Welcome to the Pearl of Great Price, it’s the second of January and on this day in Christian History, we travel back to the first millennium and the year 553. Mercurius, a Roman priest from St Clements Basilica, became Pope John II, and was the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy.  When he was elected Pope he considered his birth name Mercurius – after the pagan God Mercury to be problematic.  As Christianity was still establishing itself as the official religion of the Roman Empire the church was attempting to distance itself from the idolatry and some of the practices of a pagan and polytheistic culture.  He decided to take John as his papal name in memory of his predecessor Pope John I who was considered a martyr as he had died in prison of neglect and ill-treatment......... contd