By Lisa Zengarini
The first act of the new Pope, immediately after accepting his canonical election as Supreme Pontiff and before fulfilling other obligations, is the choice of his name. This name is announced by the Cardinal Protodeacon after the famous formula “Habemus Papam”, followed by the Pope’s baptismal name in Latin.
The longstanding tradition of changing the baptismal name
According to a longstanding tradition, this name differs from the baptismal name—a choice that follows the precedent set by the first Pope, Saint Peter, whose birth name was Simon.
This custom emerged as early as the first millennium of Christianity to signify that the election to the Petrine See is akin to a second birth.
In the early centuries of Christianity many Popes changed their names because their original names were of pagan origin.
However, not all Popes followed this practice. Out of the 266 Popes in history (267 including the next one), only 129 have chosen a new name.
This tradition became standard practice starting in 955 with Pope John XII, and has continued to this day, with the exceptions of Adrian VI (1522-1523) and Marcellus II (1555). For some Popes, the new name was actually their third name in life, as they came from religious orders.
The reasons behind the choice of a name
As for the choice of the name, many often choose the same name of their immediate or recent predecessor out of respect, admiration, or recognition, which also signals the desire to follow in their footsteps and continue the most relevant pontificates.
Others choose a different name from that of their immediate predecessor, sometimes signifying a commitment to innovation and change. This was epitomized by Pope Francis, the first Pope in history to take the name of the Saint of Assisi.
The most common names: John, Gregory, Benedict and Pius
In the history of the Papacy, the most commonly used name has been John, first chosen in 523 by Saint John I, Pope and martyr. The last Pope to choose this name was Italian Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, elected Pope John XXIII in 1958, who was proclaimed Saint by Pope Francis in 2014.
Other frequently used names include Gregory, in honour of Pope Gregory I, commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great (590-604), which was last used by Gregory XVI in 1831, and Benedict which was chosen sixteen times, including by Joseph Ratzinger in 2005.
Other recurrent names in the Papal tradition include Clement, Innocent, Leo, and Pius.
From 1775 to 1958, out of 11 Popes, 7 were named Pius, from Pius VI (1775–1799) to Pius XII (1939–1958). Eugenio Pacelli took the name Pius XII because he was distantly related to Pius IX (1846–1878), but also out of gratitude to Pius X (1903–1914), who was canonized in 1954, and finally, in direct recognition of Pius XI (1922–1939), who made him a Cardinal and Secretary of State.
Among the names never chosen by a Pope are Joseph, James, Andrew, and Luke. No Pope has ever chosen the name Peter, out of reverence for the first Pope.
Six Popes with the name of the Apostle Paul
However, six Popes have taken the name of the Apostle Paul, including Pope Montini (Paul VI, 1963-1978), whose choice reflected one of the key aspects of his pontificate—the initiation of Apostolic Journeys abroad.
Two Popes with two names
The first Pope to adopt a double name was Albino Luciani in 1978, who became John Paul I, emphasizing continuity with the pontificates of John XXIII and Paul VI. His successor, Karol Wojtyła, repeated this choice as John Paul II.
As for Benedict XVI, in his first General Audience on Apr 27, 2005, he explained that he had chosen the name Benedict to symbolically connect to Pope Benedict XV, who led the Church during the turbulent period of World War I, and to the extraordinary figure of Saint Benedict of Nursia, the Patriarch of Western Monasticism and co-patron of Europe. – Vatican News
