of saints to you think might be most worthy of the honor of a new pope choosing that name?
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I’m not sure I can say. That’s a deeply personal choice of whoever becomes the Pope. Saints are Saints.
 
Not to be “that person”, but that’s not true for St Peter.
 
I’m sure they could Latinize names from other language groups 🙂
I think it would be cool.

Anyhow, I was just tossing it out there. I like this saint and I think it would be useful for a non-European name for a change of pace.
 
I’m assuming the idea of a Pope Joseph 1 leaves overly large shoes to fill, or a Peter 2.

A Pope can theoretically choose any name they want.
 
Since the era of the Piuses came to an end (until further notice) in 1958, every pope has been careful to choose a name that is in everyday use: John, Paul, Benedict, Francis. There have been no more names that are known only as papal names, such as – apart from Pius – Innocent, Urban, Anastasius, Boniface, or Pascal. I don’t think we’ll see a pope using any of those names in the foreseeable future. On the other hand, I suppose there might possibly be a Nicholas VI, an Alexander IX, a Stephen X, a Leo XIV, or a Gregory XVII.
 
More like 10 thousand saints. If you figure half were men, as Popes likely won’t take female names, then 5000 saints, and weeding out the ones with the same name I figure you’d still have easily 3000 left.
 
Will we ever have a Pope Jesus? A popular name amongst some hispanics…
 
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