Once a new pope is voted in, the name he chooses could signal the direction the Catholic Church moves in the coming years.

The announcement “Habemus Papa,” or, “We have a pope,” will be made from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. It will then be followed by the pontiff’s baptismal name in Latin, along with his chosen papal name and meaning.

Should the pope choose to go with Pope Francis II, it could signify continuity with the late pontiff’s pastoral legacy, though Francis himself quipped that whoever succeeds him would be John XXIV, named after the Vatican II-era pope.

In the 20th century, the most popular name for popes was Pius, and if chosen, that could signal that a traditionalist is taking back the throne of St. Peter.

Pope Francis releases a dove after a meeting with other religious leaders at the Pontifical Basilica of St Nicholas in Bari in the Apulia region in southern Italy on July 7, 2018. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images)

Benedict, who was elected in 2005, was chosen because he wanted to pay homage to Benedict XV, who led the Catholic Church during World War I and dedicated himself to healing the rifts of war.

John Paul chose his name, signaling a commitment to reforms, including the sidelining of the Latin Mass in favor of local languages and other faiths, most significantly Judaism.

But it is still a new pope’s choice to choose a name never used before.

“This would open a new season and could mean that his program is not in line with any of his predecessors, so an even more personalized program,” Regoli said.

Imperatori-Lee suggested another name that might signal a continuation of Francis’ legacy: Ignatius, for the founder of Francis’ Jesuit order.

“It would be interesting,” she said. “We’ve never had one of those.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.