#st john's college

[magicaloxford]

Evening in the gardens of St John's. An astrologer who studied here centuries ago detected law-breakers by reading the stars 🌠

[scansfrommagazinesandbooks]

[01libra]

nice day today :)

[annamariedarkholmes]

three tickets to challengers please

[youfillmewithinertia-xoxo]

St Johns Cambridge, May ball, (1975)

[thepastisalreadywritten]

The History of the Names of the Successors of Peter

A longstanding tradition has it that Popes change their names from their baptismal name, though it hasn’t always been the case, especially in the first centuries of Christianity.

Popes have often chosen the names of their immediate or distant predecessors out of respect, admiration or recognition to mark continuity, but also different names to mark innovation.

By Lisa Zengarini

7 May 2025

The first act of the new Pope, immediately after accepting his canonical election as Supreme Pontiff and before fulfilling other obligations, is the choice of his name.

This name is announced by the Cardinal Protodeacon after the famous formula “Habemus Papam,” followed by the Pope’s baptismal name in Latin.

The longstanding tradition of changing the baptismal name

According to a longstanding tradition, this name differs from the baptismal name — a choice that follows the precedent set by the first Pope, Saint Peter, whose birth name was Simon.

This custom emerged as early as the first millennium of Christianity to signify that the election to the Petrine See is akin to a second birth.

In the early centuries of Christianity, many Popes changed their names because their original names were of pagan origin.

However, not all Popes followed this practice.

Out of the 266 Popes in history (267 including the next one), only 129 have chosen a new name.

This tradition became standard practice starting in 955 with Pope John XII and has continued to this day, with the exceptions of Adrian VI (1522-1523) and Marcellus II (1555).

For some Popes, the new name was actually their third name in life, as they came from religious orders.

The reasons behind the choice of a name

As for the choice of the name, many often choose the same name of their immediate or recent predecessor out of respect, admiration, or recognition, which also signals the desire to follow in their footsteps and continue the most relevant pontificates.

Others choose a different name from that of their immediate predecessor, sometimes signifying a commitment to innovation and change.

This was epitomized by Pope Francis, the first Pope in history to take the name of the Saint of Assisi.

The most common names: John, Gregory, Benedict and Pius

Saint Gregory the Great

In the history of the Papacy, the most commonly used name has been John, first chosen in 523 by Saint John I, Pope and martyr.

The last Pope to choose this name was Italian Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, elected Pope John XXIII, in 1958, who was proclaimed Saint by Pope Francis in 2014.

Other frequently used names include Gregory, in honour of Pope Gregory I, commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great (590-604), which was last used by Gregory XVI in 1831, and Benedict, which was chosen sixteen times, including by Joseph Ratzinger in 2005.

Other recurrent names in the Papal tradition include Clement, Innocent, Leo, and Pius.

From 1775 to 1958, out of 11 popes, 7 were named Pius, from Pius VI (1775–1799) to Pius XII (1939–1958).

Eugenio Pacelli took the name Pius XII because he was distantly related to Pius IX (1846–1878), but also out of gratitude to Pius X (1903–1914), who  was canonized in 1954, and finally, in direct recognition of Pius XI (1922–1939), who made him a Cardinal and Secretary of State.

Among the names never chosen by a Pope are Joseph, James, Andrew, and Luke.

No Pope has ever chosen the name Peter, out of reverence for the first Pope.

Six Popes with the name of the Apostle Paul

However, six Popes have taken the name of the Apostle Paul, including Pope Montini (Paul VI, 1963-1978), whose choice reflected one of the key aspects of his pontificate — the initiation of apostolic journeys abroad.

Two Popes with two names

The first Pope to adopt a double name was Albino Luciani in 1978, who became John Paul I, emphasizing continuity with the pontificates of John XXIII and Paul VI.

His successor, Karol Wojtyła, repeated this choice as John Paul II.

As for Benedict XVI, in his first General Audience on 27 April 2005, he explained that he had chosen the name Benedict to symbolically connect to Pope Benedict XV, who led the Church during the turbulent period of World War I, and to the extraordinary figure of Saint Benedict of Nursia, the Patriarch of Western Monasticism and co-patron of Europe.

Pope John Paul II signing the new Code of Canon Law as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger looks on, 25 January 1983.

Ratzinger succeeded John Paul as Pope Benedict XVI in 2005.

[reverseblackholeofwords]

January Reads

Wanted to start doing a quick rundown of the books I'm reading this year. One, because I like gabbing about books and two, because I need people to gab at me about books pls. So feel free to invade my inbox!

