Wednesday, January 2, 2013

A Pope by any Other Name


A Pope by any Other Name

          Today marks the anniversary of the election in 533 of Mercurius to the position of Bishop of Rome.  Upon his election he chose the regal name of John II.  The interesting point is that he was the first Pope to elect a regal name different than his own.  Having been named after the Roman god Mercury, he did not think it proper to reign as the Pope with a pagan name; hence the election of a regal name and that of one of the apostles.

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