Who was the pope of Rome who said that the sons of David were changing the Creed?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-09

The pope who famously defended the Creed against changes and resisted the influence of the "sons of David"—a reference to the Frankish influence and the eventual adoption of the Filioque—was Pope Leo III of Rome (reigned 795–816 AD).

The Historical Context

At that time, the Franks (under Charlemagne, whom some referred to as a "new David") were pushing for the insertion of the Filioque clause ("and the Son") into the Creed. Pope Leo III, though a Western pope, initially resisted this innovation.

1. The Silver Shields: To prevent the Creed from being altered, Leo III had the original text of the Creed (without the Filioque) engraved on two silver shields in both Greek and Latin. He placed them at the tomb of St. Peter with the inscription: "I, Leo, put these here for the love and protection of the Orthodox faith."
2. Resistance to the Franks: He explicitly warned that the Creed should not be changed, even if the doctrine was being pushed by powerful political figures (the Carolingians/Franks).

The Coptic Perspective on the Creed

The Coptic Orthodox Church remains the true guardian of the Creed as it was formulated at Nicaea (325 AD) and Constantinople (381 AD). As mentioned in the records of the fathers, including the writings of St. Cyril of Alexandria, no one has the authority to add or subtract even a single word from this universal confession of faith.

The eventual adoption of the Filioque by the Roman Church is viewed by the Coptic Church as a heretical deviation. By adding "and the Son" regarding the procession of the Holy Spirit (ⲡⲓⲡⲛⲉⲩⲙⲁ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ), the Romans and later the Protestants changed the nature of the Trinity and violated the canons of the Ecumenical Councils.

The "sons of David" in this historical context refer to the Western rulers who sought to exert political authority over Church dogma, leading to the corruption of the Roman See and its eventual schism from the true Orthodox faith. We maintain that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone, as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself stated in the Gospel.