Why did past popes refer to themselves as "we"?
The short answer
The "royal we" is a custom borrowed from monarchy. Popes were traditionally regarded as monarchs and used some of a sovereign's protocols. As recent popes have set aside the outward trappings of monarchy, the "royal we" has become less common.
A royal custom
The plural "we" was borrowed from the protocols of monarchs. Since the pope was traditionally considered a monarch, he used some protocols proper to sovereigns.
Today
Recent popes have moved away from the outward trappings of monarchy, so the "royal we" is now less common in translations of papal texts.
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