Gregory the Great

Background • Born c.540• Family was wealthy with many properties Rome &

Sicily • A family – renown for its piety and prominent in

ecclessiastical and secular society• His Great Great Grandfather was Pope Felix III(483-

92)• 3 Aunts entered Religious Life• Father, Gordianus – was an official of Roman Church • Mother, Silvia – is later made a saint

Education:• Well educated in “Rhetoric, Grammer,

Dialectic, wrote correct Latin but knew no Greek. Knew latin authors on Natural History, Mathematics, Music and Imperial Law”

• Has access to Jewish ideas, Christian tradition, and Philosophical writers such as Origen (one of the early church fathers).

• Grew up in turbulent times in Italy – most of Western Empire for previous 100 yrs under Germanic control;

What’s going on at this time?

• 542, 560 and 570’s Plague spread through the provinces;

• 543 Banks of Tiber burst – causing widespread flooding

• Rome a crumbling, decaying city• The Lombards are coming …End of the world

• With continuous wars, the Ancient Roman ruling senatorial class (Civil Administration) is gradually replaced by Military and Ecclessiatical powers.

• The Roman Church is becoming a public institution of the Empire – church and secular society had become interwoven.

Gregory’s Career• In 573 is appointed Prefect of the City – a

position whose functions had lapsed with the collapse of the senatorial class (originally to oversee & exercise judicial authority over senatorial order & roman guilds)

• Is not happy/uncomfortable in his role of being caught up in wordly affairs

• On the death of his Father, Gregory establishes monasteries on the family estates, and at Caelion Hill in Rome and enters the Monastery himself as a monk.

Envoy to Constantinople

• In 578/579 is sent as the Popes ambassador (apocrisiarius) to Constantinople to plead for assistance with fighting the Lombards who have been descending on Italy since 568 up the North of the country

• However the Emperor not too receptive – has his own problems to the East (persions) and North (Slavs)

• Gregory’s duties bring him into contact with imperial family, building networks – intermediaries; making friends, advisors at highest levels of society i.e. Leander Bishop of Seville; He is made god-father to Emperor Maurice’s eldest son.

Conflict in Constantinople

• Controversy between Gregory and the Patriarch of Constantinople (Eutychius) over an issue of dogma to do with the form which the body takes on resurrection; Gregory held that is physical; Eutychius’ more a spiritual resurrection. Debate taken before Tiberius II - ruled in favour of Gregory.

• In all, he spent 7 years in Constantinople – recalled to Rome in 585/586 and returned to his beloved life of contemplation and prayer.

Pope Gregory

• Pope Pelagius II dies of Plague in 590 • Gregory is elected Bishop of Rome – has all the

right connections, brilliant administrator…• But is not happy being dragged back into

“earthly cares” felt unequal to the task – is confirmed Pope by Emperor Maurice.

• Is made pope at chaotic time for the Roman church which is not united throughout Western Europe.

Problems facing new Pope• Spain & Visigoths (Arianism)• Schism of the 3 Chapters (Churches of N.Italy in

revolt) but they are protected by Lombards• Franks – seeks intervention/support from

Childebert II to stamp out Simony and abolish ordaining of unqualified laypersons to priesthood

• Conversion of Britain • Gregory’s Health – suffers ill health not helped by

years of fasting

Mission to Britain

• The anglo-saxon invasions of Britain had cut Britain off from the continent allowing Christianity

within Britain and Ireland to develop in its own way. The celtic church was not any different in orthodoxy but differences lay in practices (tonsure/baptism formulae/use of a different table to work out easter dates) the Celtic church also did not acknowledge the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome as ruler of the western church (Colgrave pages 2-3)

• • Gregory (and his advisros) do not appear to be aware of the extent to which Britain is already

Christianised – North of Britain and West. However, the English needed converting and the Frankish Bishops were neglecting the task.

• Legend of the Slave boys in the market – “Angli” (Bede “in the tradition of our fathers” (Chapt II, 1);

Life of Gregory (by an Anoymous Monk of Whitby, Colgrave, Chapt 9).

• Gregory had pleaded with Pope Benedict to go on a Mission to Britian, but was prevented by the roman populace. (This too is thought to be a legend – originating in Northumbria).

• As Pope he sends Augustine (and his monks) to Britain – via Gaul. • The monks are frightened by the time they reached Aix in Gaul they have heard stories about the

savagery of the English. Augustine returns to Rome – to plead for recall - but is sent back by Gregory.

