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Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why do popes change their name? What we know about Pope Leo XIV's election, name choice
Catholics around the world are celebrating a new pope today. After only two days of voting in the papal conclave, the College of Cardinals elected the Catholic Church's first ever American pope. Cardinal Robert Prevost, 69, was elected on Thursday, May 8, and took the name Leo XIV for his papacy. But why do popes choose a new name when they're elected? Here's what to know about the conclave process, a list of contenders that were favored for the papacy, a little bit about Pope Leo XIV and why popes choose a new name once elected. Conclaves in the Catholic Church take 'as long as needed,' which once meant it could take years, but in the 20th century has whittled down to just a few days. 'The papal conclave – which has remained virtually unchanged after more than 800 years – takes as long as needed. Over the centuries, it has taken hours, days, months and even years for a successor to be named,' USA TODAY reported. In 2013, Pope Francis was elected after just over a day of voting. The longest conclave in history was in 1268, when it took nearly three years for the College of Cardinals to elect Pope Gregory X, according to EWTN Vatican. The average modern conclave is much shorter, lasting from around two to five days. This papal conclave was also incredibly short. White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, May 8, just one day after conclave began on Wednesday, May 7. Live updates: History in the making, as the first ever American pope has been elected In the Catholic Church, each new pope is selected through the traditional practice of a conclave. According to Merriam-Webster, 'Conclave comes from a Latin word meaning 'room that can be locked up.'' Most simply put, the word conclave refers to a private meeting. In a papal conclave, cardinals from around the world convene and are locked into the Sistine Chapel for up to four rounds of voting each day, day after day, until they reach the required two-thirds majority vote to elect a new pope. If someone still doesn't have the majority vote after 33 rounds of voting, the top two candidates face off in a run-off vote. The group of cardinals that convene are called the College of Cardinals. 'Since 1975, only those younger than 80 are able to participate in the papal conclave,' USA TODAY reported. 'As of Jan. 22, there were 252 cardinals, of whom 138 are electors, according to the Vatican.' At the end of each day of voting, the cardinals burn slips of paper that create black smoke to billow from the chimney as a sign to Rome that the new pope has yet to be chosen. On the day the cardinals reach a majority vote, they burn slips of paper that create white smoke, as a sign to Rome that a pope has been chosen and has accepted the papacy. Today, Thursday, May 8, white smoke poured from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling that a new pope was chosen after just over a day of voting. Who is Robert Francis Prevost? What to know about newly elected Pope Leo XIV Cardinal Robert Prevost, an American missionary from Chicago who's spent his career in Peru, was named the 267th pope on Thursday. Prevost was not widely seen as one of the top contenders heading into the conclave. Not only was he not a top contender in most lists predicting who would be elected, but the choice to elect an American pope is a very significant one. Of the 266 popes that came before him, none were from the U.S. His predecessor, Pope Francis, was the first ever pope elected from the Americas. Since Pope Francis's hospitalization early this year, there was ongoing discussion over some of the more prominent cardinals who were favored for the pontiff, including: Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state Peter Turkson, of Ghana, served as president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace Luis Tagle, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples since December 2019 and former archbishop of Manila Peter Erdo, a conservative theologian from Hungary, two-time president of the Council of Bishops Conferences of Europe Matteo Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna for almost 10 years, favored by Pope Francis and made a cardinal under his papacy in 2019 Joseph Tobin, progressive archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, who was close to Pope Francis and made a cardinal under his papacy in 2016. Tobin is one of 10 American cardinals who will vote in conclave. Jean-Marc Aveline, of Algeria, 'described as Francis' favorite bishop,' according to the Catholic Herald Angelo Scola, archbishop emeritus of Milan, was among the favorites to assume the papacy in 2013 Mario Grech, native of Malta, currently secretary general of the Synod of Bishops Juan Jose Omella, archbishop of Barcelona Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 'Patriarch of Jerusalem,' raised in rural Northern Italy There's never been a pope from the U.S., until today. Cardinal Robert