New Pope

karen in nh · April 2005

It was just announced that the new Pope has been elected. He has chosen the name Pope Benedict XVI. Can anybody tell me why the Pope has to change his name? The girls in my office and I are just being curious.. Thanks!

Parabeaglex2 · April 2005

As I hear it, it started when a Catholic named Mercury was elected Pope. Since Mercury was a pagan god, he decided he could not be Pope Mercury and changed his name. It's been a tradition ever since that a new Pope change his name to either reflect his approach to the office (Pius, Innocent, etc) or to honor a previous Pope. (John Paul II named himself after John Paul, who was Pope for only 33 days).

HRinFL · April 2005

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 04-19-05 AT 12:59PM (CST)[/font][br][br]Originally, newly elected Popes had names that were related to pagan gods. However, Pope John I believed that he could not lead the church while taking the name of a pagan god. From then on, newly elected Popes took names that had symbolic meaning, such as Pius (Piety) or Clements (sp?) (merciful). Others choose names to represent the direction they want to take the church, by honoring past Popes that were "mentors" to the new Pope. Pope John Paul I was the first to take two surnames. After leading the church for only 33 days, he died. Pope John Paul II took his name to show continuity of the direction the chuch was heading (also Pope Paul VI was a mentor of his). So, it is either out of respsct for leaders of the church that the new Pope respects, or to signify the direction of the church, either a more conservative or liberal approach, depending on the surname.

Don D · April 2005

If I heard correctly, the man is 77 years old. It's none of my business, but I can't imagine electing a leader that old. Practically speaking, how long can he be expected to function at full throttle, if at all. Or is it anticipated that he will be an appearance figurehead only and for a few years? But, as I said, it's none of my business since I'm not Catholic.

mdm · April 2005

I had read recently that the new Pope would be someone older, as it was thought that 26 years was too long for someone to be Pope. They seem to be looking at possibly less than 10 years now with Pope Benedict XVI.

DeidreFR5 · April 2005

Technically, the Pope does not have to change his name, its more of a tradition. Age is often a factor in selecting a new pope; older popes are seen as "transitional" and younger pope may bring longer term stability.

marc · April 2005

If I were a very cynical person, I might make some comments about this sort of interesting succession planning. But I am not, instead, we have reverse age discrimination going on - but I won't be cynical about that either.

I am not Catholic, but am married to one. She had 13 years of Catholic schools to really lock in the concepts.

HRinNH · April 2005

Hi Karen,

Have we met yet? I'm from NH too (Concord). Where are you living/working?

Cheryl C.

Parabeaglex2 · April 2005

Good grief, Cheryl... What is this? The freshman mixer or something? x;-) (just kidding).

Gillian3 · April 2005

Unless she first reads the "employee directory" thread in the Employment Law section, I predict that she is going to start a Forum Directory with all our names, addresses and phone numbers. Mine are going to be fake.

Parabeaglex2 · April 2005

Gillian, you were around when we did the Forum Calendar a couple years ago, weren't you? A bunch of Forumites are memorialized in that (I think I'm Mr. May, not sure). A Forum directory is not that big a stretch...

Gillian3 · April 2005

No - must have been one of my absence periods.

Don D · April 2005

You were here but refused to participate in the photo-op. Something about that powdered wig being in the shop.

Gillian3 · April 2005

Oh!

HRinNH · April 2005

Just trying to be neighborly...geeeezzzz. Come to find out, Karen lives about an hour north of me. Maybe we'll have lunch some day and take over the Berlin Town Hall. xB-)

Cheryl C.

LarryC · April 2005

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 04-21-05 AT 06:14AM (CST)[/font][br][br]Saw an interesting show on the History channel last night about the history of pope elections and some bios on past popes and how some of them died. Very interesting!

My wife asked me what name I would choose if I were ever elected pope. (Don't worry, all you faithful Catholics out there. I'm not quiting the day job quite yet.) I told her, after much thought that my papal name would probably be Pope Chevy Chase II.

Don D · April 2005

My guess is your wife is praying you'll get the Papal position since it prohibits marriage. She's a sly one.............

LarryC · April 2005

It also prohibits alot of other things that would disqualify me way before the minor little marraige detail would do me in.

JudyT929 · April 2005

I heard on the news last night that the pope picked the name Benedict cause the last Pope Benedict had a very brief tenure and he intends to have a short tenure also.

I also wondered why the pope or Pope picked a name, even having been raised a Catholic I never knew, never questioned (taught not to question anything about the Catholic religion...)so this thread has been very informative, thank you.

ritaanz · April 2005

Since PB (Pope Benedict) is such a conservative and a staunch follower of the early theologies of the past, what changes can we expect?

Will PB change the mass to latin again?
Will he make eating meat on a Friday a sin again?
Will PB require the nuns to return to the dress of the 18th century?
Will he ban patent leather shoes?

What a worry.....

Don D · April 2005

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 04-21-05 AT 12:55PM (CST)[/font][br][br]My vote, not that I have one, would be that he, unlike the last Pope, might address pedophilia among the priesthood. John Paul, bless his gentle, departed soul, not only did not address it, he brought to the Vatican it's chief perpetuator.

I'm liking him even better now that I've heard the reactions of Rosie O'Donnell and a few others.

(What's wrong with patent leather shoes?)

marc · April 2005

As told by my wife - Catholic school for 13 years - the shoes are too shiny and they allow boys to see up girls skirts in the reflection.

Whirlwind · April 2005

Someone I know said that since we've had two Pope John Paul's, it's time for a Pope George Ringo. x:-)

Parabeaglex2 · April 2005

#-o

New Pope

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