Pope Gregory I
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| He is also known as '''Gregory the Dialogist''' in [[Eastern Orthodoxy]] because of his ''Dialogues''. For this reason, English translations of Orthodox texts will sometimes list him as "Gregory Dialogus". He was the first of the popes to come from a [[monastic]] background. Gregory is a [[Doctor of the Church]] and one of the six [[Latin Fathers]]. He is considered a [[saint]] in the [[Roman Catholic Church]] and the [[Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox Church]]. Immediately after his death, Gregory was canonized by popular acclaim. [[John Calvin]] admired Gregory and declared in his [[Institutes of the Christian Religion|Institutes]], that Gregory was the last good pope. He is the patron saint of musicians, singers, students, and teachers. | He is also known as '''Gregory the Dialogist''' in [[Eastern Orthodoxy]] because of his ''Dialogues''. For this reason, English translations of Orthodox texts will sometimes list him as "Gregory Dialogus". He was the first of the popes to come from a [[monastic]] background. Gregory is a [[Doctor of the Church]] and one of the six [[Latin Fathers]]. He is considered a [[saint]] in the [[Roman Catholic Church]] and the [[Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox Church]]. Immediately after his death, Gregory was canonized by popular acclaim. [[John Calvin]] admired Gregory and declared in his [[Institutes of the Christian Religion|Institutes]], that Gregory was the last good pope. He is the patron saint of musicians, singers, students, and teachers. | ||
| + | ==Sermon on Mary Magdalene== | ||
| + | In a [[sermon]] whose text is given in ''[[Patrologia Latina]]'', Gregory stated that he believed "that the woman Luke called a sinner and John called Mary was the Mary out of whom Mark declared that seven demons were cast" (''Hanc vero quam Lucas peccatricem mulierem, Joannes Mariam nominat, illam esse Mariam credimus de qua Marcus septem damonia ejecta fuisse testatur''), thus identifying the sinner of Luke 7:37, the Mary of John 11:2 and 12:3 (the sister of [[Lazarus]] and [[Martha of Bethany]]), and [[Mary Magdalene]], from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons. | ||
| - | ==Early life== | + | While most Western writers shared this view, it was not seen as a Church teaching, but as an opinion, the pros and cons of which were discussed. With the liturgical changes made in 1969, there is no longer mention of Mary Magdalene as a sinner in Roman Catholic liturgical materials. |
| - | The exact date of St. Gregory's birth is uncertain, but is usually estimated to be around the year<ref>Richards, Jeffrey (1980). Consul of God. London: Routelege & Keatland Paul.</ref> 540,<ref>Gregory mentions in Dialogue 3.2 that he was alive when [[Totila]] attempted to murder Carbonius, Bishop of [[Populonia]], probably in 546. In a letter of 598 (''Register'', Book 9, Letter 1) he rebukes Bishop Januarius of [[Cagliari]], [[Sardinia]], excusing himself for not observing 1 Timothy 5.1, which cautions against rebuking elders. 5.9 defines elderly women to be 60 and over, which may apply to everyone. Gregory appears not to consider himself an elder, limiting his birth to no earlier than 539, but 540 is the typical selection. Dudden (1905), page 3, notes 1–3.</ref> in the city of [[Rome]]. His parents named him ''Gregorius'', which according to [[Ælfric of Abingdon|Aelfric]] in ''An Homily on the Birth-Day of S. Gregory,'' "... is a Greek Name, which signifies in the Latin Tongue ''Vigilantius'', that is in English, Watchful...."<ref>{{cite book|author=Aelfric|authorlink=Ælfric of Abingdon|coauthors=[[Elizabeth Elstob]] (translator); William Elstob|title=An English-Saxon Homily on the Birth-day of St. Gregory: Anciently Used in the English-Saxon Church, Giving an Account of the Conversion of the English from Paganism to Christianity | + | |
| - | |publisher=W. Bowyer|location=London|year=1709|pages=4}}</ref> The medieval writers who give this etymology<ref>Elizabeth goes on to state that "[[Paul the Deacon|Paulus Diaconus]], who first writ the life of St. Gregory, and is followed by all the after Writers on that subject, observes that 'ex Greco eloquio in nostra lingua ... vigilator, seu vigilans sonat." However, Paul the deacon is too late for the first ''vita'', or life.</ref> do not hesitate to apply it to the life of Gregory. Aelfric, for example, goes on: "He was very diligent in God's Commandments."<ref>The name is Biblical, derived from [[New Testament]] contexts: grēgorein is a present, continuous aspect, meaning to be watchful of forsaking Christ. It is derived from a more ancient perfect, egrēgora, "roused from sleep", of egeirein, "to awaken someone." {{cite book|first=Joseph Henry|last=Thayer|title=Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament being Grimm's Wilke's Clavis Novi Testamenti Translated Revised and Enlarged|publisher=Zondervan Publishing House|location=Grand Rapids, Michigan|year=1962}}</ref> | + | |
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| - | When Gregory was a child, [[Italy]] was retaken from the [[Goths]] by [[Justinian I]], emperor of the [[Byzantine Empire|Roman Empire]] ruling from [[Constantinople]]. The [[Justinian I#War in Italy, second phase, 541-552|war]] was over by 552. An invasion of the [[Franks]] was defeated in 554. The [[Western Roman Empire]] had long since vanished in favor of the Gothic kings of Italy. After 554 there was peace in Italy and the appearance of restoration, except that the government now resided in [[Constantinople]]. Italy was still united into one country, "Rome" and still shared a common official language, the very last of classical [[Latin language|Latin]]. | + | |
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| - | From 542 the so-called [[Plague of Justinian]] swept through the provinces of the empire, including Italy. The plague caused famine, panic, and sometimes rioting. In some parts of the country, over 1/3 of the population was wiped out or destroyed. This had heavy spiritual and emotional effects on the people of the Empire.<ref>Markus pg 4-5</ref> | + | |
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| - | As the fighting had been mainly in the north, the young Gregorius probably saw little of it. [[Totila]] sacked and vacated Rome in 547, destroying most of its ancient population, but in 549 he invited those who were still alive to return to the empty and ruinous streets. It has been hypothesized that young Gregory and his parents, Gordianus and Silvia, retired during that intermission to Gordianus' Sicilian estates, to return in 549.<ref>Dudden (1905), pages 36–37.</ref> | + | |
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| - | Gregory had been born into a wealthy noble Roman family with close connections to the church. The Lives in Latin use ''nobilis'' but they do not specify from what historical layer the term derives or identify the family. No connection to [[Patrician (ancient Rome)|patrician]] families of the [[Roman Republic]] has been demonstrated.<ref name=Dud4>Dudden (1905), page 4.</ref> Gregory's great-great-grandfather had been [[Pope Felix III]],<ref>Whether III or IV depends on whether [[Antipope Felix II]] is to be considered pope.</ref> but that pope was the nominee of the Gothic king, [[Theodoric the Great|Theodoric]].<ref name=Dud4/> Gregory's election to the throne of St Peter made his family the most distinguished clerical dynasty of the period.<ref>Richards</ref> | + | |
