Saint Gregory the Great

Pope St Gregory the Great (540-604 AD)

Very few Popes were ever called the ‘Great.’ Pope St John Paul is one of them, Pope St. Leo is another one, and then there is Pope St. Gregory. He was born in 540 AD from a very noble family. His father was Giordanus and his mother Silvia. His great-grandfather was Pope Felix III, and this was at a time when priests did not take a vow of celibacy. His family had a lot of property, mostly in Sicily. During his infancy, a plague devastated one-third of the Italian population. By the age of 33, Gregory had already become a prefect in Rome, a prominent role also occupied by his father. When his father died, Gregory left his Roman villa and went to live in a monastery, and lived a very strict lifestyle. Pope Pelagius chose Gregory as ambassador to Constantinople, and when he died, Gregory was chosen as Pope. But right away, he preferred to live a monastic life and wanted to be called ‘servant of God.’

He had a missionary spirit and sent many priests to evangelize, especially in England, and also encouraged deacons to help the poor. He implemented many reforms in the way the Mass is celebrated, some of which are still in use today. He also loved music and was very instrumental in introducing plain-chant, as well as Gregorian chant, which actually is named after him. He was known to distribute money from the Vatican riches and encouraged priests to help the poor. In fact, priests who helped the poor were rewarded with a salary and a gold coin as a bonus. He would invite some of the poor to eat with him on a daily basis. Pope Gregory was a prolific writer and made many liturgical reforms. Towards the end of his life, he suffered much from arthritis and died on March 12, 604. His feast-day was always celebrated on March 12, but since it always coincided with the Lenten season, the Vatican Council moved it to September 3. He is known as the patron saint of music, singers, scholars, and teachers. Both the Lutherans and the Anglicans also commemorate his feast-day today.