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The Independent
08-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
What the new Pope's name will say about their plans for the Catholic Church
The first hint of the next pope's direction will come with the name he chooses. After the traditional announcement of "Habemus Papam" – "We have a pope" – from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, the new pontiff's baptismal name is revealed, followed by the all-important papal name, laden with symbolic meaning. A Pope Francis II would signal a continuation of the late pontiff's focus on pastoral care and the marginalised. Interestingly, Francis himself jokingly suggested his successor might be John XXIV, referencing the progressive pope of the Second Vatican Council era. Conversely, selecting Pius, the most frequently used papal name of the 20th century, would clearly indicate a traditionalist taking the helm. As Natalia Imperatori-Lee, chair of religious studies at Manhattan College, notes, "In the deepest recesses of their mind, when they start the conclave, everyone will walk in there with a name in their head." The chosen name will offer a crucial first glimpse into the new pope's vision for the Catholic Church. Four favourites have emerged to succeed Pope Francis, but what will their new name mean? History of papal names For most of the Catholic Church 's first millennium, popes used their given names. The first exception was the 6th century Roman Mercurius, who had been named for a pagan god and chose the more appropriate name of John II. The practice of adopting a new name became ingrained during the 11th century, a period of German popes who chose names of early church bishops out of 'a desire to signify continuity," said the Rev. Roberto Regoli, a historian at Rome 's Pontifical Gregorian University. For many centuries, new popes tended to choose the name of the pope who had elevated them to cardinal. John was the most popular, chosen by 23 popes, followed by Benedict and Gregory, each with 16. Only starting in the mid-20th century did new popes begin to choose names signaling the aim of their papacy, Regoli said. 'Even now, as we are waiting for the new pope, the name with which he will present himself will help us to understand the horizon towards which he wants to proceed," Regoli said. Some names have been out of use for centuries, like Urban or Innocent. 'I don't think anyone will pick Innocent,″ Imperatori-Lee said, given the abuse and other scandals that have rocked the church. 'I don't think that would be the right choice." Recent names of Popes FRANCIS Pope Francis, elected in 2013, took the name of St. Francis of Assisi, known for his humility, life of poverty and love of all creatures. With it, Francis signaled a papacy focused on those who are often seen as outsiders, including the poor, prisoners and the LGBTQ+ community, while promoting peace, brotherhood and care of the environment. BENEDICT Last chosen by German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, elected in 2005. Pope Benedict XVI said he wanted to pay homage to Benedict XV, who led the church during World War I and dedicated himself to healing the rifts of war, and to the 6th century St. Benedict, founder of Western monasticism, who helped spread Christianity throughout Europe. One of Benedict XVI 's priorities was trying to revive the faith in Europe. 'If we get a Benedict, then we will know that the cardinals chose to see Francis as an anomaly," Imperatori-Lee said. JOHN PAUL The papacy's first composite name was chosen by Cardinal Albino Luciani in 1978 to honor Pope John XXIII, who opened the Vatican Council II process that reformed the Catholic Church, and Paul VI, who closed it. The name signaled a commitment to reforms, including sidelining the Latin Mass in favor of local languages and opening to other faiths, most significantly Judaism. John Paul I's papacy lasted just 33 days. Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, who succeeded him, chose the name John Paul II. JOHN Chosen 23 times by popes, most recently in 1958 by Pope John XXIII. John can refer to St. John the Apostle, one of Jesus' 12 apostles and the author of one of the Gospels, or St. John the Baptist, the prophet who baptized Jesus. 'John the XXIII was a pope that no one expected a lot from, but had a colossal impact on the church," Imperatori-Lee said. 'So that could be a sign of what they want their pontificate to be like." PAUL Chosen six times, most recently in 1963 by Paul VI. St. Paul the Apostle spread the teachings of Jesus in the 1st century. PIUS It is associated with popes known for their traditionalist, anti-reform bent. Pius IX ordered the kidnapping of the Jewish boy Edgardo Mortara in 1858 and raised him Catholic in the Vatican after learning he had been secretly baptized by a housekeeper. Pius X was the early 20th century anti-modernist who inspired the anti-Vatican II schismatic group, the Society of St. Pius X. Pius XII was the World War II-era pope criticized for not speaking out sufficiently about the Holocaust. "It is now a name that is hostage to some Catholic groups that can be considered traditionalists," Regoli said. New directions for a Pope A new pope is free to choose a name never used before, as Francis did. 'This would open a new season and could mean that his program is not in line with any of his predecessors, so an even more personalized program," Regoli said. Imperatori-Lee suggested another name that might signal a continuation of Francis' legacy: Ignatius, for the founder of Francis' Jesuit order. 'It would be interesting," she said. "We've never had one of those."
