Who was Saint Gregory?
Gregory was the Perfect of Rome before he was 30 years old. After five years in office he resigned, founded six monasteries on his Sicilian estate and became a Benedictine monk in his own home at Rome. Ordained a priest, he became one of the Pope’s seven deacons and also served six years in the east as the papal nuncio in Constantinople. He was recalled to become abbot at the age of 50 and was elected Pope by the clergy and people of Rome. He was direct and firm. He removed unworthy priests from office, forbade taking of money for many services, emptied the papal treasuryto ransom prisoners of the Lombards and to care for persecuted Jews and victims of plagues and famine. He was very concerned about the conversion of England, sending 40 monks from his own monastery. He is known for his reform of the liturgy and for strengthening respect for doctrine. Whether he was largely responsible for the reversion of “Gregorian” chant is disputed. An Anglican historian has written: “It is impossib
