What name will the new pope choose?

popes-name-amazon — What name will the next pope choose? Get your copy of Jimmy Akin's definitive study!

Will he be a Benedict? A John Paul? A Pius? A Leo? Something else entirely?

I wanted to let you know about a special study I did last year on what name the next pope would choose.

Normally, I use these Secret Info Club emails to send you fascinating information of a timeless nature, but with the cardinals holding a conclave, this study is particularly timely, and I thought you’d like to know about it.

Several years ago, when John Paul II died, I began looking at the history of the names popes have chosen, and I was startled to see the patterns that exist.

The popes themselves probably haven’t been fully aware of these patterns.

What I learned was that the name of the next pope is quite a bit more predictable than you would imagine. It’s even possible to assign probabilities.

Last year, on a lark, I put the study out as an ebook, though I never advertised it.

It’s available for Kindle, Nook, and on the Apple iBookstore for just $2.99.

Click here to learn more about it.

It’s called Pope Names: The Definitive Guide to Papal Names, Why Popes Choose the Names They Do, and Which Name the Next Pope Will Choose.

It covers a lot of fascinating things, including:

What names will be on the “short list” that the next pope considers, and what are the odds he will pick a particular name?
What is the one name that the next pope will definitely not pick, no matter what?
Why do popes sometimes feel the need to “shake up” the pool of pope names?
What are the signs that we are living in a “shake up” period right now?
What pope was named after a pagan god?
What man actually served as pope three times?
Why is there no Pope Stephen II?

And a lot more! I tried to pack as much value into the little ebook as I could!

I hope you’ll check it out and that you’ll find the history of pope names as fascinating as I did when I began looking into it.

You can read more at www.PopeNamesBook.com or get a copy through one of these links:

I also hope you’ll join me in keeping the cardinals in prayer as they select our new pope.

9 things you need to know about how cardinals actually vote in conclaves

Cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel at th — The cardinals will be entering the conclave to vote for the new pope. How do they actually decide who to vote for? Here are 9 things you should know.

Soon the cardinals will enter the conclave and begin casting their votes for the new pope.

What’s going through their minds as they do this? How do they actually go through the process of deciding, on any particular ballot, who to vote for?

Why is the first ballot so important? What patterns does history teach us? And is there any way we can help them?

Here are 9 things you need to know.

1. Why is the first ballot significant?

It is the first time that the cardinals get the “lay of the land” in a concrete way.

Up to this point, they have had discussions among themselves about who would be a good pope, and they have done some informal nose counting to get a sense of how much support there may be for different candidates.

Now, however, they get actual vote counts and can attach numbers to how much support different candidates have.

The cardinals will then factor this in to how they vote on the next ballot. Some candidates will gain support; others will lose it.

2. How has the role of the first ballot changed over time?

In the past, the cardinals sometimes used the first ballot to honor cardinals who they knew did not have a chance of winning.

For example, they might vote for cardinals who had served the Church long and well but who were now too old to be elected. Or, in the days when an Italian pope was guaranteed, they might vote for distinguished cardinals who weren’t from Italy.

This practice caused conclaves to be longer, since it cluttered up the voting process with symbolic votes that weren’t meant to lead to the election of an actual pope.

A well-respected but unelectable cardinal would get a certain number of tribute votes on the first ballot and then these would melt away on the second.

Today there is a desire for shorter conclaves, so that the cardinals do not appear to be divided in a way that would hamstring the new pope.

Thus the practice of giving tribute votes has faded, and now cardinals take this oath when they cast their ballots:

I call as my witness Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected.

Despite this, the first ballot will almost certainly not result in a new pope.

3. Why will the first ballot almost certainly not result in a new pope?

KEEP READING.

St. Malachy and the Name the New Pope Will Choose

StPeters_162134706_620x350 — What name will the next pope choose? And will he be the last one?

Recently I was on Al Kresta’s show to talk about the St. Malachy prophecy (which seems to indicate that the next pope will be the last).

We also talked about the name the next pope will choose–and which names he won’t choose.

It was a really good conversation, so I thought I’d make it available for you to listen to here.

Use the player or link below to listen.

Enjoy!

BTW, here’s what I wrote about St. Malachy.

And here’s where you can learn about the new pope’s name: www.PopeNamesBook.com

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Conclave App

Just wanted to let folks know about a neat little app that Logos Bible Software has just released to help Catholics (and others) learn about the upcoming conclave.

The app is FREE and is available both for iOS (iPhone/Pod/Pad) and Android.

They really rushed to get it out so that we’d have it in time for the conclave, and I know people at Logos who spent long nights getting it ready.