| - | The family owned and resided in a ''[[Roman villa|villa suburbana]]'' on the [[Caelian Hill]], fronting the same street, now the Via di San Gregorio, as the former palaces of the Roman emperors on the [[Palatine Hill]] opposite. The north of the street runs into the [[Colosseum]]; the south, the [[Circus Maximus]]. In Gregory's day the ancient buildings were in ruins and were privately owned.<ref>Dudden (1905), pages 11–15.</ref> Villas covered the area. Gregory's family also owned working estates in [[Sicily]]<ref>Dudden (1905), pages 106–107.</ref> and around Rome.<ref>Richards (1980), page 25.</ref> | + | |
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| - | Gregory's father, Gordianus, held the position of ''Regionarius'' in the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Church]]. Nothing further is known about the position. Gregory's mother, Silvia, was well-born and had a married sister, Pateria, in [[Sicily]]. Gregory later had portraits done in fresco in their former home on the Caelian and these were described 300 years later by [[John, deacon of Rome|John the Deacon]]. Gordianus was tall with a long face and light eyes. He wore a beard. Silvia was tall, had a round face, blue eyes and a cheerful look. They had another son whose name and fate are unknown.<ref>Dudden (1905), pages 7–8.</ref> | + | |
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| - | The monks of St. Andrew's (the ancestral home on the Caelian) had a portrait of Gregory made after his death, which John the Deacon also saw in the 9th century. He reports the picture of a man who was "rather bald" and had a "tawny" beard like his father's and a face that was intermediate in shape between his mother's and father's. The hair that he had on the sides was long and carefully curled. His nose was "thin and straight" and "slightly aquiline." "His forehead was high." He had thick, "subdivided" lips and a chin "of a comely prominence" and "beautiful hands."<ref>Richards (1980), page 44.</ref> | + | |
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| - | Gregory was well educated with [[Gregory of Tours]] reporting that "in grammar, dialectic and rhetoric ... he was second to none...."<ref name=rich26>Richards (1980), page 26.</ref> He wrote correct Latin but did not read or write Greek. He knew Latin authors, natural science, history, mathematics and music and had such a "fluency with imperial law" that he may have trained in law, it has been suggested, "as a preparation for a career in public life."<ref name=rich26/> | + | |
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| - | While his father lived, Gregory took part in Roman political life and at one point was [[Praefectus urbi|Prefect of the City]]. | + | |
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| - | In the modern era, Gregory is often depicted as a man at the border, poised between the Roman and Germanic worlds, between East and West, and above all, perhaps, between the ancient and medieval epochs.<ref>Leyser pg 132</ref> | + | |
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| - | ==Monastic years== | + | |
| - | “Gregory had a deep respect for the monastic life. He viewed being a monk as the 'ardent quest for the vision of our Creator.<ref>Markus- pg 69</ref> 'His three paternal aunts that were nuns renowned for their sanctity. However, after the two eldest passed away after seeing a vision of their ancestor Pope Felix, the youngest soon abandoned the religious life and married the steward of her estate. Gregory's response to this family scandal was “many are called but few are chosen."<ref>Consul of God, Richards. Pg 26</ref> Gregory's father's three sisters were [[nuns]]. Gregory's mother [[Saint Silvia|Silvia]] herself is a [[saint]]. On his father's death, he converted his family ''[[Roman villa|villa suburbana]]'', located on the [[Caelian Hill]] just opposite the [[Circus Maximus]], into a [[monastery]] dedicated to the [[Twelve apostles|apostle]] [[Saint Andrew]]. After his death it was rededicated as [[San Gregorio Magno al Celio]]. | + | |
| - | In his life of contemplation, Gregory concluded that “in that silence of the heart, while we keep watch within through contemplation, we are as if asleep to all things that are without." <ref>Cavadini pg 155</ref> | + | |
| - | Gregory was not always forgiving, or pleasant for that matter, even in his monastic years. For example, a monk lying on his death bed confessed to stealing three gold pieces. Gregory forced the monk to die friendless and alone, then threw his body and coins on a manure heap to rot with a curse, “Take your money with you to perdition”. Gregory believed that punishment of sins can begin, even on one's deathbed.<ref>Straw pg 47</ref> Eventually, [[Pope Pelagius II]] ordained him a [[deacon]] and solicited his help in trying to heal the [[Schism (religion)|schism]] of the [[Three Chapters]] in [[northern Italy]].However, Italy was not healed until well after Gregory was gone.<ref>Gregory the great and his world pg 3</ref> | + | |
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| - | ==''Apokrisiariat'' (579–585)== | + | |
| - | In 579, Pelagius II chose Gregory as his ''[[apocrisiarius]]'' (ambassador to the imperial court in [[Constantinople]]).<ref>Ekonomou, 2007, p. 8.</ref> Gregory was part of the Roman delegation (both lay and clerical) that arrived in Constantinople in 578 to ask the emperor for military aid against the [[Lombards]].<ref name="e9">Ekonomou, 2007, p. 9.</ref> With the Byzantine military focused on the East, these entreats proved unsuccessful; in 584, Pelagius II wrote to Gregory as ''apocrisiarius'', detailing the hardships that Rome was experiencing under the Lombards and asking him to ask [[Emperor Maurice]] to send a relief force.<ref name="e9"/> Maurice, however, had long ago determined to limit his efforts against the Lombards to intrigue and diplomacy, pitting the [[Franks]] against them.<ref name="e9"/> It soon became obvious to Gregory that the Byzantine emperors were unlikely to send such a force, given their more immediate difficulties with the Persians in the East and the [[Avars]] and [[Slavs]] to the North.<ref name="e10">Ekonomou, 2007, p. 10.</ref> | + | |
