John Paul I, previously known as Albino Luciano and the first Pope to use a double name, chose it in honour of his two immediate predecessors, John XXIII and Paul VI. So will there be a John Paul III? Possibly.

When cardinals, the "princes of the church" who rank higher than any other ecclesiastic but the Pope, agree on a successor in their conclave later this month, he will be asked if he accepts, and how he wishes to be known. He can choose a Latinised form of his Christian name, a saint's name or the name of an earlier Pope. He may also want to pick a name that would attribute a virtue to him, such as Pius (pious), Innocent or Clement (merciful).

Some allow personal considerations to guide them, such as Pope John XXII, who chose his name to honour the memory of his father. However, Peter is a name seen as out of bounds out of respect to the first ever Pope, Saint Peter, who was a disciple of Jesus.

In 1009, a cardinal named Peter switched to Sergius IV, as he felt that to become Peter II was presumptuous. The given names most often chosen have been John (23 times), Gregory (16), Clement (14), Innocent (13), Leo (13) and Pius (12). Up to the end of the first millennium, popes generally kept their Christian name.

The first to buck tradition was John II in 533. Born Mercury, he decided he could not reasonably head the church with the name of a pagan Roman god. The first papal name to be repeated was Sixtus. The first Sixtus took the pontificate in the second century and there have been four others.

As with kings and emperors, a Roman numeral is added if the Pope has had a namesake as predecessor -- John Paul I was unusual in not waiting for history to decide if anyone else wanted to be known by the same name. Vatican experts on Catholic websites say that while the next Pope may want to show willingness to continue in the same vein as his predecessor by being called John Paul III. On the other hand, the late Pope's lengthy stint in office, 26 years, may prove an incentive to embark on a new path.

The experts suggest that, given an increasing emphasis on the teachings of the gospels, another disciple's name might be appropriate. Becoming John XXIV may indicate a desire for further reforming the church. Choosing Paul VII might show a desire to pursue a strong moral stance.

Becoming Pius XIII may suggest a return to tradition, and perhaps even the unwinding of some of the radical changes over the past decades. A Gregory might want to restore many of the church's lost treasures such as its beautiful liturgy and music. AFP