Prevost is the second pope from the Americas and the first pope from the U.S. He was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He spent the majority of his career ministering in Peru. Pope Leo XIV attended Villanova University and Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, before earning a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. Pope Leo XIV's first words as pope were "Peace be with you," according to the AP. "From the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica, history's first American pope recalled that he was an Augustinian priest, but a Christian above all, and a bishop, 'so we can all walk together,'" the AP reported live. "He spoke in Italian and then switched to Spanish, recalling his many years spent as a missionary and then archbishop of Chiclayo, Peru." The reason why popes choose a new name for themselves when elected is to symbolize the direction they hope to take their papacy and set the tone for their time as pope. "A longstanding tradition has it that Popes change their names from their baptismal name, though it hasn't always been the case, especially in the first centuries of Christianity," according to Vatican News. "Popes have often chosen the names of their immediate or distant predecessors out of respect, admiration, or recognition to mark continuity, but also different names to mark innovation." While Pope Francis chose a never-before-used papal name to signal the innovation he intended to (and did) bring with him to the papacy, the new pope chose to re-use a papal name that was used thirteen times. And although that papal name has been used before, the last pope to call himself Leo was more than 100 years ago. Pope Leo XIV is, as the Roman numerals indicate, the fourteenth pope that will be called Leo. According to Catholic priest and blogger Ed Tomlinson and the UK-based newspaper The Independent, Pope Leo XIV's choice could be seen as a continuation of Pope Francis's liberalization of the church. "The papal name Leo unsurprisingly shows a Pope who is going to be strong during a time of crisis, historically," Tomlinson told the Independent. The last pope to take this name, Pope Leo XIII, was the leader of the Catholic church from 1878 to 1903. Around two weeks before Pope Leo XIII's Feb. 20 election in 1878, Greece declared war on Turkey. The first pope to take the name, Pope Leo the Great, led the church from 440-461. Pope Leo the Great, one of only three popes to be called "the great," was known and is remembered for his contributions to the Catholic Church and defending Rome and the papacy during a very tumultuous period of time for the Roman Empire. If you don't know, the mid-400s in Rome were marked by economic decline and invasions. The Roman Empire fell shortly after Pope Leo the Great's papacy, in 476 A.D. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Cardinal Prevost is now Pope Leo XIV: Here's what the papal name means
The Journal
24-04-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Conclave campaign: Leading Rosary prayers and addressing Cardinals, the moves behind the scenes
ON TUESDAY MORNING, just over 24 hours after Pope Francis's death was announced to the world by Irish-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the College of Cardinals met in the Vatican. There are 252 cardinals, but only 135 are under 80 and therefore eligible to vote in the Conclave to elect a new pope. Francis himself appointed 108 of these 135 voting Cardinals and while many are aligned with his thinking, not all are. Cardinal Fridolin Besungu of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who is thought to be a contender for the next pope , has openly opposed Francis's decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples. There was some upset at the swift pace of the first meeting of Cardinals following Francis's death, officially titled the first General Congregation of the College of Cardinals . Cardinals had received a letter on Monday summoning them to the Vatican in 'preparation for the Conclave', and Cardinals over 80 and without a Conclave vote were also invited to attend. The first General Congregation of Cardinals took place Tuesday morning at the Vatican following the death of Pope Francis. Around 60 cardinals gathered for prayer. They solemnly took an oath to faithfully observe the norms governing the interregnum and the election of the new… — EWTN Vatican (@EWTNVatican) April 22, 2025 Some 60 Cardinals were in attendance, but Cardinal Joseph Zen from Hong Kong noted it was virtually impossible for many Cardinals from far-flung regions to attend. At 93, Zen is too old to partake in the Conclave and at this first meeting of Cardinals, a decision was made on the date of Francis's funeral, as well as decision to suspend the canonisation of the Church's first millennial saint, Carlo Acutis. 