DEFENSOR FIDEI

defensor fidei (di-fen-s<<schwa>>r fI-dee-I), n.[Latin “defender of the faith”] Hist. A unique

title  of the sovereign  of England, first granted by  Pope  Leo X to Henry  VIII for writing against

Martin  Luther.  •  The  Pope  later  withdrew  the  title  because  of  Henry’s  harsh  regulation  of  the

church,  but  the  title  was  again  bestowed  on  the  King  by  Parliament.  The  term  is  similar  to  the

application of “Catholic” to the Spanish sovereign and “Most Christian” to the French sovereign.

— Also termed Defender of the Faith. [Blacks Law 8th]