Pope Paul VI died in 1978 at 80 years old. Pope John XXIII, born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, was born into a family of 13 children in Sotto il Monte, Italy. In 1892, Roncalli entered the seminary.

which was called by Pope John XXIII because he thought the church needed "updating." A new or long-unused name, like Leo, can hint at a fresh direction — or a revival of an older papal legacy.

the last pope to take that name was John XXIII, after historians accidentally misnumbered the popes after John XIV. Gregory and Benedict are also popular pontifical names with 16 and 15 uses ...

The last pope to choose that name was Italian Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, elected Pope John XXIII, in 1958. Roncalli was proclaimed a saint by Pope Francis in 2014. Other frequently used names ...