It’s got some really cool features and material (including some by yours truly).

Here’s a description of the app:

Your free mobile hub for conclave news

Conclave is a free app that keeps you up to date on the papal election.

Be among the first to see the white smoke rise—watch the live video feed from St. Peter’s Square.
Learn about the cardinals in the conclave—115 electors, and 1 future pope.
Read the official documents instating, defining, and amending the conclave’s process.
Follow key Catholic sources and authorities like The National Catholic Register and Jimmy Akin.
See what Twitter has to say about the conclave

CLICK HERE TO GET FREE CONCLAVE APP.

Enjoy!

How Long Will We Have to Wait for Our New Pope?

As we look forward to the coming conclave, it’s natural to ask, “How long will it last?”

Nobody knows at this point, but it’s possible to get a sense by looking at history.

Here are some surprising things you may not have known.

Birth of the Conclave

In the history of the papacy there have been periods in which the chair of St. Peter was vacant for startlingly long periods of time, at least by modern standards.

The longest of these occurred after the death of Pope Clement IV in 1268.

After he died on November 29th of that year, there was no new pope until September 1 of 1271, when Gregory X became pope.

That’s a gap of almost three years (and just over 1,000 days).

This happened because the cardinals were deadlocked and could not agree on a new pope.

To pressure them into coming to a conclusion, the magistrates of Viterbo (where they were meeting) locked them up, reduced their rations to bread and water, and tore the roof off the palazzo where they were housed, to expose them to the elements.

Even so, it took a year after that!

When it was all over, Gregory X introduced a new law, based on what had happened, which essentially called for the modern conclave system, where the cardinals are sequestered until they get the job done.

It took a while for the conclave to stick, but this is where it started.

The Last 500 Years

Here’s a chart of how many days all of the papal elections have taken since October 1503–more than 500 years!

As you can see, the length is all over the place before we get to a certain point.

The very first entry (at the far left) is the election of Julius II in October 1503, which was the shortest papal election on record, taking only a few hours.

Then it spikes up and down, reaching the highest peak in 1740, with the election of Benedict XIV, which took a whopping 183 days!

And then, after the election of Gregory XVI in 1831, something changes.

The length of conclaves becomes much shorter and consistently falls within a narrow range.

The cardinals now have their act together.

Let’s take a closer look at that . . .

KEEP READING.

The Next Pope Will Be God’s Choice . . . Right?

Papal_Conclave_2 — The cardinals will soon meet in the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope. Should we pray for them?

It’s common for Catholics to say that a newly elected pope is “God’s choice” or that, the Holy Spirit chooses the new pope.

There’s a sense in which this is true.

But does that mean that we can just sit back and assume the ideal candidate will be elected?

If so, why do we need to pray for the election of the new pope?

And what has Pope Benedict XVI had to say about the matter?

The Mystery of Providence

Since God is omnipotent, he could stop any particular thing in the universe from happening. Therefore, if something does happen, it is only because God allowed it to happen.

If God chose to allow it, anything that does happen could–in this broadest sense–be described as God’s choice.

But that does not mean it is what God prefers.

There are a lot of things in history that God allowed but that would not have been his “first choice.”

Take the fall of man and our redemption by Christ. In one sense, that’s clearly God’s choice. But we cannot ascribe Adam’s sin to God as his ideal choice.

How man’s free will relates to God’s providence is complex, and we should be careful of simplistic solutions.

KEEP READING.

9 things you need to know about the “Chair of St. Peter”

chair-of-peter — February 22 is the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. Here are 9 things you need to know about it.

Yes, there is a physical object known as “the Chair of St. Peter.”

It is housed at the Vatican, at the back of St. Peter’s basilica.

February 22 is the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter.

And there is more to the story.

Here are 9 things you need to know . . .

1. What is the Chair of Peter?

It depends on what you mean.

On the one hand, there is a physical object–an ancient, ornamented chair–located in the apse of St. Peter’s Basilica.

On the other hand, there is the spiritual authority that this chair represents.

Here we will look at both the physical object and the spiritual reality it represents.

2. What is the physical Chair of St. Peter?

This object–known as the Cathedra Petri (Latin, “Chair of Peter”)–is located in the apse of St. Peter’s Basilica. It is in the back of the chamber, behind the famous altar, on the far, back wall, below the the well-known, stained glass image depicting the Holy Spirit as a dove (see above).

This display contains an ancient chair that has been repaired and ornamented over time.

The Catholic Encyclopedia states of the original chair:

The seat is about one foot ten inches above the ground, and two feet eleven and seven-eighths inches wide; the sides are two feet one and one-half inches deep; the height of the back up to the tympanum is three feet five and one-third inches; the entire height of the chair is four feet seven and one-eighth inches.

