events

Mercurius becomes Pope John II, the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy.

Pope John II

Head of the Catholic Church from 533 to 535

Pope John II, born Mercurius, was the Bishop of Rome from 2 January 533 to his death on 8 May 535. As a priest at St. Clement's Basilica, he endowed that church with gifts and commissioned stone carvings for it. Mercurius became the first pope to adopt a new papal name upon his…
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Pope

Head of the Catholic Church

The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of state of the Papal States, and since 1929 of…
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January 2

Day of the year

January 2 is the second day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 363 days remain until the end of the year.
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