Pope St Gregory (the Great)

Born in Rome in 540AD, and grandson of Pope Felix II (483-492), Gregory held the papal office from 590 to 604AD, and earned the title “the Father of Medieval Papacy”.
He rose in civil service to become ‘Prefect of Rome’ at only 33 yrs in 573AD, which was the highest civil position in the city responsible for construction, sewers, and roads.
However, within a year of becoming Prefect, and after the death of his father, Gregory resigned and gave his wealth and energies to founding Monasteries: seven in Sicily, and one in Rome dedicated to St Andrew, which he later himself entered around 575AD. 

Having a reputation of achievement and a zeal for God, Pope Benedict in 577 ordained him as one of the ‘Seven Roman Deacons’, and two years later Pope Pelagius II sent him as his delegate to Constantinople to recruit help against the Lombard threat who were at the time invading northern Italy. 

In 590, the ‘Plague of Justinian’ was dissipating Rome. It had previously destroyed 40% of Constantinople’s population and had claimed approximately 25 million people since its outbreak in 542. It was the first known pandemic documented. During the course of the plague, not only did Pope Pelagius die, it also claimed the life of the Roman Emperor. It eventually subsided in 594. After running away and hiding in a forest complaining he was too weak with sorrow to talk, Gregory was forced back to Rome on 3 September 1590 to accept the Papal Office as Apostle Peter’s successor. He was to continue his family’s legacy (which had previously produced two earlier pontiffs) and lead the Roman Church. 

Gregory’s service could be split into two categories.

1. His impact on the Empire
2. The impact of his doctrines upon the Medieval Church. 

1. Gregory’s rule began with seven processions of prayer for seven days down the main streets of Rome as an intercessory attempt to combat the Plague, which brought no relief.
Meanwhile, the Lombards had invaded northern Italy plundering, burning churches, and killing bishops. Since Rome had found no support from Constantinople, Gregory in 594 appointed a military governor who negotiated with the Lombards directly. He successfully prevented an invasion by agreeing to pay a yearly tribute. 

Through Gregory’s able administrative abilities, he resurrected the Roman Civil Administration. While the Imperial authority and its administrative abilities were in turmoil, he provided for the poor through taxing the vast estates owned by the Church (some 1800 sq. miles in the south of Italy). The Papacy, largely through necessity, had now assumed and established itself in the Italian political leadership. As a result Gregory cemented himself as the common peoples’ legislator, both spiritually and politically. He became in a sense known as “God’s consul”.  

Pope Gregory’s reign therefore, cemented the Papal office as both an influential spiritual and political figure. It ruled the administration and legislation concerning scandals and controversies both within and without the Church.

Gregory regained Rome’s primacy over the Patriarch of Constantinople and even threatened the Patriarch (John IV) with excommunication for claiming the title of “Universal Bishop”, saying "it was blasphemous and proud for any leader to assume such titles".
When colleagues addressed Gregory as “Universal Pope” he rebuked them saying “I have said that neither to me or to anyone else out you to write anything of the kind; away with words that inflate pride and wound charity”.
On the other hand, while he protested high sounding titles, Gregory took every opportunity to exercise power and oversight concerning the affairs of the entire Church. 

In 597 Gregory sent Augustine of Canterbury (and 40 accompanying monks) to evangelise England. They were successful in their mission and dedicated two churches they built after St Paul and St Stephen, being named in recognition of the ‘relics’ claimed to be those of Paul and Stephen Gregory had sent to them (relics are remains of body parts of saints that Catholicism claimed to possess supernatural power). The impact of this mission created an enduring sense of loyalty to the Papacy among the early English Church.

By sending handpicked bishops and missionaries he also gained control over the churches of Gaul, Spain, Belgium and Africa in similar fashion. 

 2. The influence of Gregory’s doctrines upon the Papacy and Medieval Church. 

With Gregory, monasticism for the first time ascended the papal throne. Much of his beliefs, doctrines and humility stemmed from his monastic experience. (photo: Cluanic Monastery)
He subsequently set forth principles for Christian ministry in his writing ‘Pastoral Rule’.

It was said Gregory was not an individual thinker, but followed the theologies of those gone before like Augustine of Hippo. Out of these influences he formulated the common faith of the day and handed them on to the Church of the Middle Ages.
Sadly, much of this included the existing superstitious and sometimes pagan philosophies of the illiterate populace.
He described himself as “a servant of the servants of God”. Others described him as being a humble man. However, perhaps his perceived humility was an outward manifestation of his monastic ascetism and submission. Thus, it is likely that out of the abundance of these experiences, his doctrines were formulated.
It was Gregory that first claimed Church tradition equaled the authority of the Bible. This endured until Pope Pius XII in 1950 announced the “Church traditions were to be of greater importance than scripture itself”.
Gregory’s promotion of Augustine’s dogma, and his own unscriptural sacramental beliefs became the basis for subsequent Popes and Roman Catholic Church tenets. 

They included:

1. Penance. If a man sins after baptism, he must make atonement by penance, or make punishment of himself for the sin. This must be accompanied by good works (meritorious works). Penance being proportionate to the sin determined by the priest. Forgiveness therefore, became conditional upon penance of human effort (works) rather than faith in the completed propitiational work of Jesus Christ. 

2. Meritorious Works. Had to be performed by the repentant sinner in order to win merit for grace. This occurred, according to Gregory, as a result of divine grace and human will in co-operation. Such works included ascetic practices, alms giving, and long duration of prayers. 

3. Intercession of the Saints. - Praying to the dead saints. People were encouraged to pray to past saints seeking supernatural assistance for their guilt and need. It was claimed this assisted their prayers through to Gods ‘hearing’ (a type of Greek pagan idolatry).

4. Cult of relics. The collection and veneration of remains of past holy men. It was claimed they possessed great power including protection from evil (good luck charms). 

5. Purgatory. A place where saints go (not the unbelievers), who were still not altogether righteous. They were to pay penance for a season to become righteous so they could enter heaven. This stemmed from Gregory’s mis-interpretation of 1Cor 3:13-14, (the fire will test every mans work) 

6. Sacrificial nature of Communion. (Transubstantiation). This claims the real (physical) presence of the flesh and blood of Christ. The substance, or inner reality, of the bread and wine are changed into the literal substance of the body and blood of Christ at the moment of the Priests blessing.
The partaking of such was claimed to forward grace and lesson the time necessary for penance. 

7. Masses for the dead. Ceremonies of sacrificial communion could also be offered for the dead suffering in purgatory. It was through a supernatural experience of a brother of one of Gregory’s friends that inspired Gregory to formulate this doctrine. A doctrine still accepted in the Catholic Church today.  

These dogmas eventually received a rational and legal basis as ‘Church law’ (Canon Law) late in the 13th century, which lasted until the 20th Century when they were again revised at Vatican II.
Not long after his death in 604, churches began to speak of him as “Gregory the Great”.
In time, the Roman Catholic Church added Gregory’s name to those of Augustine, Ambrose and Jerome as one of the “Latin Church Fathers”.