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| - | According to Ekonomou, "if Gregory's principle task was to plead Rome's cause before the emperor, there seems to have been little left for him to do once imperial policy toward Italy became evident. Papal representatives who pressed their claims with excessive vigor could quickly become a nuisance and find themselves excluded from the imperial presence altogether".<ref name="e10"/> Gregory had already drawn an imperial rebuke for his lengthy canonical writings on the subject of the legitimacy of [[John III Scholasticus]], who had occupied the Patriarchate of Constantinople for twelve years prior to the return of [[Patriarch Eutychius of Constantinople|Eutychius]] (who had been driven out by Justinian).<ref name="e10"/> Gregory turned himself to cultivating connections with the Byzantine elite of the city, where he became extremely popular with the city's upper class, "especially aristocratic women".<ref name="e10"/> Ekonomou surmises that "while Gregory may have become spiritual father to a large and important segment of Constantinople's aristocracy, this relationship did not significantly advance the interests of Rome before the emperor".<ref name="e10"/> Although the writings of John the Deacon claim that Greogry "labored diligently for the relief of Italy", there is no evidence that his tenure accomplished much towards any of the objectives of Pelagius II.<ref>Ekonomou, 2007, pp. 10–11.</ref> | + | |
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| - | Gregory's theological disputes with Patriarch Eutychius would leave a "bitter taste for the theological speculation of the East" with Gregory that continued to influence him well into his papacy.<ref name="e11">Ekonomou, 2007, p. 11.</ref> According to Western sources, Gregory's very public debate with Eutychian culminated in an exchange before Tiberius II where Gregory cited a biblical passage ("''Palpate et videte, quia spiritus carnem et ossa non habet, sicut me videtis habere''") in support of the view that Christ was corporeal and palpable after his Resurrection; allegedly as a result of this exchange, Tiberius II ordered Eutychian's writings burned.<ref name="e11"/> Ekonomou views this argument, though exaggerated in Western sources, as Gregory's "one achievement of an otherwise fruitless ''apokrisiariat''".<ref name="e12">Ekonomou, 2007, p. 12.</ref> In reality, Gregory was forced to rely on Scripture because he could not read the untranslated Greek authoritative works.<ref name="e12"/> | + | |
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| - | Gregory left Constantinople for Rome in 585, returning to his monastery on the [[Caelian Hill]].<ref name="e13">Ekonomou, 2007, p. 13.</ref> Gregory was elected by [[acclamation]] to succeed Pelagius II in 590, when the latter died of the [[Plague (disease)|plague]] spreading through the city.<ref name="e13"/> Gregory was approved by an Imperial ''[[iussio]]'' from Constantinople the following September (as was the norm during the [[Byzantine Papacy]]).<ref name="e13"/> | + | |
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| - | ==Missions== | + | |
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| - | Amid all his burdens and anxieties, it seems that the Pope had never forgotten the British slaves whom he had once seen in the Roman Forum.<ref>Dudden pg 99</ref> | + | |
| - | Pope Gregory had strong convictions on missions. "Almighty God places good men in authority that He may impart through them the gifts of His mercy to their subjects. And this we find to be the case with the British over whom you have been appointed to rule, that through the blessings bestowed on you the blessings of heaven might be bestowed on your people also.”<ref>Dudden pg 124</ref> | + | |
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| - | ==Papacy (590–604)== | + | |
| - | Although Gregory was resolved to retire into the monastic lifestyle of contemplation, he was unwillingly forced back into a world that, although he loved, he no longer wanted to be a part of.<ref>Straw pg 25</ref> In texts of all genres, especially those produced in his first year as pope, Gregory bemoaned the burden of office and mourned the loss of the undisturbed life of | + | |
| - | prayer he had once enjoyed as monk.<ref>Cavadini pg 39</ref> | + | |
| - | When he became Pope in 590, among his first acts was writing a series of letters disavowing any ambition to the throne of Peter and praising the contemplative life of the monks. At that time, for various reasons, the [[Holy See]] had not exerted effective leadership in the West since the pontificate of [[Pope Gelasius I|Gelasius I]]. The episcopacy in [[Gaul]] was drawn from the great territorial families, and identified with them: the parochial horizon of Gregory's contemporary, [[Gregory of Tours]], may be considered typical; in [[Visigoths|Visigothic]] [[Spain]] the [[bishop]]s had little contact with Rome; in [[Italy]] the territories which had ''de facto'' fallen under the administration of the papacy were beset by the violent [[Lombards|Lombard]] dukes and the rivalry of the Jews in the [[Exarchate of Ravenna]] and in the south. | + | |
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| - | Gregory is credited with re-energizing the Church's missionary work among the barbarian peoples of northern Europe. He is most famous for sending a mission, often called the [[Gregorian mission]], under [[Augustine of Canterbury]], prior of Saint Andrew's, where he had perhaps succeeded Gregory, to evangelize the pagan [[Anglo-Saxons]] of England. The mission was successful, and it was from England that missionaries later set out for the Netherlands and Germany. The preaching of the true Catholic faith and the | + | |
| - | elimination of all deviations from it was a key element in Gregory's worldview, and it constituted one of the major continuing policies of his pontificate.<ref name="Richards pg 228">Richards pg 228</ref> | + | |
| - | ===''Servus servorum Dei''=== | + | |
| - | [[Image:Francisco de Zurbarán 040.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Pope Gregory I, by [[Francisco de Zurbarán]].]] | + | |
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| - | In line with his predecessors such as [[Pope Dionysius|Dionysius]], [[Pope Damasus I|Damasus]], and [[Leo the Great|St. Leo the Great]], St. Gregory reasserted the [[Papal primacy|primacy]] of the office of the [[Bishop of Rome]]. Although calling the bishop of Rome the "Pope" was not yet a widespread custom, he summed up the responsibilities of the papacy in his official appellation, as "servant of the servants of God". As [[Benedict of Nursia]] had justified the absolute authority of the [[abbot]] over the souls in his charge, so Gregory expressed the [[hieratic]] principle that he was responsible directly to [[God]] for his [[Christian ministry|ministry]]. | + | |
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| - | St. Gregory's pontificate saw the development of the notion of private [[penance]] as parallel to the institution of public penance. He explicitly referred to the ancient Christian doctrine of [[Purgatory]], where a [[soul]] destined to undergo purification after death because of certain sins, could begin its purification in this earthly life, through God-graced [[Divine grace|good works]], [[Vow of obedience|obedience]] and Christian conduct, making the travails to come lighter and shorter. | + | |
