PROSPECT HEIGHTS — As Pope Francis recounted, when he received the 77 votes he needed to become pope on March 13, 2013, his close friend Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes hugged him, kissed him, and said, ‘Don’t forget the poor.’ ”
With those words in mind, he explained to journalists days later that he chose to be called Pope Francis after St. Francis of Assisi, “the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation.”
Alongside the intrigue around who will next sit on the chair of St. Peter is the question of what the next pope will choose as his papal name. As far as rules are concerned, there are none. A pope can choose whatever name they want.
In fact, a pope doesn’t have to take a name at all. Pope Marcellus II was the last pope to use his baptismal name when he was elected in 1555.
However, as was the case with Pope Francis, and especially since the 5th century, almost every pope has chosen a name to honor a saint or a previous pope. And while it’s not mandatory for a pope to explain their decision, typically, like Pope Francis, they have offered some insight.
Pope Benedict XVI, in his first general audience on April 27, 2005, explained that he chose his papal name “ideally as a link to the venerated pontiff, Benedict XV, who guided the Church through the turbulent times of the First World War.”
“In his footsteps I place my ministry, in the service of reconciliation and harmony between peoples, profoundly convinced that the great good of peace is above all a gift of God,” he said. “A fragile and precious gift to be invoked, safeguarded, and constructed, day after day and with everyone’s contribution.”
St. John Paul II chose his name to maintain consistency and to honor his predecessor, Pope John Paul I. Pope John Paul I, meanwhile, was the first pope to choose a double name, honoring his predecessors St. John XXIII and St. Paul VI.
In his first Angelus address, Pope John Paul I spoke fondly of them both.
“For that reason, I said: ‘I shall be called John Paul. I have neither the wisdom of the heart of Pope John nor the preparation and culture of Pope Paul, but I am in their place,’ ” he said. “I must seek to serve the Church.”
So, when it comes to what the next pope will choose as his papal name, technically, the answer is that there are nearly infinite possibilities, and something as simple as a comment from a close friend in the Sistine Chapel could be the deciding factor.
Like Pope Francis, the next pope could choose a saint who hasn’t been honored by a papal name, of which there are thousands. Or, they could choose to honor a previous pope, of whom there are still about 80 names to choose from.
JUST TO NAME A FEW
The most frequently chosen names by the Church’s 266 pontiffs, through Pope Francis.
- John: 23
- Benedict: 16
- Gregory: 16
- Clement: 14
- Innocent: 13
- Leo: 13
- Pius: 12
- Boniface: 9
- Stephen: 9
- Urban: 8
- Alexander: 8