Church History · AD 590 to 604

Gregory the Great

Gregory I was a rich Roman official who became a monk and then, very much against his will, pope in 590. He fed the hungry of Rome, sent Augustine of Canterbury to England in 597, and gave his name to Gregorian chant.

Read it in the Bible: Matthew 28:19-20 Mark 10:44 1 Peter 5:2-3

Gregory the Great was pope from AD 590 to 604, and he is one of only a few popes history calls great. He took charge of Rome when the city was hit by plague, flood and war. He fed the poor, made peace with invaders, wrote books on how pastors should care for people, and sent the mission that brought the gospel to the English. Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans and many Protestants still honor him.

Who Was Gregory the Great?

Gregory was born around 540 into a wealthy Roman family. He was smart and well connected, and by his early thirties he was prefect of Rome, a bit like being the mayor. Then he walked away from it. He turned his family home into a monastery dedicated to Saint Andrew and became a monk. He later said those quiet years of prayer were the happiest of his life.

The church did not leave him alone for long. He was sent to Constantinople as the pope's ambassador for several years. When he came home, he hoped to settle back into monastery life. That hope did not last.

How Did Gregory Become Pope?

In 590 a plague swept through Rome and killed Pope Pelagius II. The clergy and people chose Gregory to replace him. Gregory did not want the job. Tradition says he even tried to slip out of the city to avoid it. He was brought back and made pope that September.

Rome was in rough shape. The old Western Empire had fallen, the emperor in Constantinople was far away, and the Lombards, a Germanic people, were pressing on the city. Gregory stepped into the gap. He organized food for the hungry from the church's farms, ransomed captives, and in 598 he worked out a peace with the Lombards. Without meaning to, he showed how much the pope could do when no one else would.

Why Did Gregory Send Missionaries to England?

The English historian Bede tells a famous story. Before he was pope, Gregory saw fair haired boys for sale in a Roman market. He asked who they were and was told they were Angles. He supposedly said they were not Angles but angels. It is a lovely line, and Bede passed it on as something he had heard, so we can enjoy it without being sure it happened just that way.

What is certain is that Gregory chose a monk named Augustine, not the famous Augustine of Hippo, and sent him with a team of about forty monks. They left in 596 and landed in Kent in 597. King Ethelbert, whose wife Bertha was already a Christian, welcomed them, and he was soon baptized. Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury, and every archbishop since sits in his line.

Gregory's advice to the missionaries was gentle for its time. He told them not to tear down every pagan temple but to turn them into churches, and to give people Christian feasts in place of the old ones. He wanted the gospel to take root, not just to win an argument.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19 to 20

Is Gregorian Chant Named After Gregory the Great?

Yes, the name points to him. Gregorian chant is the plain, flowing, unaccompanied singing of the Latin church. Medieval artists often drew Gregory with a dove at his ear, as if the Holy Spirit were singing the tunes to him.

Most music historians, though, think the chant as we know it took shape later, in the 700s and 800s, when Frankish and Roman church music blended together. Gregory did care about worship and is credited with organizing the liturgy, so his name stuck. So it is fair to say Gregorian chant is named for him, but he probably didn't write the songs.

What Did Gregory the Great Write?

Gregory was a busy pastor who still found time to write a lot. His best known works include:

The Pastoral Rule, a guide for bishops and pastors on how to care for different kinds of people. It was read by church leaders for centuries.
The Moralia on Job, a huge commentary on the Book of Job.
The Dialogues, stories of Italian saints, including the life of Benedict, which you can read about in the article on Benedict and the monasteries.
Hundreds of letters, which show him running a church, a charity and nearly a city at once.

He also popularized a title the popes still use today, servant of the servants of God. For a man running the most important church in the West, that was a pretty humble job description.

and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. Mark 10:44

What Is Gregory's Legacy?

Gregory died in 604. The Catholic Church counts him as one of the four great Latin doctors of the church, along with Ambrose, Jerome and Augustine. The Orthodox honor him too. His idea of the pope as the leading pastor of the West helped shape the papacy in the centuries that followed, for better and for debate, as later articles like the Great Schism will show.

Protestants usually disagree with parts of his theology, such as his teaching on purgatory. Even so, many admire his humility, his care for the poor, and his heart for missions. John Calvin, who was no fan of popes, quoted Gregory often and with real respect.

Why It Matters for You Today

Gregory never wanted power. He wanted to pray. But when people were hungry and scared, he got up and served. His life is a reminder that leadership in the kingdom of God looks like shepherding, not bossing.

Be shepherds of God's flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed, but out of eagerness; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 1 Peter 5:2 to 3

And if you are English speaking and a Christian, there is a decent chance your faith traces back, in some small way, to a reluctant pope who sent forty nervous monks across the sea.

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Questions People Ask

Why is Gregory called the Great?

Gregory I earned the title by leading Rome through plague, famine and war, feeding the poor, making peace with the Lombards, and sending missionaries to England. His writings on pastoral care shaped church leaders for centuries. He is one of only a few popes given the title.

Who did Gregory the Great send to England?

He sent a monk named Augustine, often called Augustine of Canterbury, with about forty monks. They landed in Kent in 597, King Ethelbert was baptized, and Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury.

Did Gregory the Great write Gregorian chant?

The chant is named after him, and he did help organize the worship of the Roman church. Most music historians believe the chant as we know it developed later, in the 700s and 800s, and was credited to him out of respect.

What is the Pastoral Rule?

The Pastoral Rule is Gregory's guide for bishops and pastors. It explains how a leader should live and how to speak differently to different kinds of people, such as the proud, the timid, the rich and the poor. It was widely read throughout the Middle Ages.

Sources

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