Fox News
07-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
Papal conclave: Eventual new pope's chosen name may signal what's ahead
Once a new pope is voted in, the name he chooses could signal the direction the Catholic Church moves in the coming years. The announcement "Habemus Papa," or, "We have a pope," will be made from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. It will then be followed by the pontiff's baptismal name in Latin, along with his chosen papal name and meaning. Should the pope choose to go with Pope Francis II, it could signify continuity with the late pontiff's pastoral legacy, though Francis himself quipped that whoever succeeds him would be John XXIV, named after the Vatican II-era pope. In the 20th century, the most popular name for popes was Pius, and if chosen, that could signal that a traditionalist is taking back the throne of St. Peter. THE POPE'S SALARY: HOW DOES THE PONTIFF GET PAID? "In the deepest recesses of their mind, when they start the conclave, everyone will walk in there with a name in their head," Natalia Imperatori-Lee, chair of religious studies at Manhattan University, told The Associated Press. For the majority of the Church's first 1,000 years, popes used their given names, though the first exception was Roman Mercurius in the 6th century, who was named for a pagan god and chose the name John II. Adopting a name became common practice during the 11th century, a period of German popes who chose the names of early bishops out of a "desire to signify continuity," Rev. Roberto Regoli, a historian at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University, told the wire service. CARDINALS GATHER IN ST. PETER'S BASILICA FOR FINAL MASS BEFORE CONCLAVE TO CHOSE NEW POPE It was not until the mid-20th century that new popes began to choose names signaling the direction of their papacy, Regoli added. "Even now, as we are waiting for the new pope, the name with which he will present himself will help us to understand the horizon towards which he wants to proceed," Regoli said. Names like Urban and Innocent have not been used for centuries, and Imperatori-Lee said he did not think anyone would pick the latter, given the abuse and scandals that have rocked the church. THE COLLEGE OF CARDINALS MEET TO ELECT THE NEXT POPE. WHO WILL IT BE? "I don't think that would be the right choice," he said. The most recent names chosen include Francis, Benedict and John Paul. The AP said Francis signaled a papacy focused on those who are often seen as outsiders, including the poor, prisoners and the LGBTQ+ community, while promoting peace, brotherhood and care for the environment. PAPAL PULSE: EVERYDAY CATHOLICS REVEAL THEIR HOPES FOR THE NEXT POPE Benedict, who was elected in 2005, was chosen because he wanted to pay homage to Benedict XV, who led the Catholic Church during World War I and dedicated himself to healing the rifts of war. John Paul chose his name, signaling a commitment to reforms, including the sidelining of the Latin Mass in favor of local languages and other faiths, most significantly Judaism. But it is still a new pope's choice to choose a name never used before. "This would open a new season and could mean that his program is not in line with any of his predecessors, so an even more personalized program," Regoli said. CLICK HERE TO GET TO THE FOX NEWS APP Imperatori-Lee suggested another name that might signal a continuation of Francis' legacy: Ignatius, for the founder of Francis' Jesuit order. "It would be interesting," she said. "We've never had one of those." The Associated Press contributed to this report.
