Why the popes change their names Habemus Nominem - the name says it all

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 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)

White smoke above St Peter's Square announces unequivocally: the Chair of Peter is once again occupied, a new pope has been elected. What name will he take? Because: Nomen est omen. The choice of the Pope's name is programme. It gives an initial indication of the direction in which the new Pope wants to steer the Church.