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| - | St. Gregory's relations with the Emperor in the East were a cautious diplomatic stand-off. He concentrated his energies in the West, where many of his letters are concerned with the management of papal estates. His relations with the [[Merovingian]] kings, encapsulated in his deferential correspondence with [[Childebert II]], laid the foundations for the papal alliance with the [[Franks]] that would transform the Germanic kingship into an agency for the Christianization of the heart of Europe—consequences that remained in the future. | + | |
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| - | More immediately, Gregory undertook the conversion of the [[Heptarchy|Anglo-Saxon kingdoms]], where inaction might have encouraged the Celtic missionaries already active in the north of Britain. Sending Augustine of Canterbury to convert the [[Kingdom of Kent]] was prepared by the marriage of the king to a Merovingian princess who had brought her [[chaplain]]s with her. By the time of Gregory's death, the conversion of the king and the Kentish nobles and the establishment of a Christian toehold at [[Canterbury]] were established. | + | |
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| - | St. Gregory's chief acts as Pope include his long letter issued in the matter of the [[schism of the Three Chapters]] of the bishops of [[Venetia (region)|Venetia]] and [[Istria]]. He is also known in the East as a tireless worker for communication and understanding between East and West. He is also credited with increasing the power of the papacy. | + | |
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| - | According to the ''[[Catholic Encyclopedia]]'', he was [[canonization|declared a saint]] immediately after his death by "popular acclamation". | + | |
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| - | ==Works== | + | |
| - | ===Liturgical reforms=== | + | |
| - | [[Image:Jerome and Gregory.jpg|200px|thumb|right|[[Jerome]] and Gregory.]] | + | |
| - | In letters, St. Gregory remarks that he moved the ''[[Pater Noster]]'' (Our Father) to immediately after the [[Roman Canon]] and immediately before the [[Fraction (religion)|Fraction]]. This position is still maintained today in the Roman Liturgy. The pre-Gregorian position is evident in the [[Ambrosian Rite]]. Gregory added material to the ''[[Roman Canon#Hanc Igitur|Hanc Igitur]]'' of the Roman Canon and established the nine ''[[Kyrie]]s'' (a vestigial remnant of the [[litany]] which was originally at that place) at the beginning of [[Mass]]. He also reduced the role of deacons in the Roman Liturgy. | + | |
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| - | [[Sacramentary|Sacramentaries]] directly influenced by Gregorian reforms are referred to as ''Sacrementaria Gregoriana''. With the appearance of these sacramentaries, the [[Latin liturgical rites|Western liturgy]] begins to show a characteristic that distinguishes it from Eastern liturgical traditions. In contrast to the mostly invariable Eastern liturgical texts, Roman and other Western liturgies since this era have a number of prayers that change to reflect the feast or liturgical season; These variations are visible in the [[collect]]s and [[preface]]s as well as in the Roman Canon itself. | + | |
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| - | A system of writing down reminders of chant melodies was probably devised by monks around 800 to aid in unifying the church service throughout the Frankish empire. [[Charlemagne]] brought [[Cantor (church)|cantors]] from the Papal chapel in Rome to instruct his clerics in the “authentic” liturgy. A program of [[propaganda]] spread the idea that the chant used in Rome came directly from Gregory the Great, who had died two centuries earlier and was universally venerated. Pictures were made to depict the dove of the Holy Spirit perched on Gregory's shoulder, singing God's authentic form of chant into his ear. This gave rise to calling the music "[[Gregorian chant]]". Gregorian chanting is a type of [[plainsong]] or plainchant. | + | |
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| - | Sometimes the establishment of the [[Gregorian Calendar]] is erroneously attributed to Gregory the Great; however, that calendar was actually instituted by [[Pope Gregory XIII]] in 1582 by way of a [[papal bull]] entitled, ''[[Inter gravissimas]]''. | + | |
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| - | In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], Gregory is credited with compiling the [[Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts]]. This liturgy is celebrated on Wednesdays, Fridays, and certain other weekdays during [[Great Lent]] in the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] and those [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] which follow the [[Byzantine Rite]]. | + | |
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| - | Gregory wrote over 850 letters in the last 13 years of his life (590–604) that give us an accurate picture of his work.<ref>R.A. Markus “Gregory the Great and his world” pg I</ref> A truly autobiographical presentation is nearly impossible for Gregory. The development of his mind and personality remains purely speculative in nature.<ref>Gregory the great and his world. pg. 2</ref> | + | |
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| - | ===Writings=== | + | |
| - | Gregory is commonly accredited with founding the medieval papacy and so many attribute the beginning of medieval spirituality to him<ref>Straw pg 4</ref> | + | |
| - | [[Image:Beowig1.gif|thumb|200px|Illumination in a [[twelfth century]] [[manuscript]] of a letter of Gregory's to [[Saint Leander]], [[Seville|bishop of Seville]] (Bibl. Municipale, MS 2, [[Dijon]]).]] | + | |
| - | Gregory is the only Pope between the fifth and the eleventh centuries whose correspondence and writings have survived enough to form a comprehensive ''corpus''. Some of his writings are: | + | |
| - | *[[Sermons]] (forty on the [[Gospel]]s are recognized as authentic, twenty-two on [[Ezekiel]], two on the ''[[Song of Songs]]'') | + | |
| - | *''Dialogues'', a collection of miracles, signs, wonders, and healings including the popular life of [[Benedict of Nursia|Saint Benedict]] | + | |
| - | *''[[Commentary on Job]]'', frequently known even in English-language histories by its Latin title, ''Magna Moralia'' | + | |
| - | *''[[Pastoral Care|The Rule for Pastors]]'', in which he contrasted the role of bishops as pastors of their flock with their position as nobles of the church: the definitive statement of the nature of the episcopal office | + | |
| - | *Copies of some 854 letters have survived, out of an unknown original number recorded in Gregory's time in a register. It is known to have existed in Rome, its last known location, in the 9th century. It consisted of 14 papyrus rolls, now missing. Copies of letters had begun to be made, the largest batch of 686 by order of [[Adrian I]]. The majority of the copies, dating from the 10th to the 15th century, are stored in the [[Vatican Library]].<ref>{{cite book|pages=63–64|title=The [[Vatican Secret Archives|Secret Archives of the Vatican]]|first=Maria Luisa|last=Ambrosini|coauthors=Mary Willis|publisher=Barnes & Noble Publishing|year=1996|isbn=0760701253, 9780760701256}}</ref> | + | |
