Papal name

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A list of popes buried in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

A papal name or pontificial name is the

list of Coptic Orthodox popes of Alexandria
.

While popes in the early centuries retained their birth names after their accession to the papacy, later popes began to adopt a new name upon their accession. This started in the sixth century and became customary in the tenth century. Since 1555, every pope has taken a papal name.

The pontificial name is given in Latin by virtue of the pope's status as

primate of Italy
. However, it is customary when referring to popes to translate the regnal name into all local languages. Thus, for example, Papa Franciscus is Papa Francesco in Italian, Papa Francisco in his native Spanish, and Pope Francis in English.

Title and honorifics

Catholic

The official

style
of the Catholic pope in English is "His Holiness Pope [papal name]". 'Holy Father' is another honorific often used for popes.

The full title, rarely used, of the Catholic pope in English is: "

Sovereign of the Vatican City State, Servant of the servants of God
".

Coptic

The

Holy See of St. Mark the Apostle, the Successor of St. Mark the Evangelist
, Holy Apostle and Martyr, on the Holy Apostolic Throne of the Great City of Alexandria".

Within the Coptic Church, he is considered to be Father of Fathers, Shepherd of Shepherds, and Hierarch of all Hierarchs. Honorary titles attributed to the Hierarch of the Alexandrine Throne also include:

History

During the first centuries of the church, the

bishops of Rome continued to use their baptismal names after their elections. The custom of choosing a new name began in AD 533: Mercurius deemed it inappropriate for a pope to be named after the pagan Roman god Mercury, and adopted the name John II in honor of his predecessor John I, who was venerated as a martyr
. In the 10th century, clerics from beyond the Alps, especially Germany and France, acceded to the papacy and replaced their foreign-sounding names with more traditional ones.

The last pope to use his baptismal name was Marcellus II in 1555, a choice that was even then quite exceptional. Names are freely chosen by popes, and not based on any system. Names of immediate or distant predecessors, mentors, saints, or even family members – as was the case with John XXIII – have been adopted.

In 1978,

John Paul II. In 2013, a new name was introduced into the lineage: on being elected pope, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio selected the name Francis to emphasize the spirit of poverty and peace embodied by Saint Francis of Assisi.[1]

Symbolism

Often the new pontiff's choice of name upon being elected to the papacy is seen as a signal to the world of whom the new pope will emulate, what policies he will seek to enact, or even the length of his reign. Such was the case with

Benedict XV
.

Saint Peter was the first pope; no bishop of Rome has chosen the name Peter II, although there is no prohibition against doing so. Since the 1970s, some antipopes, with only a minuscule following, took the name Pope Peter II.

Probably because of the controversial 15th-century

Benedict X was only reckoned as an antipope centuries after his death, after Nicola Boccasini had already served as pope under the name Benedict XI
.

Current practice

Immediately after a new pope is elected, and accepts the election, he is asked in Latin "By what name shall you be called?"[a] The new pope chooses the name by which he will be known from that point on. The senior cardinal deacon or cardinal protodeacon then appears on the balcony of Saint Peter's to proclaim the new pope by his birth name, and announce his papal name:

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum:

Habemus Papam
!
Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum dominum,
dominum [baptismal name],
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 Father,
Lord [baptismal name],
Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church [surname],
who takes to himself the name [papal name].

Papal names

The most frequently used papal name is John, with 21 popes taking this name. There have also been 44 papal names that have only been used once. The number of all popes to the present is 264; Pope Benedict IX was elected pope three times, therefore the number of pontificates is actually 266.[2]

Rank Name # Popes
1 John 21[b] I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · X · XI · XII · XIII · XIV · XV · XVII · XVIII · XIX · XXI · XXII · XXIII
2 Gregory 16 I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · X · XI · XII · XIII · XIV · XV · XVI
3 Benedict 15[c] I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · XI · XII · XIII · XIV · XV · XVI
4 Clement 14
I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · X · XI · XII · XIII · XIV
5
tie 		Innocent 13 I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · X · XI · XII · XIII
Leo 13 I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · X · XI · XII · XIII
7 Pius 12 I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · X · XI · XII
8 Stephen 9[d] I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX
9
tie 		Boniface 8[e] I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VIII · IX
Urban 8 I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII
11 Alexander 7[f] I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII
12
tie 		Adrian 6 I · II · III · IV · V · VI
Paul 6 I · II · III · IV · V · VI
14
tie 		Celestine 5 I · II · III · IV · V
Nicholas 5 I · II · III · IV · V
Sixtus 5 I · II · III · IV · V
17
tie 		Anastasius 4 I · II · III · IV
Eugene 4 I · II · III · IV
Honorius 4 I · II · III · IV
Sergius 4 I · II · III · IV
21
tie 		Callixtus 3 I · II · III
Felix 3[g] I · III · IV
Julius 3 I · II · III
Lucius 3 I · II · III
Martin 3[h] I · IV · V
Sylvester 3 I · II · III
Victor 3 I · II · III
28
tie 		Adeodatus 2 I · II
Agapetus 2 I · II
Damasus 2 I · II
Gelasius 2 I · II
John Paul 2 I · II
Marcellus 2 I · II
Marinus 2 I · II
Paschal 2 I · II
Pelagius 2 I · II
Theodore 2 I · II
38
tie 		Agatho 1
Anacletus 1
Anicetus 1
Anterus 1
Caius 1
Conon 1
Constantine 1
Cornelius 1
Dionysius 1
Donus 1
Eleutherius 1
Eusebius 1
Eutychian 1
Evaristus 1
Fabian 1
Formosus 1
Francis 1 (Incumbent)
Hilarius 1
Hormisdas 1
Hyginus 1
Lando 1
Liberius 1
Linus 1
Marcellinus 1
Mark 1
Miltiades 1
Peter 1
Pontian 1
Romanus 1
Sabinian 1
Severinus 1
Silverius 1
Simplicius 1
Siricius 1
Sisinnius 1
Soter 1
Symmachus 1
Telesphorus 1
Valentine 1
Vigilius 1
Vitalian 1
Zachary 1
Zephyrinus 1
Zosimus 1

Notes

  1. ^ Unless impeded, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks the newly elected pope if he accepts his election and what name he will use. In 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the dean, was himself elected pope, so these questions were asked by the subdean, Cardinal Angelo Sodano.
  2. ^ See Pope John numbering for further information.
  3. ^ The papacy of Benedict X was later declared illegitimate.
  4. ^ Additionally, some sources prior to the 1960s list Pope-elect Stephen, who died before his consecration, as Stephen II, thus causing a numbering discrepancy.
  5. ^ The papacy of Boniface VII was later declared illegitimate.
  6. ^ The papacy of Alexander V was later declared illegitimate.
  7. ^ The papacy of Felix II was later declared illegitimate.
  8. Martin III. Marinus I and Marinus II
    were mistakenly thought to be named "Martin(us)", causing the confusion.

Citations

  1. ^ AUDIENCE TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA – ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER POPE FRANCIS – Vatican.va – Paul VI Audience Hall Saturday, 16 March 2013.
  2. Libreria Editrice Vaticana
    , 2002.

References

  • McClintock, John. 1891. Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature. Harper & Brothers. (Available online)
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