What's in a (Papal) Name? Trivia Quiz

Answer:

The Papacy is the office and jurisdiction of the Pope, who is the Bishop of Rome and the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The Pope is considered the highest authority in the Church and holds a position of great influence both within the Church and on the global stage. He also governs the Vatican City State, a sovereign city-state within Rome, and serves as the absolute monarch. The Vatican is the spiritual and administrative center of the Catholic Church.

The Popes choose their names upon their election as a way to symbolize their priorities, values, or connection to specific saints or historical figures. They often choose names that hold personal or spiritual significance to them. They may choose names of saints they admire, previous Popes they seek to emulate, or names that reflect their vision for their papacy. The choice of a papal name is often a deeply personal and powerful decision. While still a personal choice, it is made with the awareness that the name will become an important part of their papal legacy.

This list goes back all the way until Adrian VI, the 218th Pope, who was in office from January 9, 1522 up until September 14, 1523. The next original name backwards is Callixtus III, who was Pope in the mid-15th century. Interesting, isn't it, that many original names are not chosen for the role and many of the names get reused.

The most popular name is John, having 23 of them (officially) before Francis. The 23rd of the name was in the 20th century, however, the 22nd of the name was only in the early 14th century! John is followed by Gregory and Benedict, who have had 16 each. After that come the names Clement, Leo, and Pius, with 14, 13, and 12 Popes respectively.