The history of the names of the Successors of Peter
By Lisa Zengarini
The first act of the new 杏MAP导航, 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 杏MAP导航’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 杏MAP导航, 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.
Why 杏MAP导航s change their names
In the early centuries of Christianity many 杏MAP导航s changed their names because their original names were of pagan origin.
However, not all 杏MAP导航s followed this practice. Out of the 266 杏MAP导航s in history (267 including the next one), only 129 have chosen a new name.
This tradition became standard practice starting in 955 with 杏MAP导航 John XII, and has continued to this day, with the exceptions of Adrian VI (1522-1523) and Marcellus II (1555). For some 杏MAP导航s, the new name was actually their third name in life, as they came from religious orders.
The most common names: John, Gregory, Benedict and Pius
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 杏MAP导航 Francis, the first 杏MAP导航 in history to take the name of the Saint of Assisi.
In the history of the Papacy, the most commonly used name has been John, first chosen in 523 by Saint John I, 杏MAP导航 and martyr. The last 杏MAP导航 to choose this name was Italian Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, elected 杏MAP导航 John XXIII in 1958, who was proclaimed Saint by 杏MAP导航 Francis in 2014.
Other frequently used names include Gregory, in honour of 杏MAP导航 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 杏MAP导航s, 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 杏MAP导航 are Joseph, James, Andrew, and Luke. No 杏MAP导航 has ever chosen the name Peter, out of reverence for the first 杏MAP导航.
Six 杏MAP导航s with the name of the Apostle Paul
However, six 杏MAP导航s have taken the name of the Apostle Paul, including 杏MAP导航 Montini (Paul VI, 1963-1978), whose choice reflected one of the key aspects of his pontificate—the initiation of Apostolic Journeys abroad.
Two 杏MAP导航s with two names
The first 杏MAP导航 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 Wojty?a, repeated this choice as John Paul II.
As for Benedict XVI, in his first General Audience on April 27, 2005, he explained that he had chosen the name Benedict to symbolically connect to 杏MAP导航 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 "father" of Western Monasticism and co-patron of Europe.
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