In opposition to these high-sounding titles, Gregory called himself simply, “the servant of the servants of God.” This became one of the standing titles of the popes, although it sounds like irony when linked with later astounding claims. When a churchman addressed Gregory himself as “universal pope,” he strongly repudiated the title, saying: “I have said that neither to me nor to any one else ought you to write anything of the kind. Away with words which inflate pride and wound charity!”
