The announcement of the celebration of the next conclave opens new questions: who will be the next pontiff? What region of the world will it come from? And what papal name will decide to carry during its leadership at the head of the Catholic Church?
Throughout history, names such as Gregory, Clemente or Pío have marked the last centuries of the papacy, reflecting in each choice a spiritual inheritance and a vision for the future of the Church.
The decision of the papal name is much more than a symbolic act: it represents a link with the past and a declaration of intentions towards the future. For many believers, this change evokes Jesus’ gesture by renowing Simon as Peter, marking a new beginning and a divine mission.
However, this practice was not always a rule. In the first centuries of the Catholic Church, the Pontiffs retained their first name, and in case of coincidence, an ordinal number was simply added, such as Juan and Juan II.
It was in 553 when, for the first time, a Pope decided to change his name. Mauricio, when chosen pontiff, chose to be called John II, since his original name had pagan connotations that did not correspond to the Christian standards. Since then, adopting a new name became tradition, as a symbol of the new spiritual mission that each Pope assumed.
Before ascending to the papal throne, the chosen one performs a special prayer, asking the Holy Spirit inspiration to choose his name. This prayer is usually carried out in the so -called Hall of Tears, a small private stay where the new pontiff is first with papal habits and has an intimate moment of gratitude before God.
After this reflection, with the traditional announcement of Habemus Papam, Cardinal Camarlengo will proclaim the new name of the Pope From the central balcony of the Basilica of San Pedro, where the Pontiff will appear before the faithful and will offer for the first time the blessing Urbi et Orbi.
Although this tradition for centuries, this change is a voluntary decision and not an imposition of the Catholic Church.
Read more: how much it lasted and how was the last conclave in which Pope Francis was chosen
What are the names most used by the pontiffs?
In the history of the Catholic Church, which has had 266 pontiffs, some names have been repeated more frequently than others, reflecting spiritual symbolisms and tributes to key figures of Christianity.
The most popular name among the potatoes has been Juan, chosen 23 times. Within the ecclesiastical tradition, this name symbolizes the mercy of God and refers both to the apostle John and John the Baptist, according to the inspiration of each pontiff.
The last to follow this tradition was Jorge Mario Bergoglio, current Papa Francisco, who revealed in an interview that chose his name in honor of San Francisco de Asís, inspired by his friend, the Brazilian cardinal Claudio Hummes.
Interestingly, although San Pedro is considered the first leader of the Church, no Pope has again adopted the name Peter, as a sign of respect for the apostle. Also, names such as Lando or Hilario have been unique in the history of the papacy and have not been reused.
One of the most unusual cases was that of Juan Pablo I, who combined the names of his two immediate predecessors – Juan XXIII and Pablo VI – to form his papal name, a gesture of continuity that also adopted his successor, Juan Paul II.
The names most used by potatoes
According to the Catholic encyclopedia, volume 12, these are the ten most frequent names in the history of the papacy:
- Juan (23)
- Gregorio (16)
- Benedict (16)
- Clemente (14)
- Innocent (13)
- León (13)
- Pío (12)
- Esteban (9)
- Bonifacio (8)
- Urban (8)
Read more: Guatemalan religious attend the Vatican to say goodbye to Pope Francis