A word from the editor in chief: If you walk around the Vatican these days, it seems like there are almost more journalists than pilgrims—and there are still plenty of pilgrims. Up and down the Via della Conciliazione, leading from the Tiber to St. Peter’s, and then within the square itself, are journalists shooting stand-ups, whether with full network camera crews and lights or an iPhone on a selfie stick.
The chimney on the Sistine Chapel was installed a few days ago; I pointed it out earlier this afternoon to some pilgrims from Mexico who were trying to locate it on the Vatican rooftops. And the curtains that will frame the first appearance of the new pontiff have already gone up at the central window, the “Loggia of Blessings.” Looking more closely today, I noticed something I had not paid attention to before. Under that balcony, in a spot often covered by a hanging tapestry, is a carved relief of Christ giving the keys to St. Peter.
That is also the moment when Jesus gives Simon a new name, calling him Peter, the rock on which he will build the church. Over the coming days, we will be waiting, with everyone else both here in Rome and around the world, to learn not just who the new pope is and what name he takes, but how God will use him to help build up the church. – Sam Sawyer, S.J.
What name will the next pope take—and what will it mean?
By James Martin, S.J.
Besides the obvious speculation about the next pope, many in Rome are wondering what name he will choose.
The choice of a papal name is said to be the new pope’s first important decision. It is also the second thing we will hear from the balcony of St. Peter’s on the day of the election, after the announcement of the choice of the cardinal-electors. After the words “Habemus papam” (“We have a pope”), we will hear the cardinal’s name followed by the words “qui sibi nomen imposuit” (“who has chosen the name”). The name that follows will be on everyone’s lips for the next few years.
Here are a few names that may be likely, along with some possible implications. The next pope may choose something brand new, or his choice may be out of devotion to a saint he likes. But, as ever—and as with Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who chose his name to honor St. Francis of Assisi, the apostle of the poor—his answer to the question posed to him at the end of the conclave, “What name do you choose?” will offer an early preview of his papacy.
Paul VII: A steady hand to guide some of the reforms of Francis and perhaps a calming influence (that is, a Pope Paul VI to Francis’ Pope John XXIII).
Pius XIII: A desire to return to more of a “pre-conciliar” (that is, pre-Vatican II) style.
John XXIV: A continuation of a more reform-minded papacy, with a possible emphasis on the Second Vatican Council, which was convened by “Good Pope John.” Pope Francis himself joked that his successor might be John XXIV.
Francis II: Obvious. Also, for that reason, it will probably not be taken. My prediction is that the next pope may not want to be seen as a carbon copy of his predecessor.
John Paul III: A traditionalist, firm in standing against the excesses of the modern world, activist in the global political sphere.
Benedict XVII: A traditionalist, thoughtful, perhaps more focused on Europe, even on what Benedict called a “smaller, purer church.”
Leo XIV: An emphasis on Catholic social teaching and, perhaps specifically, the rights of workers and the poor.
Other options might include a nod to the founder of a religious order (four cardinal electors are members). For example, Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe might choose “Dominic,” Cardinal Joseph Tobin “Alphonsus,” and Cardinal Robert Prevost “Augustine.” A newly elected pope might choose the name of a local saint (that is, from their part of the world); an ancient “church father” whose writings have been influential in their lives; a pope from the early church whose life they find inspirational; or an apostle or figure from the New Testament they feel close to (or they feel has been overlooked).
Finally, the new pope could simply choose to keep his baptismal name. This was the tack taken in the fictional 1960s film “The Shoes of the Fisherman” (the “Conclave” of its day) in which a Ukrainian cardinal named Kiril Lakota is asked, “By what name do you wish to be called?” He says: “We choose to be called by our own name, Kiril. He was the saint that brought the Gospels to our country.”
In our excitement over the choice of a new pope, we should also pay attention to his first one-word message to us: his name.
Keep praying for the cardinal electors!
Here are the other stories you need to read today:
- Gerard O’Connell continues his series of interviews with cardinal electors. Today, we published an interview with Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the vicar general of the Diocese of Rome, who hopes the next pope “will continue the reform process Pope Francis began.”
- Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny, one of the four Jesuits who will vote in the conclave, told Gerry that it should not matter what country the next pope comes from. “It’s time for the successor of Peter for 2025,” he said. “The priority is evangelization.”
- Cleaners and cooks. Doctors and nurses. Even drivers and elevator operators. All the support staff for the cardinals who will elect the successor to Pope Francis are taking an oath of secrecy on Monday ahead of the conclave. The punishment for breaking the oath? Automatic excommunication.
