New Pope 2013: Name Game for Pope Benedict’s Successor; Ghanian Cardinal Turkson Wins Mock Papal Election in Virginia School

As the conclave approaches with all the 115 cardinal electors expected to be in Vatican City this week, the guessing game on who will succeed the just-retired Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has become trending topic in church circles and the cyberworld.

Equal interesting is what will be the papal name of the upcoming pontiff, with suggestions ranging from the hilarious to serious in Twitterlandia.

Until the 16^th century, popes used their baptismal names, but the new popes eventually chose new names upon election based on immediate predecessors, mentors, political similarity or sometimes after family members.

The name chosen is an indicator of who the new pope will emulate in terms of policies. Under the current practice, after a new pope is elected and he accepts the position, the Dean of the College of Cardinals will ask the newly elected pontiff if he accepts his election and the name he plans to use. Then the chosen name is announced immediately from the balcony of St. Peter.

The most popular papal name is John, used by 21'popes, followed by Gregory (18) and Benedict (15).

In Twitter, among the suggestions are Sixtus V, Pius, Lando, Hilarius II and Leo XIV. The last name was made suggested by @DisgruntledMrG who said he would go to Las Vegas and place a bet on that papal name.

For the more outrageous suggestions, the list includes Bingo, Drooper, Fleegle, Snork and Ringo George I.

If the mock conclave held at the St. Louis Catholic School in Alexandria, Virginia is the basis, the cardinal who would have to choose a papal name is Ghanian Cardinal Peter Turkson.

He is also the number one papabile on Irish bookmaker Paddy Power and included in the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests' (SNAP) Dirty Dozen list released on Wednesday. The list refers to cardinals who failed to take action on sex abuse cases and whom SNAP deems not worthy of being elected pope.

The students' choice opted for the name Pope Sebastian I.

While some people view the conclave as a laughing matter, amid the controversies surrounding the election of a new pope, the cardinals gathers and prayed for the church amid busy preparations for the actual voting.