To: NYer
Why do they choose a new name?
10 posted on
04/15/2005 6:44:07 AM PDT by
Serb5150
(Christlich leben selig sterben ist das beste das wir erben.)
To: Serb5150
Pope John II was born a pagan and his name was Mercurius (after the pagan god Mercury or Hermes).
He felt that it would be undignified for the vicar of Christ to be named for a false deity, so he changed his name.
It was also common in monasteries to take a new name to reflect a new life.
The custom persisted.
12 posted on
04/15/2005 6:48:01 AM PDT by
wideawake
(God bless our brave soldiers and their Commander in Chief)
To: Serb5150
Why do they choose a new name?
Simply put, throughout the Bible, God bestows a new name upon individuals who are "born-again" or entrusted with an important mission for the Church: Abram - Abraham, Simon - Kepha, Saul - Paul, et cetera. Its also similar to the Sacrament of Confirmation in which a candidate chooses a Confirmation name.
There's a more thorough explanation, but hopefully this will suffice :-)
13 posted on
04/15/2005 6:50:53 AM PDT by
mike182d
("Let fly the white flag of war." - Zapp Brannigan)
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