What name will the next Pope choose?

[Kolak of Twilo]

I've been thinking about this for a while and it seems unlikely the next Pope would want to be John Paul III. Too much to live up to.

John XXIV and Paul VII don't seem all too likely either. John XXIII upset too many conservatives and Paul VI did the same with those who were more liberal.
So.....

Pius seems to be out of the equation because the legacy of the last one, Pius XII, is rather uncomfortable.

Where to go now?
Innocent. I think not.
Urban. No.

Gregory, Benedict or Leo seem the three most likely. Leo XIII seems to have been modern enough, conservative enough and committed enough to the spread of democratic ideals to win out over the legacy of either Gregory XVI or Benedict XV.
Of course, Clement XIV had a hand in suppressing the Jesuits. That could be a popular idea for some folks in the Church today I suppose.

Sixtus VI just seems like a silly name.
Go ahead, say it out loud.

So, I guess my bet is on the next Pope being Leo XIV.
But then again, I'm not Catholic and have no idea how this all works.

Thoughts anyone? No disrespect to PJPII, the RCC or anyone at all. I'm just wondering about this.

[Dr. Rieux]

If he remembers the old Satuday Night Live joke, he'll call himself George Ringo...

[FriarTed]

Originally Posted by Kolak of Twilo

Sixtus VI just seems like a silly name.
Go ahead, say it out loud.

.[/size]

That was the Pope's name in the End-Times novel THE SEVEN LAST YEARS by Carol Balizet (all summed up in one volume & much better than any of the LEFT BEHIND stuff)- anyway- guess what his actual identity turned out to be?

I really have no idea what name the next Pope will take. I'm more curious if the following one will dare take the name "Peter".

[Patty O'Furniture]

But then again, I'm not Catholic and have no idea how this all works.

Same here. Who do popes and kings have to take on professional names at all?

[Splanky]

Is there a reason why he wouldn't name himself JPIII? It has a nice ring to it.

[Nava]

John XXIII pissed too many conservatives?

Well, if you think that Mel Gibson is too many, yes. You have to be about as conservative as Gibson, to be pissed by John XXIII's work.

I'm betting on him not choosing Peter - anything else is open. Hopefully he won't do Marx I, like in one of Morris West's novels (I haven't reread any of his Vatican-set novels for a while but I find them to be a world or two above other "novels with priest").

The reason to change names was explaned very well in a Japanese novel I once read. You change names to indicate that your "self" is/has changed: your priorities, your life's work, are different now than they were before. There is a big difference between being the bishop of any other diocese, or an administrative "drudge" in the Vatican, and being the Vicar of Christ.

[Mr. Moto]

Nearly all of the cardinals who will be voting were appointed by the current Pope.

Out of respect for him, and our of simplar respect for popes of the John and Paul lines, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he chooses John Paul III.

[Patty O'Furniture]

How about Pope Jesus Christ II? Or is that one off limits?

[Strinka]

I think he should be Pope Suburban I.

[tomndebb]

Actually, if the next guy decides to honor this guy, I'm looking forward to the next pope being John Paul II II.

(I'm hoping for Ralph I.)

Aside from the tradition that the pope will take a new name, setting aside his former life and self, there are no rules regarding the name he chooses. Note that John Paul I broke the "rule" that popes would use only a single name. As the most powerful guy in the organization, the pope gets to pick his own name for whatever reason he wishes. (I'm betting against a Pope Judas any time soon.)

[ouryL]

Bozo Fossor I?

[Avenger]

John Wayne I

[Hugh Jass]

I'd like to put in a request for Maurice I.

[BobT]

I don't think taking the name "Peter" would be a dare as much as it would just be bordering on sacrilege. St. Peter (and by extension Pope Peter) was no ordinary Pope. You're talking about a guy with firsthand, eyewitness knowledge of JC himself. A man the Big Guy has given extra special duties too.

I'm not taking that name.

[BrainGlutton]

I think it would make more sense for the new pope to pick a name that has no political resonance at all. Either a name no pope has used for centuries, or a name no pope has used ever. That way, he has the freedom to invent his own papacy without being compared to his namesake. (John Paul II obviously chose his name to honor his immediate predecessor, but that was safe, since John Paul I did not reign long enough to form any particular legacy to live up to.)

[JThunder]

Originally Posted by BrainGlutton

I think it would make more sense for the new pope to pick a name that has no political resonance at all.

Well then, how about using the cast of Friends?

[Kolak of Twilo]

Nava - I agree one would have to be pretty conservative to be upset with the changes John XXIII initiated. I know a few Catholics who have expressed dismay about certain things Vatican II changed. And you are correct, they are very conservative Catholics who prefer the Latin Mass over the more common one today done in the vernacular.

