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What is behind the new Pope's chosen name, Leo?
BBC ^ | May 9, 2025 | Maria Zacora

Posted on 05/10/2025 1:28:31 PM PDT by xxqqzz

Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected pope and will be known as Pope Leo XIV.

The 69-year-old is the first American to become a pontiff and will lead members of the Catholic Church's global community of 1.4bn people.

Born in Chicago, he is seen as a reformer and worked for many years as a missionary in Peru before being made an archbishop there.

He also has Peruvian nationality and is fondly remembered as a figure who worked with marginalised communities and helped build bridges in the local Church.

Why do popes choose different names? One of the first acts of a new pope is to choose a new name, changing their baptismal one.

The decision is part of a longstanding tradition but it has not always been like that.

For more than 500 years, popes used their own names.

This then changed to symbolic names in order to simplify their given names or to refer to previous pontiffs.

Over the years, popes have often chosen the names of their immediate or distant predecessors out of respect or admiration and to signal the desire to follow in their footsteps and continue the most relevant pontificates.

For example, Pope Francis said his name honoured St Francis of Assisi, and that he was inspired by his Brazilian friend Cardinal Claudio Hummes.

Why has the new Pope chosen Leo XIV as a name? The new Pope has not yet specified why he has decided to be known as Pope Leo XIV.

There could be many reasons for it, but the name Leo has been used by many popes over the years.

Pope Leo I, also known as St Leo the Great, was pontiff between 440 and 461 AD.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: European Union; US: Illinois; US: Louisiana
KEYWORDS: bob; brazil; cardinalhummes; chicago; claudiohummes; leoxiii; peru; popebob; popeleo; popeleoxiiileoxiv; popeleoxiv; popename
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Seems like a decent choice. Probably didn't want to be Francis II. John XXIV would suggest more sweeping reforms. St. Paul VI was not really that well regarded. Benedict resigned, etc. Pius XII was controversial for his role in WWII, etc. Could be John Paul III, but maybe wanted something more traditional.
1 posted on 05/10/2025 1:28:31 PM PDT by xxqqzz
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To: xxqqzz

Maybe they were thinking of birth signs, but erred a bit. I think Leo is July 23 to August 22


2 posted on 05/10/2025 1:31:44 PM PDT by C210N (Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur.)
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To: xxqqzz
I was hoping he would be Sixtus VI, since every other Sixtus wasn't a six.

Whatever the reason, I suspect it had nothing to do with the cartoon character in the eponymous movie Leo.

3 posted on 05/10/2025 1:33:50 PM PDT by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: xxqqzz

Headline sucked me in ... :-)

“Why has the new Pope chosen Leo XIV as a name?

The new Pope has not yet specified why he has decided to be known as Pope Leo XIV.”


4 posted on 05/10/2025 1:35:37 PM PDT by plain talk
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To: xxqqzz

His star 🌟 sign 🪧 ?


5 posted on 05/10/2025 1:40:02 PM PDT by Pikachu_Dad
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To: plain talk

EXACTLY what I was thinking of posting. Great minds and all that.


6 posted on 05/10/2025 1:41:40 PM PDT by mairdie
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To: xxqqzz
IMG-4582
7 posted on 05/10/2025 1:43:06 PM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion (🦅 MAGADONIAN ⚔️ LIFE )
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To: Pikachu_Dad

He is a Virgo. Maybe has he the moon or something in Leo.


8 posted on 05/10/2025 1:44:04 PM PDT by xxqqzz
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To: xxqqzz

A working class hero, like his most recent namesake, Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903)


9 posted on 05/10/2025 1:53:56 PM PDT by Az Joe (uired to.)
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To: xxqqzz

Sounds better than Pope Bob would have.


10 posted on 05/10/2025 1:54:06 PM PDT by TexasFreeper2009
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To: xxqqzz

There is a rock song from the 70’s by that name.
Leo,
Woo oh oh oh ah
He’s for the money
He’s for the show
Leo…
Or something like that.
It place on the classic rock or classic vinyl station now.


11 posted on 05/10/2025 2:05:18 PM PDT by 9422WMR
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To: xxqqzz

I saw a clip of him today in which he said he chose Leo as a recognition of Leo XIII, and especially his encyclical Rerem Normvarum, which addressed the threats to human dignity by both the industrial revolution and rising socialism. The Pope mentioned current threats to human dignity such as AI, but I am sure will find others to address.


12 posted on 05/10/2025 2:10:00 PM PDT by Southside_Chicago_Republican (God save the United States!)
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To: 9422WMR

The song is “Lido” not “Leo”.


13 posted on 05/10/2025 2:10:44 PM PDT by pburiak (You really think we can vote our way out of this? That's so cute...)
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To: 9422WMR

Well close, “Lido” Boz Scaggs

“Lido
Whoah oh oh oh
He’s for the money, he’s for the show
Lido’s waitin’ for the go, Lido
Whoah oh oh oh oh oh
He said one more job ought to get it
One last shot ‘fore we quit it
One more for the road”


14 posted on 05/10/2025 2:11:49 PM PDT by DAC21
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To: xxqqzz

Maybe to break up the old “peter the Roman ‘ antichrist mythos where folks believed that Francis was the final pope before the Beast!


15 posted on 05/10/2025 2:16:45 PM PDT by mdmathis6 (A horrible historic indictment: Biden Democrats plunging the world into war to hide their crimes!)
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To: DAC21
Well close, “Lido” Boz Scaggs

Maybe he was channelling the song Louie Louie

(Infamous as was analysed by the cia for hidden messages)

16 posted on 05/10/2025 2:19:22 PM PDT by spokeshave (Proud Boys, Angry Dads. Grumpy Grandads & Curmudgeon<p.s)
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To: xxqqzz

He was made Pope the old Chicago way...the Vatican’s new..........wait for it....here it comes.....Al Ca-”pope”!


17 posted on 05/10/2025 2:19:29 PM PDT by mdmathis6 (A horrible historic indictment: Biden Democrats plunging the world into war to hide their crimes!)
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To: xxqqzz

Headline: “Pope Leo says AI is main challenge for humanity”

Silly me, I thought the salvation of souls was the main challenge for humanity. Sounds like another “politician Pope” to me.


18 posted on 05/10/2025 2:22:50 PM PDT by SaxxonWoods (The road is a dangerous place man, you can die out here...or worse. -Johnny Paycheck, 1980, Reno, NV)
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To: xxqqzz

Per . . . Pachamama?


19 posted on 05/10/2025 2:34:36 PM PDT by arthurus (covfefe !)v(i)
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To: xxqqzz

It’s “Robert Cardinal Prevost,” dumbass editor.


20 posted on 05/10/2025 2:36:05 PM PDT by Prince of Space (Trump 2024!)
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