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| - | Opinions of the writings of Gregory vary. "His character strikes us as an ambiguous and enigmatic one," [[Norman F. Cantor|Cantor]] observed. "On the one hand he was an able and determined administrator, a skilled and clever diplomat, a leader of the greatest sophistication and vision; but on the other hand, he appears in his writings as a superstitious and credulous [[monk]], hostile to learning, crudely limited as a [[theologian]], and excessively devoted to saints, [[miracle]]s, and [[relic]]s".<ref>Cantor (1993) page 157.</ref> | + | |
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| - | ==Issues== | + | |
| - | ===Controversy with Eutychius=== | + | |
| - | In Constantinople, Gregory took issue with the aged [[Patriarch Eutychius of Constantinople]], who had recently published a treatise, now lost, on the [[Resurrection of the dead|General Resurrection]]. Eutychius maintained that the resurrected body "will be more subtle than air, and no longer palpable".<ref>{{cite book|title=A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines: Being a Continuation of 'The Dictionary of the Bible': VolumeII Eaba - Hermocrates|first=William|last=Smith|coauthors=Henry Wace|year=1880|publisher=Little, Brown and Company|location=Boston|pages=415}} The dictionary account is apparently based on [[Bede]], Book II, Chapter 1, who used the expression "...impalpable, of finer texture than wind and air."</ref> Gregory opposed with the palpability of the risen Christ in {{bibleverse||Luke|24:39|KJV}}. As the dispute could not be settled, the [[Roman emperor]], [[Tiberius II Constantine]], undertook to arbitrate. He decided in favor of palpability and ordered Eutychius' book to be burned. Shortly after both Gregory and Eutychius became ill, Gregory recovered, but Eutychius died on 5 April 582, at age 70. On his deathbed he recanted inpalpability and Gregory dropped the matter. Tiberius also died a few months after Eutychius. | + | |
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| - | ===Sermon on Mary Magdalene=== | + | |
| - | In a [[sermon]] whose text is given in ''[[Patrologia Latina]]'',<ref>76:1238‑1246.</ref> Gregory stated that he believed "that the woman Luke called a sinner and John called Mary was the Mary out of whom Mark declared that seven demons were cast" (''Hanc vero quam Lucas peccatricem mulierem, Joannes Mariam nominat, illam esse Mariam credimus de qua Marcus septem damonia ejecta fuisse testatur''), thus identifying the sinner of {{bibleverse||Luke|7:37|KJV}}, the Mary of {{bibleverse||John|11:2|KJV}} and {{bibleverse-nb||John|12:3|KJV}} (the sister of [[Lazarus]] and [[Martha of Bethany]]), and [[Mary Magdalene]], from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons, related in {{bibleverse||Mark|16:9|KJV}}. | + | |
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| - | While most Western writers shared this view, it was not seen as a Church teaching, but as an opinion, the pros and cons of which were discussed.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09761a.htm|title=St. Mary Magdalen|encyclopedia=[[The Catholic Encyclopedia]]|last=Pope|first=H.|editor=Kevin Knight|accessdate=2008-08-23|edition=1910|year=2008|publisher=New Advent}}</ref> With the liturgical changes made in 1969, there is no longer mention of Mary Magdalene as a sinner in Roman Catholic liturgical materials.<ref>{{Cite document | + | |
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| The Eastern Orthodox Church has never accepted Gregory's identification of Mary Magdalene with the sinful woman. | The Eastern Orthodox Church has never accepted Gregory's identification of Mary Magdalene with the sinful woman. | ||
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| - | ==Iconography== | ||
| - | [[Image:Beda Venerabilis.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Gregory and his Dove, [[Corpus Christi College, Cambridge]] Ms 389]] | ||
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| - | In art Gregory is usually shown in full pontifical robes with the tiara and double cross, despite his actual habit of dress. Earlier depictions are more likely to show a monastic tonsure and plainer dress. Orthodox [[icons]] traditionally show St. Gregory vested as a bishop, holding a [[Gospel Book]] and blessing with his right hand. It is recorded that he permitted his depiction with a square [[Halo (religious iconography)|halo]], then used for the living.<ref>{{Cite document | ||
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| - | </ref> A dove is his [[emblem|attribute]], from the well-known story recorded by his friend Peter the Deacon,<ref>Peter the Deacon, ''Vita'', xxviii</ref> who tells that when the pope was dictating his homilies on [[Ezechiel]] a curtain was drawn between his secretary and himself. As, however, the pope remained silent for long periods at a time, the servant made a hole in the curtain and, looking through, beheld a dove seated upon Gregory's head with its beak between his lips. When the dove withdrew its beak the pope spoke and the secretary took down his words; but when he became silent the servant again applied his eye to the hole and saw the dove had replaced its beak between his lips.<ref>''Catholic Encyclopedia'' article – see links, below.</ref> | ||
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| - | [[Image:BambergGregoryUnkFolDedicationMin.jpg|thumb|225px|Gregory being inspired to write.]] | ||
| - | This scene is shown as a version of the traditional [[Evangelist portrait]] (where the Evangelists' symbols are also sometimes shown dictating) from the tenth century onwards. An early example is the dedication miniature from the an eleventh century manuscript of St. Gregory's ''Moralia in Job''.<ref>Bamberg, Staatsbibliothek, MS Msc. Bibl. 84</ref> The miniature shows the scribe, Bebo of Seeon Abbey, presenting the manuscript to the [[Holy Roman Emperor]], [[Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry II]]. In the upper left the author is seen writing the text under divine inspiration Usually the dove is shown whispering in Gregory's ear for a clearer composition. | ||
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| - | The imaginative and anachronistic example at the top of this article is from the studio of [[Carlo Saraceni]] or by a close follower, ca. 1610. From the Giustiniani collection, the painting is conserved in the [[Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica]], Rome.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/s/saraceni/gregory.html|title=St. Gregory the Great|first=Carlo|last=Saraceni|authorlink=Carlo Saraceni|coauthors=Emil Kren; Daniel Marx|year=1996|publisher=Web Gallery of Art|accessdate=2008-08-23}}</ref> The face of Gregory is a caricature of the features described by John the Deacon mentioned under his early life above: total baldness, outthrust chin, beak-like nose, where John had described partial baldness, a mildly protruding chin, slightly aquiline nose and strikingly good looks. In this picture also Gregory has his monastic back on the world, which the real Gregory, despite his reclusive intent, was seldom allowed to have. | ||
