
Why do the pope and religious change their names?
01Aug 2020
Question: Why do the pope and some religious sisters/brothers change their name? Answer: [caption id="attachment_5202" align="alignright" width="300"] Pope Francis greets a group of nuns outside the Diocesan Seminary in Ecatepec on February 14, 2016. (Photo by © L'Osservatore Romano)[/caption] This is another common question that both Catholics and others often ask and is worth taking some time to answer. Before diving in, it’s worth noting that popes and religious sisters and brothers do not change names for the same reason. As we will see, although there are similarities, there are also differences between the two practices. We will begin with the practice of receiving a new name as a religious sister or brother. The first thing to note is that the practice of receiving a new name as a member…