CrucisPope St. Gregory the Great
Pope St. Gregory the Great was born around 540 into a wealthy Roman senatorial family, and died on 12 March 604 in Rome. He rose to become prefect of the city, but renounced his career and wealth to become a monk, converting his family home into a monastery. Drawn out of the cloister to serve the Church as a deacon and papal envoy to Constantinople, he was elected pope in 590 — reluctantly, for he loved the monastic life — amid plague, war, and the collapse of Roman civil order in Italy.
As pope he proved a gifted administrator and pastor, feeding the poor of Rome, negotiating peace with the Lombards, and strengthening the authority and mission of the papacy; he called himself 'servant of the servants of God,' a title popes bear to this day. He sent St. Augustine of Canterbury to evangelize the English, promoted the sacred chant that bears his name, and reformed the liturgy. His Pastoral Rule, Dialogues, and homilies profoundly shaped medieval Christianity. Honored as a Doctor of the Church and one of the four great Latin Fathers, his feast is celebrated on 3 September.
Selected quotes
“Every act of mercy you perform is an investment in eternity — the poor you feed today will greet you at the gates of the kingdom.”
“A bishop who enriches himself while the poor of his diocese go hungry has confused his sacred office with his appetite.”
“The servant of the servants of God is not a title of honor but a description of a task — to serve, and by serving, to lead.”