According to the examination then made by Padre Garucci and Giovanni Battista de Rossi, the oldest portion is a perfectly plain oaken arm-chair with four legs connected by cross-bars.

The wood is much worm-eaten, and pieces have been cut from various spots at different times, evidently for relics.

To the right and left of the seat four strong iron rings, intended for carrying-poles, are set into the legs.

Here is an image of the ancient chair:

3. How has the chair changed over time?

KEEP READING.

Here’s how you can express your love for Pope Benedict

Would you like to express your love and gratitude to Pope Benedict for his service to the Church? Here is a way you can do it.

After I heard the news that Pope Benedict was renouncing the papacy, I felt moved to record a brief, from-the-heart video expressing my thoughts and feelings. (I don’t like the word “renounce” either, but it is the technically correct term, and it was used by Pope Benedict in his announcement.)

I decided to do the video unscripted, in the form of a video open letter to Pope Benedict, expressing my admiration for him and my gratitude for his service to the Church.

I know he doesn’t know who I am and that he may never see the video, but I wanted to do it anyway.

I have very much valued the service Pope Benedict has given the Church. I have been an admirer of his for many years before he was elected pope, and his service to the Church was already staggering.

When he agreed to shoulder the burden of being the successor of St. Peter, the vicar of Christ, I cheered!

I had been afraid to let my hopes get up that he would be elected pope, but he was!

He is an awesome teacher and a man of deep thought, profound piety, and amazing humility.

I will miss him terribly. I respect and accept his decision. But I could not let this occasion pass without expressing the burden of my heart.

Here’s the video . . .

Now that I’ve had my say, it’s time for yours.

After making the video, it struck me that it would be possible to get people’s expressions of love and gratitude to Pope Benedict after he leaves office. (He’ll be far too busy beforehand.)

Therefore, I invite you to use the comments box to express your prayers and best wishes to Pope Benedict.

After his departure, I will print your messages in a large-type, easy-to-read format and send it to him, along with a cover letter again expressing my own gratitude to him.

(Before sending it, I will also delete any inappropriate messages, so keep it positive.)

But please, do, let him know how much you love him and value his service as the successor of St. Peter and how you support him at this challenging time.

Thank you, and God bless you.

New TV Program on 1st Female Pope?

The other day a press release lands in my email inbox and blares:

U.S. TELEVISION PREMIERE OF “POPE JOAN” ON REELZCHANNEL

The Incredible Legend of the Only Female Pope

Two-Part Television Miniseries Event Premieres Sunday and Monday, December 18-19, 2011 at 8pm ET and at 8pm PT

Oh, great. The “Pope Joan” thing again.

REELZCHANNEL? I’ve never heard of that before. And it’s no wonder with a name like REELZCHANNEL. What were their corporate branding people thinking? That Z for S substitution in the middle of two words slammed together is just painful to think about.

But back to the story . . .

(Albuquerque, NM) Tuesday, November 22, 2011—REELZCHANNEL—TV About Movies® today announced the two-part miniseries “Pope Joan” will make its U.S. television premiere on REELZ starting Sunday, December 18, 2011 with part 1 airing at 8pm ET and at 8pm PT. “Pope Joan” is the legend that will not die—a sweeping historical drama about a woman whose existence has been denied for a thousand years.

Uh . . . that would be because she never existed. People tend to deny the existence of things that never existed.

Gotta love the use of breathless, cliched tropes: “legend that will not die,” “sweeping historical drama.”

“Pope Joan” is the story of a controversial figure of historical record who disguised herself as a man and rose to rule the Catholic Church in the 9th century as the first and only woman to sit on the throne of St. Peter.

Okay, Pope Joan is not controversial. Not among people familiar with the historical record. (“A figure of historical record”? That’s just bad writing. It appears, however, to be a claim that she existed, in which case REELZCHANNEL is lying to its readers.)

So who is responsible for this mess?

Based on the international bestselling novel by Donna Woolfolk Cross, “Pope Joan” was produced by Constantin Film. “Pope Joan” is a four hour miniseries that REELZ will air in separate two-hour parts.

And is the network properly ashamed of itself for airing this?

“We’re excited to be the network bringing the ‘Pope Joan’ miniseries to U.S. audiences,” said Stan E. Hubbard REELZCHANNEL CEO.

Translation: This was a European production that we could get on the air for cheap because we don’t have enough money to do better programming.

