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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