why do popes get/chose nicknames instead of using their real name?

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why do popes get/chose nicknames instead of using their real name?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

Several people have mentioned Pope John II who was originally Mercurius.

One could argue that the tradition of having a papal name goes all the way back to Peter, originally named Simon, but Jesus renamed because on ‘this rock’ [Petros/Petra, Greek for rock], Jesus would build his church.

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