South China Morning Post
06-05-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
How new pope's chosen name will signal change or continuity in Vatican's 2,000-year history
The first clue of the next pope's direction will be the name the winner chooses. Advertisement The announcement 'Habemus Papam' – 'We have a pope' – from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica is followed first by the revelation of the new pontiff's baptismal name, in Latin, followed by his papal name, wrought with meaning. A Pope Francis II would signify continuity with the late pontiff's pastoral legacy and his prioritising of the marginalised. Francis himself quipped that his successor would be John XXIV, after the progressive Vatican II-era pope. The most popular papal name of the 20th century, Pius, would be a clear signal that a traditionalist is taking back the throne of St. Peter. 'In the deepest recesses of their mind, when they start the conclave, everyone will walk in there with a name in their head,' said Natalia Imperatori-Lee, chair of religious studies at Manhattan University. 02:54 What is a conclave and how does it pick a new pope? What is a conclave and how does it pick a new pope? History of papal names For most of the Catholic Church's first millennium, popes used their given names. The first exception was the 6th century Roman Mercurius, who had been named for a pagan god and chose the more appropriate name of John II.
RTÉ News
21-04-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Who might succeed Pope Francis? Some possible candidates
Predict who the next pope will be at your peril. An old Italian saying warns against putting faith, or money, in any presumed front-runner ahead of the conclave, the closed-door gathering of cardinals that picks the pontiff. It cautions: "He who enters a conclave as a pope, leaves it as a cardinal". But here are some cardinals - listed in alphabetical order - who are being talked about as "papabili" to succeed Pope Francis. Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, archbishop of Marseille, French, aged 66 According to the French press, he is known in some domestic Catholic circles as John XXIV, in a nod to his resemblance to Pope John XXIII, the round-faced reforming pope of the early 1960s. Pope Francis once quipped that his successor might take the name of John XXIV. Cardinal Aveline is known for his folksy, easy-going nature, his readiness to crack jokes, and his ideological proximity to Francis, especially on immigration and relations with the Muslim world. He is also a serious intellectual, with a doctorate in theology and a degree in philosophy. He was born in Algeria to a family of Spanish immigrants who moved to France after Algerian independence, and has lived most of his life in Marseille, a port that has been a crossroads of cultures and religions for centuries. Under Francis, Cardinal Aveline has made great career strides, becoming bishop in 2013, archbishop in 2019 and a cardinal three years later. His standing was boosted in September 2023 when he organised an international Church conference on Mediterranean issues at which Pope Francis was the star guest. If he got the top job, he would become the first French pope since the 14th century, a turbulent period in which the papacy moved to Avignon. He would also be the youngest pope since John Paul II. He understands but does not speak Italian - potentially a major drawback for a job that also carries the title Bishop of Rome and requires a lot of familiarity with Roman power games and intrigues. Cardinal Peter Erdo, Hungarian, aged 72 If Cardinal Peter Erdo is elected, he would inevitably be seen as a compromise candidate - someone from the conservative camp who has nonetheless built bridges with Francis' progressive world. He was already considered a papal contender in the last conclave in 2013 thanks to his extensive Church contacts in Europe and Africa as well as the fact that he was seen as a pioneer of the New Evangelisation drive to rekindle the Catholic faith in secularised advanced nations - a top priority for many cardinals. He ranks as a conservative in theology and in speeches throughout Europe he stresses the Christian roots of the continent. However, he is also seen to be pragmatic and never clashed openly with Francis, unlike other tradition-minded clerics. That said, he raised eyebrows in the Vatican during the 2015 migrant crisis when he went against Pope Francis' call for churches to take in refugees, saying this would amount to human trafficking - seemingly aligning himself with Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban. An expert in Church law, Cardinal Erdo has been on a fast track his entire career, becoming a bishop in his 40s and a cardinal in 2003 when he was just 51, making him the youngest member of the College of Cardinals until 2010. He has excellent Italian, and also speaks German, French, Spanish and Russian - which could help him thaw relations between the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches after the deep chill of the war in Ukraine. Cardinal Erdo is not a charismatic speaker, but while this was once undoubtedly viewed as a serious drawback, it could potentially be seen as an advantage this time around if cardinals want a calm papacy following the fireworks of Francis' rule. Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, Maltese, aged 68 Cardinal Mario Grech comes from Gozo, a tiny island that is part of Malta, the smallest country in the European Union. But from small beginnings he has gone on to big things, appointed by Pope Francis to be secretary general of the Synod of Bishops - a heavyweight position within the Vatican. Initially viewed as a conservative, Cardinal Grech has become a torchbearer of Francis' reforms within the Church for years, moving sharply with the times. In 2008, several gay Maltese citizens declared they were leaving the Church in protest at what they saw as the anti-LGBT stance of the then pontiff - Pope Benedict. Cardinal Grech offered them little sympathy at the time, but speaking in the Vatican in 2014, he called for the Church to be more accepting of its LGBT members and creative in finding new ways to address contemporary family situations. The following day, Pope Francis tapped him on the shoulder at breakfast and complimented him for the speech, marking him out for future promotion. In 2018, Cardinal Grech spoke about how he relished the challenges faced by the Church. "We are going through a period of change. And to me, this is a very positive thing," he told the Malta Today newspaper. He warned that it would not remain relevant to modern society if it did not move beyond nostalgia for the past. His views have won him some high-profile enemies, and conservative Cardinal Gerhard Muller memorably turned on him in 2022, belittling his academic profile and accusing him of going against Catholic doctrine. Cardinal Grech's allies insist he has friends in both the conservative and moderate camps and that, because of his high-profile role, he is known by many cardinals, a clear advantage in a conclave where so many cardinals are relative unknowns to each other. Coming from a tiny country, his election as pope wouldn't create any diplomatic or geopolitical headaches. He has stressed that he always seeks consensus over confrontation. But he has sometimes courted controversy. In 2016 he led a pilgrimage to pray for rain after meeting farmers worried about drought. A local newspaper said it was "a throwback to prehistoric attempts at inducing rain" but a few days after the event, it did indeed start to rain. Cardinal Juan Jose Omella, archbishop of Barcelona, Spanish, aged 79 Cardinal Juan Jose Omella is a man after Pope Francis' own heart. Unassuming and good-natured, he lives a humble life despite his lofty title, dedicating his Church career to pastoral care, promoting social justice and embodying a compassionate and inclusive vision of Catholicism. "We must not see reality only through the eyes of those who have the most, but also through the eyes of the poor," he told the Crux news site in April 2022, in words reflecting Francis' world vision. He was born in 1946 in the village of Cretas in northeastern Spain. After being ordained in 1970 he served as a priest in a number of Spanish parishes and also spent a year as a missionary in Zaire, now called Democratic Republic of Congo. Underscoring his dedication to social causes, from 1999 to 2015 he worked closely with Spain's Manos Unidas charity, which tackles famine, disease and poverty in the developing world. He became a bishop in 1996 and was promoted to archbishop of Barcelona in 2015. Just one year later, Francis gave him a red cardinal's hat - a move seen as a clear endorsement of his progressive tendencies, which stand in contrast to more conservative elements that once dominated the Spanish Church. Cardinal Omella is a former president of Spain's bishops' conference. He had to deal with the fallout from an independent commission that estimated in 2023 that more than 200,000 minors may have been sexually abused by Spanish clergy over a period of decades. He has repeatedly asked for forgiveness for the mismanagement of sexual abuse, but has denied that so manychildren were abused, with an internal Church investigation identifying just 927 victims since the 1940s. "At the end of the day, numbers do not get us anywhere. The important thing is the people and to make amends as far as possible," he said. "Blaming is not the way. The problem does not belong to the Church, it belongs to society as a whole." In 2023, Francis invited Cardinal Omella to join his nine-member kitchen cabinet of cardinals to advise him on questions of governance. If the conclave decides the Church needs a new approach, then this proximity will count against Cardinal Omella. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Italian, Vatican diplomat, aged 70 A punters' favourite, Cardinal Pietro Parolin is seen as a compromise candidate between progressives and conservatives. He has been a Church diplomat for most of his life and served as Pope Francis' secretary of state since 2013, the year Francis was elected. The position is similar to that of a prime minister and secretaries of state are often called the "deputy pope" because they rank second to the pontiff in the Vatican hierarchy. Cardinal Parolin previously served as deputy foreign minister under Pope Benedict, who in 2009 appointed him the Vatican's ambassador in Venezuela, where he defended the Church against moves to weaken it by then-President Hugo Chavez. He was also the main architect of the Vatican's rapprochement with China and Vietnam. Conservatives have attacked him for an agreement on the appointment of bishops in communist China. He has defended the agreement saying that while it was not perfect, it avoided a schism and provided some form of communication with the Beijing government. Cardinal Parolin was never a front-line or noisy activist in the Church's so-called Culture Wars, which centred on issues such as abortion and gay rights, although he did once condemn the legalisation of same-sex marriage in many countries as "a defeat for humanity". He has defended the Vatican's power over local Church leaders, criticising attempts in Germany to allow priests to symbolically bless same-sex couples. He said local Churches cannot make decisions that would end up affecting all Catholics. A softly spoken and genteel person, Cardinal Parolin would return the papacy to the Italians after three successive non-Italian popes - John Paul II of Poland, Benedict of Germany and Francis of Argentina. He entered the Vatican's diplomatic service just three years after his priestly ordination in 1980 so his pastoral experience is limited. But a factor in his favour is that he speaks a number of languages. Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, Filipino, aged 67 Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle is often called the "Asian Francis" because of his similar commitment to social justice and if elected he would be the first pontiff from Asia. On paper, Cardinal Tagle, who generally prefers to be called by his nickname "Chito", seems to have all the boxes ticked to qualify him to be a pope. He has had decades of pastoral experience since his ordination to the priesthood in 1982. He then gained administrative experience, first as bishop of Imus and then as archbishop of Manila. Pope Benedict made him a cardinal in 2012. In a move seen by some as a strategy by Francis to give Cardinal Tagle some Vatican experience, the pope in 2019 transferred him from Manila and appointed him head of the Church's missionary arm, formally known as the Dicastery for Evangelisation. He comes from what some called "Asia's Catholic lung," because the Philippines has the region's largest Catholic population. His mother was an ethnic Chinese Filipino. He speaks fluent Italian and English. Between 2015 and 2022, he was the top leader of Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of more than 160 Catholic relief, social service, and development organisations around the world. In 2022, Pope Francis fired its entire leadership following accusations of bullying and humiliation of employees, and appointed a commissioner to run it. CardinalTagle, who was also removedf rom his role, had been nominally president but was not involved in the day-to-day operations, which were overseen by a lay director-general. Announcing the pope's dramatic decision, Cardinal Tagle told a meeting of the confederation that the changes were a moment for "facing our failures". It remains to be seen how the saga will impact his chances at the papacy. Cardinal Joseph Tobin, archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, American, aged 72 It's unlikely the world's cardinals would pick the first ever US pope, but if they were up for that, Cardinal Joseph Tobin would seem the likeliest possibility. A former global leader of a major Catholic religious order known as the Redemptorists, the Detroit native has spent time in countries around the world and speaks Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese fluently. He also has experience in Vatican service and in top positions across the US church. Cardinal Tobin served a stint as second-in-command of a Vatican office from 2009-12, and was then named by Pope Benedict as archbishop of Indianapolis, Indiana. Francis promoted him to a cardinal in 2016, and later made him the archbishop of Newark. In this latest role, Cardinal Tobin, a big man known for his weight-lifting workout regime, has dealt