# What name will the next Pope choose? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 2, 2005, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-will-the-next-pope-choose/297386 "2005-04-02T09:24:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-will-the-next-pope-choose/297386/82 "2005-04-06T16:33:49Z")
Aren’t they looking for a South American? Pope Pepe would be cool. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-will-the-next-pope-choose/297386/83 "2005-04-06T19:16:07Z")
I hope it isn’t John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt. That’s my name. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-will-the-next-pope-choose/297386/84 "2005-04-18T03:34:49Z")
Well, now that the cardinals are all safely locked up, I’m going to suggest that an appropriate name would be **Linus II**. After all, JPII left a pretty hard act to follow, and was extremely influential. The new guy coming in may well feel much like you would think [Pope Linus](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09272b.htm) must have felt, succeeding the big fisherman, Peter. He could pay homage to JPII’s impressive role and assert his own humilty by taking the name Linus. I don’t know how they’ll work the blanket into the papal vestments, though… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-will-the-next-pope-choose/297386/85 "2005-04-19T18:57:25Z")
> [@Kolak of Twilo](#): > > Gregory, Benedict or Leo seem the three most likely. [Leo XIII](http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0829414.html) 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](http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0821796.html) or [Benedict XV](http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0806980.html). Well, I didn’t get it exactly right since my first choice was Leo but I got closer to it than I really thought I would. But, then Cardinal Ratzinger should have seemed the obvious choice in retrospect and I totally missed that. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-will-the-next-pope-choose/297386/86 "2005-04-19T18:59:18Z")
> [@Kolak of Twilo](#): > > But, then Cardinal Ratzinger should have seemed the obvious choice in retrospect and I totally missed that. Apparently in my case, denial kept me from seeing how obvious Ratfinker was for the next pick. 😛 It’s going to be a long five-ten years… ---
**Author:** ![Buran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Buran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buran)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-will-the-next-pope-choose/297386/87 "2005-04-19T19:18:15Z")
Uh oh… _Following John Paul II, only two popes remain in the prophecy. The next motto is Gloria Olivae, the glory of the olive. This motto has led to speculation that the next pontiff will be from the Order of Saint Benedict or will at least choose Benedict as his papal name._ > **[Prophecy of the Popes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophecy_of_the_Popes)** > > The Prophecy of the Popes (Latin: Prophetia Sancti Malachiae Archiepiscopi, de Summis Pontificibus, "Prophecy of Saint-Archbishop Malachy, concerning the Supreme Pontiffs") is a series of 112 short, cryptic phrases in Latin which purport to predict the Roman Catholic popes (along with a few antipopes), beginning with Celestine II. It was first published in 1595 by Benedictine monk Arnold Wion, who attributed the prophecy to Saint Malachy, a 12th-century archbishop of Armagh. > Given the accurate d... :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-will-the-next-pope-choose/297386/88 "2005-04-19T19:35:59Z")
**Midwinter** , my brother and I had the same thought when we heard the name he chose. We looked at each other and our jaws dropped. I’m _scared!_ ---
**Author:** ![Avenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Avenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avenger)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-will-the-next-pope-choose/297386/89 "2005-04-19T19:38:49Z")
> [@](#): > > When Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger chose the name Benedict XVI, this was seen as fulfilling the prophecy for this pope (Gloria Olivae). However, in previous versions of the article, it was said that any pope named Benedict, or any pope from the benedictine order, or any Latin American pope (with olive complexion), or any pope with links to Judaism (such as Cardinal Lustiger) would also fulfill the prophecy, thus giving a very broad array of possibilities. Yeah you can’t argue with spot-on prophesising like that :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-will-the-next-pope-choose/297386/90 "2005-04-19T19:42:36Z")
> [@Avenger](#): > > Yeah you can’t argue with spot-on prophesising like that :rolleyes: Yep… especially when the Pope gets to chose his name ! If you ever see a clear cut prophecy do please tell me… they are always cryptic and open to a thousand interpretations… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-will-the-next-pope-choose/297386/91 "2005-04-19T20:09:05Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > I’m _scared!_ Please note that I’m not _really_ sitting here quaking in terror. But if the next guy is Peter… ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-will-the-next-pope-choose/297386/92 "2005-04-19T20:52:17Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > I hope it isn’t John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt. That’s my name. 🙂 John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt? That’s my name too! ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-will-the-next-pope-choose/297386/93 "2005-04-19T22:46:02Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > 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. Can I pick 'em or what? T minus 2 popes and counting till Armageddon. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-will-the-next-pope-choose/297386.md?page=4)