'Cardinal Zen would like to know why the first session of the General Congregations has to start so early,' he wrote in a statement posted to social media. The second General Congregation took place the next morning on Wednesday, with 103 Cardinals in attendance. This meeting lasted around 90 minutes and the third meeting took place this morning. It lasted close to three hours and 113 Cardinals were there. The 113 Cardinals present in Rome held the third General Congregation on Thursday morning, and announced who will deliver the two pre-conclave meditations. They agreed that Fr. Donato Ogliari, O.S.B., Abbot of St. Paul Outside the Walls, will deliver the first meditation on… — Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 24, 2025 As well as confirming the meditations which will open up the Conclave, Cardinals were also able to take part in a 'conversation about the Church and the world'. Advertisement Some 34 Cardinals chose to speak – it is not known who spoke, but it is likely they did so with the Conclave in mind. As per the rules of the Church, the Conclave has to take place some time between 6 May and 11 May. The next General Congregation will take place tomorrow morning at 9am. Meanwhile, a Rosary will take place tonight and tomorrow night outside the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, which is where Francis will be buried. He will be the first pope since Leo XIII, who died in 1903, to be buried outside of the Vatican. Image of Francis' tomb in Saint Mary Major Vatican Vatican Tonight's Rosary will be led by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. It could provide a good means for Tagle to position himself at the next pope in the minds of fellow Cardinals. Tagle is Asia's frontrunner for the papacy, a charismatic moderate who has not been afraid to criticise the Church for its shortcomings, including over sexual abuse of minors. Fluent in English, he is an eloquent speaker with self-deprecating humour and, like Francis, is a leading advocate for the poor, migrants and marginalised people. Luis Antonio Tagle Alamy Alamy He had already been considered a candidate for pope in the 2013 conclave in which Francis was elected following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. Tomorrow's Rosary meanwhile will be presided over by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa. Pizzaballa is the top Catholic in the Middle East, with an archdiocese encompassing Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Cyprus. The Italian was made a cardinal in September 2023, shortly before the war broke out between Israel and Hamas. In October 2023, Pizzaballa offered himself in exchange for those held hostage by Hamas. 'If this can lead to freedom and bring those children back home, no problem. On my part, absolute willingness,' said Pizzaballa at the time. Related Reads Which world leaders are attending the Pope's funeral this weekend? The Drimnagh-born Cardinal running the Vatican following the death of Pope Francis Progressive versus traditionalist? The polarising issues that will define the next pope Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa arrives for a college of cardinals' meeting at the Vatican today Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo He has also appealed for peace from both sides, and at Christmas in 2024 led Mass both in Gaza and in Jerusalem. There hasn't been an Italian pope since the September Pope, John Paul I, who died on 28 September, 1978, a mere 33 days into his papacy. The Italian Church would be keen for another Italian pope after a drought, while there would be great symbolism to having a new pope with such intimate knowledge of the Middle East. However, for the first time in history, fewer than half of Cardinal electors will be from Europe and perhaps they will be keen to have a new leader from outside of Europe. Elsewhere, other contenders deemed to be 'papabile' include Pietro Parolin and Peter Turkson. Parolin had been the number two at the Vatican during nearly all of Francis's papacy, acting as Vatican Secretary of State. Pietro Parolin PA PA He is known to many world leaders, having travelled the globe, but also to many inside the Roman Curia, the government of the Holy See. A member of Francis's Council of Cardinals, an advisory body, Parolin played a key role in the historic 2018 deal between the Holy See and China on the appointment of bishops. This deal gave Chinese officials some input into who Francis appointed as bishops in the country, and in return the underground Catholic Church in China was given more freedom. Turkson meanwhile is one of the Church's most influential Cardinals from Africa, although he said in 2010 that he didn't want to become the first black pope, insisting any such pope would 'have a rough time' . Peter Turkson Alamy Alamy Born into a humble family of 10 children, Turkson speaks six languages and has visited the World Economic Forum in Davos multiple times to convince business leaders of the perils of trickle-down economics. The Church in Africa booming and the number of Catholics globally is set to increase, rather than decrease, with the continent more than making up for losses in Europe and the western world. Perhaps Cardinals will be keen to reward a region where the faith is flourishing and in good health. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
