Why, in many papal documents, do pontiffs refer to themselves in the plural? As in “as we stated above,” “our pontificate,” etc. I know it is a papal custom but what is the reason behind it?
Primarily, it’s a custom of monarchy. If you look at historical documents issued by sovereigns, you’ll note the same use of the pronoun “we” to refer to the monarch. It is also seen in the prim expression popularly attributed to Queen Victoria, “We are not amused.” Traditionally, the pope has been considered a monarch and so has used some of the affectations appropriate to sovereigns. In recent years, as modern popes have moved away from using the outward trappings of monarchy, the royal “we” often has been dropped. John Paul II, for example, ordinarily used the personal pronoun “I.”
Although the primary rationale for the papal use of “we” as a personal pronoun is because of royal custom, some have also suggested a spiritual basis for the custom. Since the pope is the Vicar of Christ and the ultimate spokesman on earth for Christ (cf. Matt. 17:24-17), “we” can also refer to the pope and to Christ, for whom the pope speaks.
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