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| - | The late medieval subject of the [[Mass of St Gregory]] shows a version of a 7th century story that was elaborated in later hagiography. Gregory is shown saying Mass when Christ as the [[Man of Sorrows]] appears on the altar. The subject was most common in the 15th and 16th centuries, and was an reflected growing emphasis on the [[Real Presence]], and after the [[Protestant Reformation]] was an assertion of the doctrine against Protestant theology.<ref>Rubin, Miri, ''Corpus Christi: The Eucharist in Late Medieval Culture'', pp. 120–122, 308–310, Cambridge University Press, 1992, ISBN 0-521-43805-5, 9780521438056 [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=MysXfB2ZdCAC&pg=PA308&dq=Mass+of+st+Gregory&as_brr=3&ei=ibc_Stz7FYiENvql9ZUF Google books]</ref> | ||
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| - | ==Alms== | ||
| - | [[Image:Pope Gregory I.jpg|thumb|left| Gregory the Great wearing the [[pallium]] and the ''[[Origins of the Papal Tiara|camelaucum]]'', an early form of the [[Papal Tiara]].]] | ||
| - | [[Alms]] in [[Christianity]] is defined by passages of the [[New Testament]] such as [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] 19:21, which commands "...go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor ... and come and follow me." A [[donation]] on the other hand is a gift to some sort of enterprise, profit or non-profit. | ||
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| - | On the one hand the alms of St. Gregory are to be distinguished from his donations, but on the other he probably saw no such distinction. The church had no interest in secular profit and as pope Gregory did his utmost to encourage that high standard among church personnel. Apart from maintaining its facilities and supporting its personnel the church gave most of the donations it received as alms. | ||
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| - | Gregory is known for his administrative system of charitable relief of the poor at Rome. They were predominantly refugees from the incursions of the [[Lombards]]. The philosophy under which he devised this system is that the wealth belonged to the poor and the church was only its steward. He received lavish donations from the wealthy families of Rome, who, following his own example, were eager to expiate to God for their sins. He gave alms equally as lavishly both individually and en masse. He wrote in letters:<ref>Dudden (1905) page 316.</ref> | ||
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| - | :"I have frequently charged you ... to act as my representative ... to relieve the poor in their distress ...." | ||
| - | :"... I hold the office of steward to the property of the poor ...." | ||
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| - | The church received donations of many different kinds of [[property]]: [[consumables]] such as food and clothing; [[investment]] property: [[real estate]] and works of art; and [[capital goods]], or [[revenue]]-generating property, such as the [[Sicily|Sicilian]] [[latifundia]], or agricultural estates, staffed and operated by [[slave]]s, donated by Gregory and his family. The church already had a system for circulating the consumables to the poor: associated with each [[parish]] was a ''diaconium'' or office of the [[deacon]]. He was given a building from which the poor could at any time apply for assistance.<ref>Later these deacons became cardinals and from the oratories attached to the buildings grew churches.</ref><ref>{{cite book|pages=549 under diaconia|title=A dictionary of Christian antiquities: Comprising the History, Institutions, and Antiquities of the Christian Church, from the Time of the Apostles to the Age of Charlemagne|first=William|last=Smith|authorlink=William Smith (lexicographer)|coauthors=[[Samuel Cheetham]]|publisher=J. Murray|year=1875}}</ref> | ||
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| - | The state in which Gregory became pope in 590 was a ruined one. The Lombards held the better part of Italy. Their predations had brought the economy to a standstill. They camped nearly at the gates of Rome. The city was packed with refugees from all walks of life, who lived in the streets and had few of the necessities of life. The seat of government was far from Rome in [[Constantinople]], which appeared unable to undertake the relief of Italy. The pope had sent emissaries, including Gregory, asking for assistance, to no avail. | ||
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| - | In 590, Gregory could wait for Constantinople no longer. He organized the resources of the church into an administration for general relief. In doing so he evidenced a talent for and intuitive understanding of the principles of [[accounting]], which was not to be invented for centuries. The church already had basic accounting documents: every [[expense]] was recorded in [[Journal#Business|journals]] called ''regesta'', "lists" of amounts, recipients and circumstances. Revenue was recorded in ''polyptici'', "[[Bookkeeping|books]]". Many of these polyptici were [[ledger]]s recording the operating expenses of the church and the [[asset]]s, the ''patrimonia''. A central papal administration, the ''notarii'', under a chief, the ''primicerius notariorum'', kept the ledgers and issued ''brevia patrimonii'', or lists of property for which each ''[[rector]]'' was responsible.<ref>{{cite book|pages=322|title=The Lives of the Popes in the Early Middle Ages: Volume X|first=Horace Kinder|last=Mann|coauthors=Johannes Hollnsteiner|publisher=Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., Ltd.|location=London|year=1914}}</ref> | ||
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| - | Gregory began by aggressively requiring his churchmen to seek out and relieve needy persons and reprimanded them if they did not. In a letter to a subordinate in [[Sicily]] he wrote: "I asked you most of all to take care of the poor. And if you knew of people in poverty, you should have pointed them out ... I desire that you give the woman, Pateria, forty [[Solidus (coin)|solidi]] for the children's shoes and forty bushels of grain ...."<ref>Ambrosini & Willis (1996) pages 66–67.</ref> Soon he was replacing administrators who would not cooperate with those who would and at the same time adding more in a build-up to a great plan that he had in mind. He understood that expenses must be matched by [[income]]. To pay for his increased expenses he liquidated the investment property and paid the expenses in cash according to a budget recorded in the polyptici. The churchmen were paid four times a year and also personally given a golden coin for their trouble.<ref name=dud248>Dudden (1905) pages 248–249.</ref> | ||
