What’s in a (papal) name? Some history and humor

In 2022, Pope Francis joked that a pope would go to the upcoming World Youth Day, but he didn’t know if it would be him or "Pope John XXIV." This wasn’t the first time he mentioned a “Pope John XXIV” -- in 2021, when invited to visit Ragusa, Italy, in 2025, he said it would be John XXIV to make that visit. He was, of course, lightly referring to his age and that he might die before these events took place. 

There's an anecdotal report from the 2005 conclave -- that Cardinal Bergoglio (the future Francis) allegedly said that he himself would take the name John XXIV if elected. He wasn’t elected, of course; Pope Benedict XVI was, and instead in 2013 then Cardinal Bergoglio was the first pope to take the name Francis.

Joking aside, everyone looks with interest to which name a new pope will choose and what significance the name may carry.

Many popes have taken the names of previous popes (with one notable exception being the name of the first pope, Peter, whose name has been left aside out of deference).

Take, for example, the 23 Pope Johns we’ve had so far (though there's some interesting history on the numbering of the Johns, which we'll leave for another article). Pope Francis' jokes could well be prophetic, given that St. John XXIII was the pope who began the Second Vatican Council, and the 60th anniversary of the closing of that event will be on the next pope's calendar come December ... although, on second thought, that would make it seem "Paul VII" would be a better choice as it was John who opened Vatican II, and Paul who closed it.

Then there's John Paul I, who made a unique selection by choosing not just one, but both of his immediate predecessors (John XXIII and Paul VI). After his 33-day pontificate, the next pope -- John Paul II -- decided to follow suit.

Many popes-elect will naturally steer clear of taking the name of a pope when it's been "ruined" by a predecessor with a bad reputation. There has not been a Pope Alexander since 1503, for example, because Pope Alexander VI (formerly Rodrigo Borgia, 1492–1503) was infamous for his affairs, nepotism, and selling of church offices.

As we know from Pope Francis, popes-elect can also choose new, never-before-used names. Two standout examples from Church history are Pope Lando (913–914) -- no relation to the Star Wars character or, as far as we know, the Formula 1 star -- and Pope Hilarius (461–468) a name that perhaps did not have quite the same hilarious connotation it does for us in English today.

Pope Francis took his name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi and shared this story about his election:

Pope Benedict XVI chose his name after two men. The first was Pope Benedict XV, of whom the former Cardinal Ratzinger said, “He was a true and courageous prophet of peace and worked tirelessly for peace during the tragedy of the First World War.”

The other was St. Benedict of Nursia, the founder of Western monasticism. Pope Benedict XVI explained, “He represents a fundamental point of reference for European unity and a strong reminder of the indispensable Christian roots of its culture and civilization.” 

From the last two Holy Fathers, it is evident that popes will likely choose a name that indicates something of the spirit in which they wish to serve as the Holy Father. 

After the elected man accepts the cardinals' choice and become the next Holy Father, he will be introduced to the world. In Latin, we will hear the words, “I announce to you a great joy: We have a pope!” This will be followed by the baptismal name of the new pope and the announcement of his chosen name.

So will the next pope be Pope John XXIV, Pope Lando II, or an entirely new name? Like the identity of the pope himself, the world will wait and see.