Splanky and Mr. Moto - You are right that it would be a nice way to honor the current Pope and the John and Paul lines for the new one to choose John Paul III. That was my first expectation when I thought about this. I guess part of the reason my thinking changed had to do with comments several Catholic friends of mine made, namely that it would create expectations that might be difficult to live up to. Also, one person said it would be a bit unusual to use the same name three times in a row. In this list of Popes there haven't ever been more than two in a row that had the same name. I realize this isn't a rule. But then again I don't think not using the name Peter is a rule. That seems to be more about tradition and respect I suppose.

So, no John Paul III wouldn't be suprising. I just think circumstances indicate it isn't a given.

And Brain Glutton - your reasoning is similiar to mine in arriving at my earlier idea that Leo would be a good choice.

[BrainGlutton]

Originally Posted by Patty O'Furniture

How about Pope Jesus Christ II? Or is that one off limits?

Obviously . . . but "Jesus" is such a common personal name in Catholic countries (well, in Latin American countries, at least) that a Pope Jesus (without "Christ" appended) might not be out of the question. Of course, that would be Pope Jesus I. Jesus of Nazareth was never pope.

[Kolak of Twilo]

Now that I think about it, Francis I, in honor of Francis of Assisi would be an interesting choice. Odd no one has ever chosen that name.

[swh2004]

Pope Poop
Pope Papa
The Pope Meister!

[takin]

Originally Posted by BobT

I don't think taking the name "Peter" would be a dare as much as it would just be bordering on sacrilege. St. Peter (and by extension Pope Peter) was no ordinary Pope. You're talking about a guy with firsthand, eyewitness knowledge of JC himself. A man the Big Guy has given extra special duties too.

I'm not taking that name.

Plus in the prophecies of St. Malachy, in which the last pope was to be Peter of Rome.

[BrainGlutton]

Why not Pope Cecil I?

[Nava]

Originally Posted by Kolak of Twilo

Now that I think about it, Francis I, in honor of Francis of Assisi would be an interesting choice. Odd no one has ever chosen that name.

Too linked to two of the most influential orders ever, including the one that's been disbanded twice. Francis Xavier and Francis Borgia were both Jesuits.

Jesus, no way - Hispanics would just go "uh" but others would completely freak out.

[Frank]

Originally Posted by Kolak of Twilo

Now that I think about it, Francis I, in honor of Francis of Assisi would be an interesting choice. Odd no one has ever chosen that name.

Nuh-uh. Everytime I said my name, people would think I was the pope.

[Baker]

Originally Posted by Kolak of Twilo

Now that I think about it, Francis I, in honor of Francis of Assisi would be an interesting choice. Odd no one has ever chosen that name.

The novel The Vicar Of Christ had the pope(an American, BTW) choosing that name. Very good book, except

SPOILER:

the poor guy was assasinated at the end

[Fear Itself]

Originally Posted by takin

Plus in the prophecies of St. Malachy, in which the last pope was to be Peter of Rome.

An interesting prophecy. If we hold to it, there is one pope between JPII and the Peter the Roman; the prophesy describes him as Gloria Olivae, or the Glory of Olives. The Order of St. Benedict is also known as the Olivetans, so a pope chosen from their order would fit the prophecy.

Just for the woo-woo factor, I nominate Benedict XVI.

[BobT]

It won't be Sixtus, because the next one would be Sixtus VI and that just sounds funny.

And I believe in Italian that would be "Sixto Sexto".

[mswas]

In my experience in a Catholic funeral this morning, I felt that the church has such a lack of emotional resonance, that it has very little spiritual impact, and is hardly uplifting at all. This has been my assessment of Catholicism as long as I've been alive.

So for this reason, I hope that those wishing for a more politically insignificant name do not get their wish, because I would like to see the power and mystery returned to the Church. That more than anything would be good for society, and more important than political motivations IMO.

Erek

[BrainGlutton]

Originally Posted by mswas

In my experience in a Catholic funeral this morning, I felt that the church has such a lack of emotional resonance, that it has very little spiritual impact, and is hardly uplifting at all. This has been my assessment of Catholicism as long as I've been alive.

So for this reason, I hope that those wishing for a more politically insignificant name do not get their wish, because I would like to see the power and mystery returned to the Church. That more than anything would be good for society, and more important than political motivations IMO.

Erek

So what, IYO, would be an appropriate name, one evocative of "power and mystery"?

[Polycarp]

Originally Posted by tomndebb

Actually, if the next guy decides to honor this guy, I'm looking forward to the next pope being John Paul II II.

He can't be Pope John Paul II II; we Anglicans already have a retired Archbishop of Johannesburg named Desmond II II.


As for the three-in-a-row bit, Popes Piux X, XI, and XII were in sequence, IIRC. For him to choose Leo XIV would indicate an inclination to emulate Leo XIII, who was like the recent late Pope a man of mixed accomplishments, but that choice would definitely serve as a slap in the face to Anglican relations.

