Who was the Pope to have a separate papal name and why?

TabbyTom

The first indisputable change of name was that of John XIV, who reigned from December 983 to August 984. His name was Peter (or Pietro or whatever the Italian for Peter was in those days) Canepanova, and he adopted a different name to avoid the seeming arrogance of using the name of the Prince of the Apostles. The fifteenth-century historian Bartolomeo Platina tells a similar story about Sergius II (844 – 847), whose name is said to have been Peter de Porca or Peter Hogsmouth, but there’s no hard evidence for this. Sources: Oxford Dictionary of Popes, Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Apr 06 05, 4:22 AM

picqero

I wasn't sure what this question actually meant as the word 'first' is missing. You could argue that the first pope to have a different name was the first pope himself, St. Peter (or Cephas as he was re-named by Jesus according to John 1.42). His birth name was Simon. Apr 06 05, 7:05 AM

mibmob

Ah, but he didn't change his name when he became pope. By the way, Cephas is Aramaic for rock which is what Petros/us (GR/L) means and Simon means flat-nosed in Greek. Can't resist these little things. Apr 06 05, 9:37 AM

shady shaker

You are a veritable fount, Mibby! Apr 06 05, 9:52 AM

mibmob

Thenkyow shady! Tabbo is pretty good too don't you think! Apr 06 05, 10:15 AM

gmackematix

Yes, Nit-picquero, I rushed this question out before dashing off to work and it shows. As I write, the question is missing the word "first". Can McG please pop it in there and disguise my slapdash attempt at question-setting? TT, the answer I have is a 6th century pope so when it has been worked out perhaps you can tell me why it is not "indisputable". Apr 06 05, 2:58 PM

Arpeggionist

Simon does not mean rock. Simon comes from the Hebrew "Shim'on" which has the root of the word for hearing ("for God heard that I was not favored, and gave me this one as well" - Genesis 29). Apr 06 05, 3:23 PM

kaylofgorons

He did say that Cephas was rock, not Simon. But I'm much more likely to take the Hebrew meaning of "hearing" than the Greek meaning of "flat-nosed". I imagine Simon would have agreed. Apr 06 05, 4:03 PM

TabbyTom

Well, gmack, I've looked more closely at the Dictionary of Popes and I find that John II is credited as the first pope to make such a change. He was an elderly priest when he was elected, and he reigned form 533 to 535. His original name was Mercury. He changed it because it was the name of a pagan god: such a name seems to have been OK for a priest at the church of St Clement, but not for a pope. Apr 06 05, 4:05 PM

Arpeggionist

Incidentally, the Hebrew translation of Peter (Petrus) is "Tzur". The quote "thou art Peter..." actually works better in Hebrew, which could have been the language in which it was originally spoken. Apr 06 05, 4:58 PM

gmackematix

Yay TT, Mercurius it was. While we're in nitpick mode, Peter would have been Petros not Petrus. In French, pierre actually means stone (I can't resist these little things either Mibby). Apr 06 05, 5:27 PM