Servant of the servants of God ( la, servus servorum Dei) is one of the
titles of the
pope and is used at the beginning of
papal bulls.
History
Pope Gregory I (pope from 590 to 604) was the first pope to use this title extensively to refer to himself, as a lesson in humility for the Archbishop of Constantinople
John the Faster
John IV (died September 2, 595), also known as John Nesteutes (, Ioannes the Faster), was the 33rd bishop or Patriarch of Constantinople (April 11, 582 – 595). He was the first to assume the title ''Ecumenical Patriarch''. He is regarded as a ...
, who had been granted the title "
Ecumenical Patriarch" by the
Byzantine Emperor
This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as le ...
. Gregory is reported as having negatively reacted to the Patriarch's new title, claiming that "whoever calls himself universal bishop
he imprecise Latin translation of "Ecumenical Patriarch" or desires this title, is, by his pride, the precursor to the Antichrist."
[Letter of Pope Gregory I to John the Faster.]
References
Bibliography
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{{Papal symbols and rituals
Papal titles