It is scriptural ... yes, discerning what name to give a child should begin with God. Consider this. God Himself gave Adam his name; Adam named Eve and all of the living things; the angel revealed the name of Jesus to both Mary and Joseph. And each of these names had a meaning and a purpose. As the angel told Saint Joseph, "You shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins."
So names are not something to take lightly, and the Church acknowledges this. As Paragraph 2165 of the current Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
In Baptism, the Christian receives his name in the Church. Parents, godparents, and the pastor are to see that he be given a Christian name. The patron saint provides a model of charity and the assurance of his prayer.
That final sentence is very important. For Catholics, naming our children after saints isn't an arbitrary rule but an acknowledgment that we truly believe in the communion of saints. Thus, when we choose a Christian name for our child, we should have a particular saint in mind. Is Catherine named after Saint Catherine of Siena or Saint Catherine of Alexandria? Is Francis named after Saint Francis of Assisi or St. Francis Xavier?
As Christians, we never walk through this life alone, but in communion with all the saints. And that reality should be reflected in the names we give to our children.
Well, no angels whispered my son’s name in my ear so I chose it myself. Paragraph 2165 is not from the Bible, it is from a work written by man. I’m not as well read in the Bible as some, but I don’t remember a St. Catherine either. Seriously, there are many more issues that the pope could worry about right now.
“God Himself gave Adam his name”
And therein lies the rub. We are not God.
you can start with FULTON Sheen....why on earth did he legally change his birth name to his mother’s maiden name?