If You Were Elected Pope, What Name Would You Take?

[12th Doctor]

This is a part of the Papal Conclave game, but I'm not sure when I am going to be able to take that up again, given all the applications I am busy with, and weddings I have to go to and what not (but I promise, I will get to it).  So, just for discussion, if you were chosen to be Pope, what name would you take, and why.  You are invited to have a small list, if you can't quite pick one.


I would probably go with Gregory XVII if I were picked today.  Gregory the Great and Gregory VII are two of my favorite popes... Gregory the Great for his many writings and call for a return to a more wholesome faith.  Gregory VII because of his insistence that the spiritual representatives on Earth should bow to no temporal authority, and for his writings as well.  There were alot of other good/decent Pope Gregory's, but since they all picked the name to salute the previous two I mentioned....

Another name I have been rolling around in my head is Thomas.  First, because of Thomas the Apostle.  I think that, in an age where seeing is believing, his is a important story for people to take notice of.  I myself have the status of a doubted, at times, as an empiricist, and I earier in life, I put my interest in science and had no use for religion.  I am also a big fan of St. Thomas a Becket and St. Thomas More.  Also, the only mentor I have ever had in my life is named "Thomas".

Pius is also on my list.  I am an admirer of Pius IX and Pius X.  I respect Pius XI and I find a lot of myself in Pius XII (who is my personal favorite pope of the 20th century).

[12th Doctor]

Lando II, just for kicks.

Ha, I was eying that one up myself.

[12th Doctor]

Peter II.

In all seriousness, Cornelius II. Certainly not one of the boring overused names.

Lando II, just for kicks.

Just looked at this list of Popes. All I have to say is, LOL!

Yes, I'm sure Pope Hilarius shares your sentiment.

[12th Doctor]

Someone could go with Formosus II, but I don't think anyone wants to be reminded of this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadaver_Synod

Although there were three pope Stephen's after that.

[12th Doctor]

Someone could go with Formosus II, but I don't think anyone wants to be reminded of this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadaver_Synod

Although there were three pope Stephen's after that.

Unverified sources claim that during the Cadaver Synod, the unhinged young Pope demanded of the fully-uniformed corpse: "Why did you usurp this See of the Apostle?" Whereat a young deacon crouching nearby shouted, "Because I was evil."

lolz

Yeah, its almost like a Monty Python skit.  People think that the Renaissance Papacy was bad... probably the worst period in the history of the Church was between the start of the 8th Century and just before the Gregorian Reform.  It's often called the "Age of Iron" because most of the time force ruled the day.  A truly lamentable period.

Formosus, the one "on trial" at the Cadaver Synod was actually one of the better Pope's of the period, if not the best.  Probably why people hated him so much.

And actually, the reason the name Formosus has never been used again was because it was that Pope's birthname and it mean "handsome".  One pope, Paul II, tried to revive the name by picking it for his own, but it was thought that might seem a little vain.

[12th Doctor]

Andrew.

A break with tradition perhaps keeping my own name, but it is the saint's name and I wouldn't see any reason to change it.

Popes typically just went with thier own names up until around the 10th century.  Until then, the only people who had gone with a different name had been a handful of people whose birthname had been Peter, and they changed it out of deference and respect.

The first Pope to change his name for another reason was (I can't remember which one exactly, but I think it was a Stephen) a man named "Mercury".  At the time it was thought that might give the wrong impression, for obvious reasons, and so he switched to a different name as Pope.  The practice became fairly standard afterwards.  I think the last time a Pope just went by his birthname was in the 14th century.

[12th Doctor]

Pope Flying Spaghetti Monster I

Hey Soulty, would they skip #13 if their was another Pope Pius?

No, why?

[12th Doctor]

Pope Flying Spaghetti Monster I

Hey Soulty, would they skip #13 if their was another Pope Pius?

No, why?

Pius XIII is the name taken by one of the living self-proclaimed antipopes.

Oh... no, that has no effect.  In fact, there was a prominent antipope John XXIII before the real John XXIII, and a number of the names taken during the Great Schism were recycled.

I somehow get the notion that states is charging that the current line of Pope's is illegitimate, as I have said before, while the arguments of some of the groups supporting that theory can be compelling, they suffer from some very serious loopholes.

[12th Doctor]

what about Jesus II?

Other than the fact that that is really bad theology?  The Pope is not the successor of Christ... he is the successor of the Vicar of Christ, Peter.  To claim parity with Christ would be obvious heresy, and you would cease to be Pope to second you tried to claim that name.

Actually, as you aren't currently a Bishop, you would never be Pope at all.  You would be Pope-elect for all of about five seconds.

[12th Doctor]

As a regnal name, I would take Hadrianus (Adrian) VII. The only English Pope was named Adrian, and also a great Roman Emperor by the name of Hadrian built a wall I am rather fond of. I am quite sure the Roman connotations, along with my actual christian name, should set off the conspiracy nuts.

Ah, yes.  Nicolas Breakspear (sp).  Had to bribe local authorities just to be allowed into Rome to take the Chair.  He also gave the English crown authority over Ireland... gee... I wonder why.

Several popes had the birthname of "Peter" or an equivalently.  You are likely right though, especially since the whole regal name trend (it had been done a few times prior, but what kicked it off) started when a Pope changed his name from "Octavian" to avoid the Roman connection.  Since there were obviously six prior Hadrians, I'm not sure it would be that big a deal, though.

[12th Doctor]

Soulty, wasn't the first Pope to change his name changing it because he was named after a Roman god?  I remember reading he was named Mercurias or something?

This was John II, BTW.

[12th Doctor]

Sixtus the Sixth

Too bad there's no way to throw another six in there... unless the numerical value of your real name is also six.