The last pope to use his baptismal name was Pope Marcellus II in 1555, a choice that was even then quite exceptional. The names chosen by popes are not based on any system other than general honorifics. They have been based on immediate predecessors, mentors, political similarity, or even after family members—as was the case with Pope John XXIII.
Some future pope may break with recent practice for symbolic reasons. For example, in the popular film The Shoes of the Fisherman, a Russian Cardinal, Kiril Lakota, announces upon election that "We shall be called by our own name", in honor of the sainted missionary to the Slavic peoples.
In 1978 Cardinal Albino Luciani became the first Pope to take a double name. He took the name John Paul I to honor his two immediate predecessors - Popes John XXIII and Paul VI; he had been elevated to bishop by John XXIII, then to patriarch of Venice and Cardinal by Paul VI. John Paul I was also the first Pope in almost 1,100 years to choose a papal name that wasn't previously used since Pope Lando in 913. After John Paul I died suddenly shortly afterward, Cardinal Karol Józef Wojtyła was elected and, wishing to continue what John Paul I had started, became the second Pope to take a double name when he became John Paul II, as well as the second Pope to be numbered anything less than IV (and the first to be numbered the Second) in almost 430 years since Pope Marcellus II in 1555.
There has never been a Pope Peter II. Even though there is no specific prohibition against doing so, elected Popes have refrained from choosing this name. 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.
Oddly enough, as of October 2010, global betting pools run by UK bookmakers have converged on Peter as the next Pope's most likely name. This may be related to their predictions that the next Pope will also break precedent by being either a black African or a South American.
Probably because of the controversial Antipope John XXIII, this name was avoided for over 500 years until the election of John XXIII. Immediately after John's election as Pope in 1958, there was some confusion as to whether he would be known as John XXIII or John XXIV. John himself ended the confusion by deciding that he would be known as John XXIII anyway. If possible, the number used by an antipope is ignored.
(Unless impeded, it is the Dean of the College of Cardinals who asks the newly-elected pope if he accepts his election and what name he will use. In 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, himself the Dean, was elected pope, so these questions came from the sub-Dean, Cardinal Angelo Sodano.)
Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum:
Habemus Papam!
Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum,
Dominum [forename],
Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem [surname],
qui sibi nomen imposuit [papal name].
I announce to you a great joy: We have a Pope! The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord, Lord [forename], Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church [surname], who takes to himself the name [papal name].
This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
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