with one of the highest-profile Catholic scandals in recent years. In 2018, then-cardinal Theodore McCarrick, one of Cardinal Tobin's predecessors in Newark, was removed from ministry over accusations of sexual misconduct with seminarians. McCarrick, who denies any wrongdoing, resigned as a cardinal and was later found guilty by a Vatican tribunal and removed from the priesthood. Cardinal Tobin won praise for his handling of the scandal, including a decision to make public previously confidential settlements made between the archdiocese and McCarrick's alleged victims. Cardinal Tobin is the oldest of 13 children and has said he is a recovering alcoholic. He is known for an attitude of openness toward LGBT people, writing in 2017 that "in too many parts of our church LGBT people have been made to feel unwelcome, excluded, and even shamed". Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Ghanaian, Vatican official,aged 76 From humble beginnings in a small African town, Cardinal Peter Turkson has gone on to great things in the Church, making him a contender to become the first pope from sub-Saharan Africa. He combines a long pastoral background of tending to congregations in Ghana with hands-on experience of leading several Vatican offices, as well as strong communication skills. The fact he comes from one of the most dynamic regions for the Church, which is struggling against the forces of secularism in its European heartlands, should also bolster his standing. The fourth son in a family of 10 children, Cardinal Turkson was bornin Wassaw Nsuta, in what was then called the Gold Coast in the British Empire. His father worked in a nearby mine and doubled as a carpenter while his mother sold vegetables in the market. He studied at seminaries in Ghana and New York, was ordained in 1975, and then taught in his former Ghanaian seminary and did advanced Biblical studies in Rome. Pope John Paul II appointed him archbishop of Cape Coast in 1992 and 11 years later made him the first cardinal in the history of the West African state. Promotions continued under John Paul's successor, Benedict, who brought him to the Vatican in 2009 and made him the head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace - the body that promotes social justice, human rights and world peace. In that role, he was one of the pope's closest advisors on issues such as climate change and drew much attention by attending conferences such as the Davos economic forum. Pope Francis merged Cardinal Turkson's department in 2016 with three other offices, leading to what some saw as a power struggle between him and another cardinal. Cardinal Turkson resigned from that role in 2021 and was appointed to head two pontifical academies on sciences and social sciences. In 2023 he told the BBC he prayed "against" the possibility that he would be elected pope but some of his detractors said that given his media appearances it appeared he was campaigning for the job. Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, Italian, archbishop of Bologna, aged 69 When Cardinal Matteo Zuppi got a promotion in 2015 and became archbishop of Bologna, national media referred to him as the "Italian Bergoglio", due to his affinity with Francis, the Argentine pope who was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Cardinal Zuppi would be the first Italian pope since 1978. Much like Pope Francis when he lived in Buenos Aires, Cardinal Zuppi is known as a "street priest" who focuses on migrants and the poor, and cares little about pomp and protocol. He goes by the name of "Father Matteo", and in Bologna he sometimes uses a bicycle rather than an official car. In a city that loves its meat products, he once made waves when pork-free tortellini were served, as an option, for the feast day of Bologna's patron saint. Cardinal Zuppi called theMuslim-friendly move a normal gesture of respect and courtesy. If he were made pope, conservatives would likely view him with suspicion. Victims of Church sex abuse might also object to him, since the Italian Catholic Church, which he has led since 2022, has been slow to investigate and confront the issue. The Italian cardinal is closely associated with the Community of Sant'Egidio, a global peace and justice Catholic group based in the historic Rome district of Trastevere, where he spent most of his life as a priest. Sant'Egidio, sometimes called "the United Nations of Trastevere," brokered a 1992 peace agreement that ended a 17-year-old civil war in Mozambique, with the help of Cardinal Zuppi as one of the mediators. He has engaged in more diplomacy recently as papal envoy for the Russia-Ukraine conflict, concentrating on efforts to repatriate children who Ukraine says have been deported to Russia or Russian-held territories. Cardinal Zuppi is a born-and-bred Roman with a fairly thick regional accent, and solid Catholic family roots.