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| - | Money, however, was no substitute for food in a city that was on the brink of famine. Even the wealthy were going hungry in their villas. The church now owned between {{convert|1300|and|1800|sqmi|km2}} of revenue-generating farmland divided into large sections called ''patrimonia.'' It produced goods of all kinds, which were sold, but Gregory intervened and had the goods shipped to Rome for distribution in the ''diaconia''. He gave orders to step up production, set quotas and put an administrative structure in place to carry it out. At the bottom was the ''rusticus'' who produced the goods. Some rustici were or owned slaves. He turned over part of his produce to a ''conductor'' from whom he leased the land. The latter reported to an ''actionarius'', the latter to a ''defensor'' and the latter to a ''rector''. Grain, wine, cheese, meat, fish and oil began to arrive at Rome in large quantities, where it was given away for nothing as alms.<ref>{{cite book|title=A History of the Medieval Church, 590–1500|first=Margaret|last=Deanesly|publisher=Routledge|year=1969|location=London, New York|isbn=0415039592, 9780415039598|pages=22–24}}</ref> | ||
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| - | Distributions to qualified persons were monthly. However, a certain proportion of the population lived in the streets or were too ill or infirm to pick up their monthly food supply. To them Gregory sent out a small army of charitable persons, mainly monks, every morning with prepared food. It is said that he would not dine until the indigent were fed. When he did dine he shared the family table, which he had saved (and which still exists), with 12 indigent guests. To the needy living in wealthy homes he sent meals he had cooked with his own hands as gifts to spare them the indignity of receiving charity. Hearing of the death of an indigent in a back room he was depressed for days, entertaining for a time the conceit that he had failed in his duty and was a murderer.<ref name=dud248/> | ||
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| - | These and other good deeds and charitable frame of mind completely won the hearts and minds of the Roman people. They now looked to the papacy for government, ignoring the rump state at Constantinople, which had only disrespect for Gregory, calling him a fool for his pacifist dealings with the Lombards. The office of urban prefect went without candidates. From the time of Gregory the Great to the rise of Italian nationalism the papacy was most influential in ruling Italy. | ||
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| - | ==Famous quotes and anecdotes== | ||
| - | * ''Non Angli, sed angeli'' – "They are not [[Angles]], but [[angel]]s". [[Aphorism]], summarizing words reported to have been spoken by Gregory when he first encountered pale-skinned English boys at a [[slave market]], sparking his dispatch of [[Augustine of Canterbury|St. Augustine of Canterbury]] to England to convert the English, according to [[Bede]].<ref>''[[Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum]]'', II.i. http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/bede/bede2.shtml</ref> He said: "Well named, for they have angelic faces and ought to be co-heirs with the angels in heaven."<ref name=hunt115>{{cite book|pages=115|title=The Political History of England|first=William|last=Hunt|publisher=Longmans, Green|year=1906}}</ref> Discovering that their province was [[Deira]], he went on to add that they would be rescued ''de ira'', "from the wrath", and that their king was named [[Ælla of Deira|Aella]], ''Alleluia'', he said.<ref>The earliest life written a generation earlier than Bede at Whitby relates the same story but in it the English are merely visitors to Rome questioned by Gregory (see Holloway, who translates from the manuscript kept at [[Abbey library of St. Gallen|St. Gallen]]). The earlier story is not necessarily the more accurate, as Gregory is known to have instructed presbyter Candidus in [[Gaul]] by letter to buy young English slaves for placement in monasteries. These were intended for missionary work in England: Ambrosini & Willis (1996) page 71.</ref> | ||
| - | * ''Ecce locusta'' – "Look at the [[locust]]." Gregory himself wanted to go to England as a missionary and started out for there. On the fourth day as they stopped for lunch a locust landed on the edge of the Bible Gregory was reading. He exclaimed ''ecce locusta'', "look at the locust", but reflecting on it he saw it as a sign from Heaven since the similar sounding ''loco sta'' means "stay in place." Within the hour an emissary of the pope<ref>[[Benedict I]] or [[Pelagius II]].</ref> arrived to recall him.<ref name=hunt115/> | ||
| - | * “I beg that you will not take the present amiss. For anything, however trifling, which is offered from the prosperity of St. Peter should be regarded as a great blessing, seeing that he will have power both to bestow on you greater things, and to hold out to you eternal benefits with Almighty God.” | ||
| - | * ''Pro cuius amore in eius eloquio nec mihi parco'' – "For the love of whom (God) I do not spare myself from his Word."<ref>Dudden pg 317</ref><ref>''Homilies on Ezekiel'' Book 1.11.6. For the text in manuscript see Codices Electronici Sangalienses: Codex 211, page 193 column 1, line 5 (External links below.)</ref> The sense is that since the creator of the human race and redeemer of him unworthy gave him the power of the tongue so that he could witness, what kind of a witness would he be if he did not use it but preferred to speak infirmly? | ||
| - | * “For the place of heretics is very pride itself...for the place of the wicked is pride just as conversely humility is the place of the good.”<ref name="Richards pg 228"/> | ||
| - | * ''Non enim pro locis res, sed pro bonis rebus loca amanda sunt'' – "Things are not to be loved for the sake of a place, but places are to be loved for the sake of their good things." When Augustine asked whether to use Roman or Gallican customs in the mass in England, Gregory said, in paraphrase, that it was not the place that imparted goodness but good things that graced the place, and it was more important to be pleasing to the Almighty. They should pick out what was "pia", "religiosa" and "recta" from any church whatever and set that down before the English minds as practice.<ref>Bede, ''Ecclesiastical History of the English People'', Book I section 27 part II. Bede is translated in {{cite book|title=The Ecclesiastical History of the English People: The Greater Chronicle ; Bede's Letter to Egbert|author=Bede|coauthors=Judith McClure, Bertram Colgrave, Roger Collins (editors, translators, contributors)|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1999|isbn=0192838660, 9780192838667}}</ref> | ||
| - | * "For the rule of justice and reason suggests that one who desires his own orders to be observed by his successors should undoubtedly keep the will and ordinances of his predecessor."<ref>Gregory the Great. The Letters of Gregory the Great. Trans. John R. C. Martyn. 3 vols. (2004). Book VI, Epistle XII.</ref> In his letters, Gregory often emphasized the importance of giving proper deference to last wills and testaments, and of respecting property rights. | ||
| - | * “Compassion should be shown first to the faithful and afterwards to the enemies of the church.”<ref>Richards pg 232</ref> | ||
