Saint Gregory I

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Saint Gregory I (Saint Gregory the Great), c.540-604, pope (590-604), a Roman; successor of Pelagius II. A Doctor of the Church, he was distinguished for his spiritual and temporal leadership. His feast is celebrated on Mar. 12.

Early Career

Gregory was born to a wealthy patrician family and at the age of 30 he was made prefect of Rome, Rome's highest civil office. He felt the call to monasticism, however, and converted (c.575) his home and others of his houses into Benedictine convents. Later (c.586), he reluctantly became abbot. In 578 he was made a deacon of Rome. From 579 to c.586 he was ambassador at Constantinople, then he served as chief adviser of Pelagius II. When commencing a missionary voyage to England, he was recalled to Rome and accomplished his aim only by sending St. Augustine of Canterbury (596) and a later mission (601). He was elected pope by acclamation, accepting against his will and despite chronic illness.

Papacy

The two chief features of Gregory's lasting work are the enforcement of the papal supremacy and the establishment of the temporal position of the pope. Gregory not only legislated minutely and carefully for his immediate charges, but he interfered when necessary outside Italy; e.g., he attacked Donatism in Africa and simony in Gaul. Most significantly, he refused to recognize ecumenical as a title of the patriarch of Constantinople, since that title was not consistent with the divine vicegerency of the pope.

The exarch of Ravenna, representative of the Byzantine emperor in the West, claimed secular jurisdiction over Rome, and Gregory acknowledged it de jure. However, the exarch, Romanus, did nothing to help the city when it was threatened by a Lombard attack in 592. Gregory, as bishop of Rome, took command and negotiated a peace. It was ignored by the exarch, and the Lombards resumed their attack on Rome. Since Romanus deferred making peace, Gregory began independent negotiations, a new affront to the imperial dignity and an extralegal act.

In his dealings with the Lombards and the exarch, Gregory showed that if the emperor would not defend the pope, the pope would defend himself and by doing so would make himself temporally independent. Thus he set a precedent that enabled the papacy to prevent the total destruction of Rome. Yet Gregory was the important exponent of the doctrine of divided powers: the emperor was God's vicar in things temporal, the pope in things spiritual.

Gregory's encouragement of monasticism was significant historically, and his insistence on clerical celibacy and the exemption of the clergy from trial in civil courts bore great fruit later. St. Gregory contributed to the development of the Gregorian chant or plainsong . He was succeeded by Sabinian.

Bibliography

Gregory's works included Moralia (tr. Morals on the Book of Job, 1844-50); Dialogues, lives of saints, including St. Benedict, a widely read work all through the Middle Ages; Liber pastoralis curae (various Eng. tr., Pastoral Care, Pastoral Charge, and Pastoral Rule); homilies on the Gospel; and many invaluable letters. The Gregorial Sacramentary, a revision of the Gelasian Sacramentary (see Gelasius I, Saint), and the Gregorian antiphonary are spurious. See also F. H. Dudden, Gregory the Great (2 vol., 1905; repr. 1967); E. C. Butler, Western Mysticism (3d ed. 1968).

Gregory I, St (c.540–604) ( Gregory the Great), Pope from 590. He was Prefect of Rome in 573. He then devoted his wealth to the relief of the poor and monastic foundations, entering one of the monasteries which he had founded. When he became Pope, Italy was in a bad way. He made a separate peace with the Lombards in 592–3, setting aside the authority of the Emperor's representative. He also undertook various initiatives in matters affecting the civil administration and military defence of Italy. He refused to recognize the title of ‘Oecumenical Patriarch’ adopted by the Patr. of Constantinople. One of the achievements of his pontificate was the mission to England, for which he selected St Augustine (later of Canterbury) with monks from his own monastery.

Gregory's Liber Regulae Pastoralis sets out directions for the pastoral life of a bishop. The Dialogues (traditionally and almost certainly correctly ascribed to him) relate the lives and miracles of Italian saints, including St Benedict. He also wrote commentaries on Job and other Books of the OT, and Homilies on the Gospels. 854 letters survive. His theology was dominated by the ideal of the contemplative life, and some of his stories about the fate of souls after death played a part in the development of the doctrine of purgatory. He promoted monasticism, made important changes in the liturgy, fostered the development of liturgical music, and gave the Roman ‘Schola Cantorum’ its definite form. His pontificate did much to establish the idea that the Papacy was the supreme authority in the Church. Feast day in the W., 3 Sept. (formerly 12 Mar., still observed in the E.).

Gregory I, St (or Gregory the Great) (540–604) Pope (590–604). When he became pope Italy was in a state of crisis, devastated by floods, famine, and Lombard invasions, and the position of the Church was threatened by the imperial power at Constantinople; it was owing to Gregory that many of these problems were overcome. He made a separate peace with the Lombards in 592–93, and (acting independently of the imperial authorities) appointed governors to the Italian cities, thus establishing the temporal power of the papacy. One of his greatest achievements was the conversion of England to Christianity, by St AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY. Throughout his papacy he effectively opposed the double assault on the Church from paganism and the ARIAN heresy. His interest in music led to developments in the plain chant which bears his name - the Gregorian Chant.

Gregory I, St ( Gregory the Great) (540–604), one of the greatest of the early popes (from 590), a reformer of monastic discipline and a prolific writer whose works include the Cura Pastoralis (see Alfred), the Dialogues, and famous collections of letters and sermons. He sent Augustine to England. The story that he delivered the emperor Trajan from Hell by his prayers is mentioned by Aquinas, by Dante, and by Langland.

Gregory I (the Great), Saint (540–604) Pope (590–604), one of the Fathers of the Church. Gregory devoted himself to alleviating poverty and hunger among the Romans. His reforms included changes in the Mass. He also initiated the conversion of the Lombards, sent Saint Augustine of Canterbury to convert the Anglo-Saxons, and encouraged monasticism. His feast day is March 12.