A College of Magics by Caroline Stevermer

Don't let anyone fool you by giving you the blurb "This is like Harry Potter but better." It is not like Harry Potter and doesn't deserve that comparison. This book is about magic school for maybe the first third and quickly becomes about navigating politics and high society for the last two. That said, I loved it. It has such a pleasant and meticulously detailed faux-historical setting that feels grounded, while maintaining a magic system that is mercurial and understated. There is a fantastic friendship between the main character, Faris, and Jane. Very much in the same fantasy phylum as Diana Wynne Jones.

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

Very off into left field from the last one, this book is about an international Ponzi scheme and the way it affects several different people. It is less a novel than a collection of vignettes, but the character work is insanely brilliant. You care about each person within the narrative, even the ones that make terribly selfish decisions. I'm fascinated by how much I loved this since it is in no way my typical read, but it left me in that lovely book coma that only comes from the best of writers. I'll definitely be reading more from this author.

Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente

This is not a book. This is like six movies, several commercials, and a series of interviews just barely contained within book form, and they are trying their level best to break out. I've read books by Valente before, so I knew to expect The Weird. But this is her at her most zany. If you like old Hollywood, decopunk (think of the movie Metropolis), The Magnus Archives, and Treasure Planet, you should pick this up. I won't promise you'll like it, I don't know if I liked it. But I will be thinking about it for a very long time. There are Roanoke space colonies, a film noir detective, Eldritch horror whales, and so so so many Greek mythology references. Just- you have to experience it for yourself.

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley

There is a clock-making former samurai with a pet mechanical octopus. I don't feel like I need to say more. This is steampunk done right. This has science-fiction magic that will bend your brain into a Mobius strip. I don't want to explain too much and spoil it, but it's fascinating. It's also, of all things, technically a mystery? It's hard to define, but it's a wonderful adventure. Slower paced but with such sweet character work. I've already got the sequel.

[newyorkthegoldenage]

St. John's University defeating Bradley in Madison Square Garden, 1951.

Photo: Gjon Mili via Life magazine Instagram

[arionaut]

It's when the cold nips at my ears, when my cheeks are as bright as roses, and when my teeth bite the chill winds. It is in times like this, when the snow blurs the roads and erases all color and sound from the world, reducing the world into nothing too easily, that I am grateful for my being and existence.

I am in love with the warm glow of windows, giving life and warmth to the home. I am in love with the fox I saw playing in the snow, and the way it looked at me before it ran away.

[freddiemercurylegendabovelegends]

Freddie was writing to his family whenever he’s at boarding school in India:

“Dear Mum & Dad. I hope you are all well and Kashmira’s cold is better. Don’t worry, I’m fine. Me and my friends at the Ashleigh House are like a second family.

The teachers are very strict and discipline is most important here at St. Peter’s. I’m very happy to tell you that I was awarded the big trophy, Best All Rounder Junior. I received a big trophy and they even took a photograph, which will appear in the annual school magazine.

I’m very proud and I hope you are too. Send my love to Kash. I love my little sister as I love you all. Farrokh.”

Photo: Angelina Karpunina colored this photo of Freddie’s originally in black and white

➡️Color_byangelina on Instagram

📸 Pic: 1958 at the College - Farrokh Bulsara won a sports competition and won the Junior All-rounder trophy

[wandering-jana]

St. John's College. Cambridge, England.

[blastofsports]

Malik Sealy (February 1, 1970 – May 20, 2000) was an American professional basketball player, active from 1992 until his death in an automobile accident at the age of 30. Sealy played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons and Minnesota

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in Irish History | 12 September:

In the Liturgical calendar, it is the Feast day of St. Ailbe, Bishop of Emly, Tipperary. Mexico – Commemoration of the mass hanging of the Saint Patrick’s Battalion. 1653 – Ireland and Scotland are represented by six and five members respectively in the ‘Barebones’ parliament which is in effect from 4 July to this date. 1798 – United Irishmen Rebellion: Rebels attack Castlebar and are…

[j-august]

When one Ashbourner, a scholar of St John's College, Cambridge, was depressed by his inability to understand the book he was studying, the Devil appeared to him in the dress of a Master of Arts. He explained the text and offered to make him his scholar, promising a trip to Padua University, and the degree of a Doctor of Divinity. Two days later the hapless student's gown was found floating in the river.

Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic

[thedorkmark]

Ancient, St. Johns College Library, Cambridge, England

[aquamarine-dream-queen]

13 Days of Senior Year Fun Day 13: Graduates

Congratulations, Queens Metropolitan High School’s class of 2024!