What's In A Pope's Name?

The name the new pontiff chose for himself means "blessed" in Latin, but many of the 15 Pope Benedicts who went before were anything but.

One was probably poisoned, another excommunicated and a third strangled to death.

But that was the Dark Ages, so don?t worry about the fate of the 265th leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Pope Benedicts who came later were noblemen, peacemakers and scholars.

The name goes back to the early days of the Church, with the first Pope Benedict being elected in 575. Few records exist about his papacy, but it?s believed he struggled to lead through a time of great famine and died in the process, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia.

The next Benedict reigned for one year, from 684 to 685, which was apparently long enough to earn him the honor as patron saint of Europe.

The third and fourth Benedicts had quiet tenures--the first was know for his learning and piety; the second for his generosity.

Pope Benedict V wasn?t around long. He held the post for just one month after being elected by Roman citizens in May 964. But Roman Emperor Otto disliked the public?s decision and had Benedict deposed in June. Eight years later, Emperor Otto appointed a Pope Benedict VI, despite the disapproval of his subjects. When Otto died during that turbulent time, Pope Benedict was strangled.

The next two Pope Benedicts held papacies without much controversy.

But next namesake, Benedict IX, was made pontiff when he was just 11 or 12 years old. He was probably a bit older, but still one of the youngest popes in history. At one point, he sold his office to a priest because he wanted to marry. After much political fighting, Benedict was excommunicated.

Pope Benedict X is called Antipope Benedict X by the Catholic Church. During his brief reign, there were questions about how he came to office and eventually a war that forced him to surrender and renounce his papacy.

The remaining Pope Benedicts fared better in their papacies. Benedict XI, who ruled from 1303 to 1304, was known as a scholar and a peacemaker.

The last Benedict, Pope Benedict XV, ruled from 1914 to 1922 and was known for his Papal Peace proposal to bring an end to War War I. Benedict XV was a moderate and known as a humanitarian. He had dreamed of reuniting the Church with Orthodox Christians.

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