| - | * "At length being anxious to avoid all these inconveniences, I sought the haven of the monastery… For as the vessel that is negligently moored, is very often (when the storm waxes violent) tossed by the water out of its shelter on the safest shore, so under the cloak of the Ecclesiastical office, I found myself plunged on a sudden in a sea of secular matters, and because I had not held fast the tranquillity of the monastery when in possession, I learnt by losing it, how closely it should have been held."<ref>Pope Gregory I, Moralia, sive Expositio in Job, published by Nicolaus Kessler Basel, 1496.</ref> In ''Moralia, sive Expositio in Job'' (“Commentary on Job,” also known as ''Magna Moralia''), Gregory describes to the Bishop Leander the circumstances under which he became a monk. | ||
| - | * "Illiterate men can contemplate in the lines of a picture what they cannot learn by means of the written word." <ref>Theories of Art: From Plato to Winckelmann</ref> | ||
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| - | ==Memorials== | ||
| - | ===Lives=== | ||
| - | In Britain, appreciation for Gregory remained strong even after his death, with him being called ''Gregorius noster'' ("our Gregory") by the British.<ref>{{cite book|title=The English Pilgrimage to Rome: A Dwelling for the Soul|first=Judith|last=Champ|publisher=Gracewing Publishing|year=2000|isbn=0852443730, 9780852443736|pages=ix}}</ref> It was in Britain, at a monastery in [[Whitby Abbey|Whitby]], that the first full length [[hagiography|life]] of Gregory was written, in c. 713.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.umilta.net/gregory.html|author=A monk or nun at Whitby A.D. 713|coauthors=Julia Bolton Holloway, ed.|title=The Earliest Life of St. Gregory the great|date=1997–2008|publisher=Julia Bolton Holloway|accessdate=2008-08-10}}</ref> Appreciation of Gregory in Rome and Italy itself, however, did not come until later. The first ''vita'' of Gregory written in Italy was not produced until [[John, deacon of Rome|John the Deacon]] in the 9th century. | ||
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| - | ===Monuments=== | ||
| - | [[Image:Tomb of pope Gregorius I.jpg|thumb|Tomb of St. Gregory at St. Peter's, Rome]] | ||
| - | The namesake church of [[San Gregorio al Celio]] (largely rebuilt from the original edifices during the 17th and | ||
| - | 18th centuries) remembers his work. One of the three oratories annexed, the oratory of St. Silvia, is said to lie over the tomb of Gregory's mother. | ||
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| - | In England, Gregory is revered as the apostle of the land. They regarded him as the source of their conversion.<ref>Richards pg 260</ref> | ||
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| - | ===Music=== | ||
| - | Composer [[Alan Hovhaness]] wrote an [[elegy|elegiac]] [[intermezzo]] for strings and trumpet called the ''Prayer of Saint Gregory'' (Op. 62b). | ||
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| - | Italian composer [[Ottorino Respighi]] composed a piece named [[St. Gregory the Great]] ''(IV. San Gregorio Magno)'' that features as the final part of his '''''Church Windows''''' (''Vetrate di Chiesa'') works, written in 1925. | ||
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| - | ===Feast day=== | ||
| - | The current [[Roman Catholic calendar of saints]], revised in 1969 as instructed by the [[Second Vatican Council]],<ref>[http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html ''Sacrosanctum Concilium'', 108-111]</ref> celebrates St. Gregory the Great on 3 September. Before that, the [[General Roman Calendar]] assigned his feast day to 12 March, the day of his death in 604. This day always falls within Lent, during which there are no obligatory [[memorial (liturgy)|memorials]]. For this reason his feast day was moved to 3 September the day of his episcopal [[consecration]] in 590.<ref>Calendarium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1969), pp. 100 and 118</ref> | ||
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| - | The [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] and the associated [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] continue to commemorate St. Gregory on 12 March. The occurrence of this date during [[Great Lent]] is considered appropriate in the [[Byzantine Rite]], which traditionally associates Saint Gregory with the [[Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts]], celebrated only during that [[liturgy|liturgical]] season. | ||
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| - | Other Churches too honour Saint Gregory: the [[Church of England]] on 3 September, the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]] and the [[Episcopal Church in the United States]] on 12 March. | ||
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| - | A traditional [[procession]] is held in [[Żejtun]], [[Malta]] in honour of Saint Gregory (San Girgor) on [[Easter]] Wednesday, which most often falls in April, the range of possible dates being 25 March to 28 April. | ||
| - | The feast day of St. Gregory also serves as a commemorative Day for the former pupils of [[Downside School]], the so-called Old Gregorians. Traditionally, the OG ties are worn by all of the society's members on this day. | ||
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Pope St. Gregory I (Latin: Gregorius I; Italian: Gregorio I; c. 540 – 12 March 604), better known in English as Gregory the Great, was pope from 3 September 590 until his death. Gregory is well-known for his writings, which were more prolific than those of any of his predecessors as pope.
He is also known as Gregory the Dialogist in Eastern Orthodoxy because of his Dialogues. For this reason, English translations of Orthodox texts will sometimes list him as "Gregory Dialogus". He was the first of the popes to come from a monastic background. Gregory is a Doctor of the Church and one of the six Latin Fathers. He is considered a saint in the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. Immediately after his death, Gregory was canonized by popular acclaim. John Calvin admired Gregory and declared in his Institutes, that Gregory was the last good pope. He is the patron saint of musicians, singers, students, and teachers.
[edit]
Sermon on Mary Magdalene
In a sermon whose text is given in Patrologia Latina, Gregory stated that he believed "that the woman Luke called a sinner and John called Mary was the Mary out of whom Mark declared that seven demons were cast" (Hanc vero quam Lucas peccatricem mulierem, Joannes Mariam nominat, illam esse Mariam credimus de qua Marcus septem damonia ejecta fuisse testatur), thus identifying the sinner of Luke 7:37, the Mary of John 11:2 and 12:3 (the sister of Lazarus and Martha of Bethany), and Mary Magdalene, from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons.
While most Western writers shared this view, it was not seen as a Church teaching, but as an opinion, the pros and cons of which were discussed. With the liturgical changes made in 1969, there is no longer mention of Mary Magdalene as a sinner in Roman Catholic liturgical materials.
The Eastern Orthodox Church has never accepted Gregory's identification of Mary Magdalene with the sinful woman.
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Pope Gregory I" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
