Okay, it didn't get much a laugh on the other thread, either.
Posted on 04/16/2005 4:46:53 PM PDT by NYer
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The first message a new pope sends to the world is encoded in the name he chooses.
If Roman Catholicism's next leader calls himself John Paul III, that would signal continuity. "John" would connote a gentle father while "Pius" could herald an era of deep conservatism.
A name from the distant papal past -- improbable ones like Zephyrinus, Hilarus or Formosus -- would send Catholics scurrying to their history books to see what it could mean.
The maxim "Nomen est omen" (Latin for "a name is a sign") is as valid today for popes as it was for ancient Romans whose emperors took new names or titles when they assumed power.
"It's a practice that goes back as far as the Book of Genesis, where Abram changed his name to Abraham," said John-Peter Pham, a former Vatican diplomat and papal historian.
"Simon changed his name to Peter, which means rock," he added. "Because Christ said he was the rock on which he would build the Church."
There is no law saying popes must choose a new name, but a tradition more than 1,000 years old cannot be ignored. Popes declare their choice right after being elected.
POPE STANISLAS?
The first pope known to have changed his name was John II in 533. He was previously called Mercury but thought the Christian pontiff should not have the name of a pagan Roman god.
This became more common after an 18-year-old with another name from pagan times, Octavian, was chosen in a rigged election in 955 and decided to take the name John XII. A man named Peter opted for Sergius IV in 1009 out of respect for the first pope.
Popes who bore the name Pius made it synonymous with deep conservativism.
Pius IX (1846-1878) rejected democracy, Pius X (1903-1914) denounced modern liberal politics and Pius XI (1922-1939) ran the Church in an autocratic way, Pham said. Under Pius XII (1939-1958), the Church cracked down on liberal theologians.
Cardinal Angelo Roncalli reportedly spent the evening before his election as John XXIII in 1958 thumbing through a list of popes to check what earlier Johns had done.
When Albino Luciani was elected in 1978, he took the first double name in papal history, John Paul I, to show he wanted to combine John XXIII's reforms with the more traditional stand of his immediate predecessor, Paul VI (1963-1978).
When John Paul I died 33 days later, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Poland honored him by taking the name John Paul II. "It is said that he considered something more Slavic, like Stanislas, but then thought the better of it," Pham said.
The next pope could be tempted to call himself John Paul III. But if Wojtyla goes down in history as John Paul the Great, as his supporters want, a successor taking his name could risk being known as John Paul the Lesser.
PUNTERS PICKS
Without knowing the identity of the next pope, it is hard to guess which name he will pick -- but that hasn't stopped Dublin bookmakers Paddy Power from opening betting on it.
A surprise choice -- Benedict -- leads the pack ahead of John Paul and John, mostly because someone has placed an unusually large bet on it, company spokesman Paddy Power said.
The choice of Benedict could signal a subtle shift to more moderate policies, judging from the way the Benedict XV turned away from Pius X's rigorous anti-modern stand, Pham said.
"We were surprised because we thought John Paul or John would certainly be on top," said Power, who had no explanation for Benedict's popularity.
"There seems to be some connection between Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger and the name Benedict," he said, referring to the former Paris archbishop deemed too old to be in the race.
"The same person who put a big bet on Lustiger also bet big on Benedict."
Hmmmm
Benedict. Gloria Olivae. The big bet is probably based on Malachy.
What if he picks a name no other pope has used before?
Isn't the last pope supposed to be named Peter? Aren't there supposed to be two more popes?
and a GreenBay fan besides..
John Paul II was born on the day of an eclipse and his funeral was also on the day of an eclipse. Normally, I pay little heed to these prophecies but this is beyond coincidence.
"De Labore Solis" Doesn't that mean Labor of the sun? I think it does and it is the moon that moves into the way causing that eclipse. So, I find the prophecy rather forced, because its the moon that did the work and caused the elipse not the sun. jmo
I didn't either. someone said it occured in the states. I didn't see it. I asked where, but they didn't answer. Is someone trying to force a prophecy fulfillment?
I kinda like Celestine
Or Urban or Innocent.
No more Piuses. The last one was a dishonor to Cathlics everywhere 'cuz he was in bed with both Schicklgruber and Mussolini.
Yeah, but then HIS successor would have to be Pope Ringo.
You DO know Ratzinger was in the Hitler Youth when he was a kid, don't you?
That should disqualify him entirely. No church needs an authoritarian with a Germanic name running it.
Its time for an American Pope and a Black one at that. Wilton Gregory would make a great Pope.
Pope Shaka I
And who would HIS successors be?
Pope Moe and Pope Curly?
Amateur astronomer K.B. Hallmark said that at the peak, about 35 percent of the sun will be covered by the moon. Local astronomers differ on what effect the eclipse will have on natural lighting.
Amateur astronomers Robert Steed and Otto Parets said they don't expect the effect to be as dramatic. "It has to start getting up to 80 or 90 percent coverage to see light changes," Parets said.
I think are more of these type than what we hear about!
Okay, it didn't get much a laugh on the other thread, either.
You don't know what you're talking about. Either that or you're lying.
I vote for Pope Englebert I.
I didn't either. someone said it occured in the states. I didn't see it. I asked where, but they didn't answer. Is someone trying to force a prophecy fulfillment?
As it turns out, the April 8 eclipse is one of those unusual hybrids where the eclipse is total over only a part of its path and annular throughout the rest.
Of all solar eclipses, about 35 percent are partial; 32 percent annular; 28 percent total; but only 5 percent are hybrids.
Only 5 percent are hybrids! And that doesn't strike you as unusual? A pope born on the day of a Solar Eclipse is put to rest on another day with a rare solar eclipse.
Math was never one of my strengths ... can either of you give me the odds?
Then you would have to look at the life of the saint whose name he has chosen, to understand their charisms, which he will draw upon in his pontificate.
Bite your tongue! The last thing we need is an American pope and especially not Bishop Wilton Gregory. However, it is possible that we may see white smoke for a black pope.
Francis Cardinal Arinze
I don't know how many more... the word is two.... but who knows, If it's Peter II they say start looking up...lol
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.