Servant of the servants of God ( la, servus servorum Dei) is one of the

titles A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

of the

pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

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, who had been granted the title "

Ecumenical Patriarch The ecumenical patriarch ( el, Οἰκουμενικός Πατριάρχης, translit=Oikoumenikós Patriárchēs) is the archbishop of Constantinople (Istanbul), New Rome and ''primus inter pares'' (first among equals) among the heads of the ...

" 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

* * {{Papal symbols and rituals Papal titles