“Coming on the heels of another epic historical drama in ‘The Pillars of the Earth’ airing in early December on REELZ, ‘Pope Joan’ is the perfect pairing for our viewers and is a great opportunity for them to discover, explore and consider a story few viewers even know exists.”

Okay, here’s the standard TV overhyped mystery weasel word: “consider.” They want their viewers to “consider” this story. They’re not willing to say flat out that it’s true. But they want to create the illusion that it is or might be, so they ask viewers to “consider” it.

There is nothing here to “consider,” Mr. Stan E. Hubbard, CEO of REELZCHANNEL. You are lying to your audience, misleading them into thinking this even might be true.

So you—personally—Mr. Hubbard, are willing to lie to your audience, and paint a false picture of the faith of many of your viewers, in order to make a buck.

That’s how I see it, Mr. Hubbard.

Interestingly, not all media types see things the way you do, Mr. Hubbard.

Some years ago I was contacted by a Hollywood movie producer—one famous enough that I actually knew who he was (which is saying something because, y’know, I’m not Steven Greydanus)—and he wanted some assistance in finding out the history of Pope Joan for a project he wanted to produce on her.

I told him Pope Joan didn’t exist.

I also mentioned that he would face criticism if he presented a Medieval legend as if it were actual history.

He was surprised and alarmed to learn that Pope Joan never existed—a fact of which the people who had approached him with this project had not informed hm.

He thanked me and indicated he would be seriously reconsidering whether to go forward with the project.

The project never happened.

If only all people in the entertainment industry had such ethics—eh, Mr. Hubbard?

What do you think?

“Pope (LAST NAME HERE)”

Many years ago, when I was first starting to work in apologetics, I was reading an article by an Italian journalist—I think it may have been Andrea Tornielli—who referred in passing to “Pope Wojtyla,” meaning John Paul II.

“How disrespectful!” I thought.

At the time, I was only used to referring to popes by their regnal name (the one they choose when they become pope) either preceded by the word “Pope” (i.e., “Pope John Paul”) or followed by their regnal number (i.e., “John Paul II”) or both (i.e., “Pope John Paul II”).

And that was only if there was a name involved at all. More generic designations were also possible—like “the holy father” or simply “the pope”—but not other combinations involving names.

It still strikes me as being overly familiar with the high pontiff to just haul off and refer simply to “John Paul” or “Benedict” without at least first getting in a reference to “John Paul II” or “Pope Benedict.”

It can be a little tempting to ask, “So . . . how long have you and his holiness been on a first name basis?”

After the first reference in an article has paid homage to the pope’s position, though, I fully understand using just the regnal name to avoid undue repetition.

But to reach back before his papacy and grab a name that he went by before he acquired the authority of the successor of Peter—as in “Pope Wojtyla”—that seemed to me to be the height of impertinence.

I imagine it strikes a lot of Americans that way when they first encounter the usage, because here in America we don’t commonly refer to popes this way.

But in Europe they do. It’s much more common there to use the “Pope (Last Name)” construction, and it isn’t considered disrespectful.

An interesting proof of that is that if you read enough Vatican documents, you find that this usage isn’t confined to the European press. The Holy See itself uses it. In fact, the popes themselves do.

For example, in an address Pope Benedict gave last May on the 50th anniversary of John XXIII’s encyclical Mater et Magistra, the current holy father said:

Still valid, too, in addition, are the instructions that Pope Roncalli offered on a legitimate pluralism among Catholics in the implementation of the social doctrine. He wrote, in fact, that in this context “differences of opinion in the application of principles can sometimes arise even among sincere Catholics. When this happens, they should be careful not to lose their respect and esteem for each other. Instead, they should strive to find points of agreement for effective and quick action, and not wear themselves out in interminable arguments, and, under pretext of the better or the best, omit to do the good that is possible and therefore obligatory” (n. 238).

Pope Benedict obviously isn’t dissing his predecessor here. His reference to “Pope Roncalli” isn’t intended to be disrespectful. If anything, it’s meant to be affectionate.

And this is not the only such reference you’ll find in Vatican documents.

If you do some quick Googling of vatican.va (using the “site:vatican.va” tag on Google), you find multiple results of this kind for recent popes:

“Pope Roncalli” (John XXIII) . . . 3 results
“Pope Montini” (Paul VI) . . . 19 results
“Pope Luciani” (John Paul I) . . . 8 results
“Pope Wojtyla” (John Paul II) . . . 6 results

The dataset is too small to draw any conclusions about trends regarding the usage (and too small a set of the Vatican’s documents are as yet online), but it does show that this is an established usage—blessed by Vatican and even papal practice—even if it’s somewhat unfamiliar to American ears.

What are your thoughts?