• The mission arrives in Kent in 597 – is received by the King of the English - Aethelberht – on the Isle

of Thanet in the open air (to dispel any magic (Bede) - who is married to a Frankish princess who is Christian.

• The mission is given permission to proceed and are allowed to build just outside Canterbury and

allowed to build and restore churches. • Letters back/forth between Augustine and Gregory – to do with issues as they arise – some are

ecclesiastical revenues, forms of service, consecration regulations, baptismal and communion rules - Gregory is very patient and shows a great deal of flexibility in his responses.

• Letters from Gregory to Eulogies (Patriarch of Alexandria) reports on the success of this mission with 10,000 baptized.

Missionary Methods:

• Initially, Gregory was not above urging local kings to use coercion

to convert their citizens, making use of the hierarchial system use all avenues possible, the local landowners, officials, military commanders, minor chieftains/kings. He writes to Ethelberht urging him to hurry up conversions by coercion and by example.

• It appears that Gregory did not wish to use force and after “long consideration” finds himself doing a turn around advises that pagan shrines are not to be destroyed, only the idols contained within. He instructs that the shrines to be blessed and fitted with alters and relics. That the people would come to the places they are familiar with in other words, use what is already in place.

Images & Icons

• In response to an over-zealous incident whereby the Bishop of Marseilles (Serenus) had pictures broken up after seeing people adoring them – Gregory rebukes the Bishop as the purpose of the pictures is to inform a public through the pictures of events that they cannot themselves read about (illiterate). The pictures/images are not for adoration but are useful for forming ignorant minds.

• This turnaround or “pastoral flexibility” showed that Gregory was capable of changing the means to suit a particular situation. To Leander (Bishop of Seville) he wrote : “As long as there is unity in the faith, difference in custom is not prejudicial to the Holy Church”. To Augustine he wrote “But it is my wish that if you have found any customs in the Roman or Gaulish Church or any other church which may be more pleasing to Almighty God, you should make careful selectin of them “.

Monasticism

• Gregory was the first monk to become pope• Originating in the deserts of Egypt early 4th C – two forms the ascetic

hermit and the cenobitic lifestyle of monastic community.• Gregory held the life of contemplation in high regard • Influenced by Benedict of Nursia (d.545)(Regula Benedicti) – a codification

of all aspects of monastic life)- intended for use only in his own monastery at Monte Casssino.

• Another influence was Cassiodorus – also of wealthy background, and whose efforts linked monasticism with learning (Vivarium – copying/translations)

• Gregory encourage the wealthy to endow monasteries and convents• Brought cohesion to the monasteries through reform• Espoused the virtues of monastic life - Poverty, chastity, preserve peace,

pray.•

His writings…

• Moralia (35 books) collections of sermons – on exposition of the Book of Job• Regula Pastoralis – Pastoral Care (what kind of person should eb chosen to rule

the church; how they should conduct their life, etc how pastors should treat their flocks, to be flexible, adapt style and speech, mildness or severity according needs.

• Homilies on Gospels (2 vols) (40 Gospels for the Day)• Dialogues (4 Vols) (1st Vol. narratives related by Gregory to his friend Peter the

Deacon) (2nd Vol – Life of St. Benedict of Nursia (4th Visions of Afterlife – coming from apocalyptic literature)

• 22 homilies on Book of Ezekiel• Synodal Book (dealing with Church Problems)• Some 850 letters inclucing the letters answering Augustines questions (Bede)

(Libellus Responsionum) (Papla Scrinium – sophisticated body of clerks/clerics with own procedures and formulae for letters – language used – that the Emperor versus Kings (diplomacy)

Summary

• That Gregory was a product of his upbringing, his family, his education, his training – his environment is evident. Although he does appears to suffer from a deeply rooted roman ethnocentrism – that their world (rome) is the centre of the universe and all else is subordinate to rome ergo all other cultures are also subordinate to that of Rome. In spite of this, Gregory finds within himself the ability to realise that England is different and requires a different approach, here we see the flexibility which makes the new religion less threatening to the old which probably contributed to its success.

Sources used:

• 1) Gregory the Great and his World. Markus, R.A.

• 2) Consul of God. Richards• 3) Life of Gregory. By an Anonymous Monk of

Whitby. Trans by Colgrave