I'm curious what Morris West book this Pope Marx I was in; in The Shoes of the Fisherman, the Russian Cardinal who was elected used his birth name, Kiril (Cyril to us Westerners).

[BrainGlutton]

Originally Posted by Nava

The reason to change names was explaned very well in a Japanese novel I once read. You change names to indicate that your "self" is/has changed: your priorities, your life's work, are different now than they were before. There is a big difference between being the bishop of any other diocese, or an administrative "drudge" in the Vatican, and being the Vicar of Christ.

Nitpick: According to this list of popes -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_popes -- for the first five centuries of the papacy, the pope's reign-name was always the same as his personal name. John II (Mercurius) was the first pope to take a new name upon his election, in 533 A.D.; and, with one exception, no pope followed his example until John XIV (Pietro Campanora, elected 983). After that, a different reign-name caught on as the norm.

[BrainGlutton]

If you haven't caught the news yet, the pope just died. RIP JPII.

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

"Skippy".

Yes.

"Skippy I".

That should de very nicely.

[jsgoddess]

I think the name chosen will reflect greatly on the new pope's intentions.

If, for example, he agrees with JPII on no married clergy, no female clergy, no gay marriages, etc., he'll pick JPIII.

If he's going to be more "radical," he'll pick a different name. Maybe something that hasn't been used before. But I do expect the name to make a statement.

[BobT]

Pius has had a checkered recent past.

Pius IX reigned for a long time (31 years), but lost the Papal lands and had a tumultuous reign.

But Pius X became a saint.

Pius XI got to see the world plunge into an economic depression.

Pius XII had a lot of problems and history has not been kind to him. I think the name has been retired.

Interestingly, I believe the practice for referring to a pope who became a saint, is Pope Saint (Name).

[Kolak of Twilo]

Originally Posted by Polycarp

As for the three-in-a-row bit, Popes Piux X, XI, and XII were in sequence, IIRC.

Sorry Polycarp, Benedict XV fell between Pius X and Pius XI. I've been looking over the list of Popes since my friend made that comment and I honestly don't see more than two in a row with the same name. Of course, as I said that doesn't necessarily mean anything. It's just kind of interesting.

[BrainGlutton]

If a pope chooses a name with a high roman numeral -- one that's been used by a lot of popes before -- then he's not necessarily tied to honoring/emulating/inviting comparisons with the most recent pope of that name, is he? It could be in honor of any one of them.

[gobear]

I understand that one of the front runners is a Nigerian cardinal. If he is elected, I hope he takes the name Pope Leroy, if only to see the expression on Pat Buchanan's face.

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Onarope I

[Baker]

I remember an episode of Crusade, a spin-off/sequel series to Babylon 5. You can just catch a glimpse of a broadcast from Vatican City, where the Pope was leading a procession in St. Peter's Square. Just a little figure in white, couldn't see the face. Name of the Pope? Bernadette II !!

[Baker]

But seriously, Innocent might not be so far off the mark, as a possible choice. Innocent III was one of the "greats", concerned with church influence and power.

[Good Egg]

Originally Posted by gobear

I understand that one of the front runners is a Nigerian cardinal. If he is elected, I hope he takes the name Pope Leroy, if only to see the expression on Pat Buchanan's face.

Leroy is an old Nigerian name eh?
I vote for Felix.

[Kolak of Twilo]

Originally Posted by gobear

I understand that one of the front runners is a Nigerian cardinal. If he is elected, I hope he takes the name Pope Leroy, if only to see the expression on Pat Buchanan's face.

Oh gobear you just ain't right.

[BobT]

John XXIII was a surprising choice since it had been several centuries since John XXII and the past Pope Johns had been a rather undistinguished lot.

[Polycarp]

Cardinal Arinze (the Nigerian) is very well liked and not the pawn of any faction, so far as I can tell. He may very well be the compromise choice. And I have a hunch his name choice, if he is elected, will be symbolic of the outreach, especially to the Third World, of the Catholic Church, with a lot of the Italocentric traditional institutions abolished or greatly remodeled under him.

[danceswithcats]

To endear himself to a new generation of catholics, how about:

Pope Bob Square Pants I

Who lives at the Vatican in Italy? Pope Bob Square Pants!

[Jplacer]

I like Pope Sisinnius. He was pope for a three weeks in 708.

Come to think of it Sisinnius would be a good name for a prog-rock band.

[Frostillicus]

Pope Bernie I

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Originally Posted by Jplacer

I like Pope Sisinnius. He was pope for a three weeks in 708.

Come to think of it Sisinnius would be a good name for a prog-rock band.

Wasn't Sisinnius a Phil Collins' song?

[Antigen]

Originally Posted by BrainGlutton

So what, IYO, would be an appropriate name, one evocative of "power and mystery"?

Pope Batman?



(I'm already going to hell, what with eating meat on fridays, not going to church, and having premarital sex, so yeah, add this one to my tab.)