Pontifical name update

Pope Francis... well, that is a new twist to an old guessing game; and shows what I know.

ETA: This is a sign of the shift in pontifical naming customs which has taken place since 1958. Between the late tenth century and up until Pius XII, it could be argued that names were chosen to demonstrate continuity with the early church, with variations depending on the times. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, continuity with ancien regime Europe and the papal monarchy was important. Since John XXIII, naming choices have represented a shift towards emphasising the kind of ministry one might expect, rather than asserting political associations.

Also posted at http://sir-guinglain.dreamwidth.org/586948.html.