White smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel March 13, 2013, at the Vatican signaling that Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who became Pope Francis, was elected the 266th Roman Catholic pontiff. The cardinals will again gather May 7, 2025, to elect a a successor to Pope Francis, who died April 21. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) By: Christiane Laudage Popes have been choosing new names for over 1,000 years. What is the tradition behind this, which names are considered taboo – and what does the choice of name reveal about the future pontificate? White smoke above St Peter’s Square announces unequivocally: the Chair of Peter is once again occupied, a new…
