Short Name: | Pope Gregory I |
Full Name: | Gregory I, Pope, ca. 540-604 |
Birth Year: | 540 |
Death Year: | 604 |
Gregory I., St., Pope. Surnamed The Great. Was born at Rome about A.D. 540. His family was distinguished not only for its rank and social consideration, but for its piety and good works. His father, Gordianus, said to have been the grandson of Pope Felix II. or III., was a man of senatorial rank and great wealth; whilst his mother, Silvia, and her sisters-in-law, Tarsilla and Aemiliana, attained the distinction of canonization. Gregory made the best use of his advantages in circumstances and surroundings, so far as his education went. "A saint among saints," he was considered second to none in Rome in grammar, rhetoric, and logic. In early life, before his father's death, he became a member of the Senate; and soon after he was thirty and accordingly, when his father died, he devoted the whole of the large fortune that he inherited to religious uses. He founded no less than six monasteries in Sicily, as well as one on the site of his own house at Rome, to which latter he retired himself in the capacity of a Benedictine monk, in 575. In 577 the then Pope, Benedict I, made him one of the seven Cardinal Deacons who presided over the seven principal divisions of Rome.
The following year Benedict's successor, Pelagius II, sent him on an embassy of congratulation to the new emperor Tiberius, at Constantinople. After six years' residence at Constantinople he returned to Rome. It was during this residence at Rome, before he was called upon to succeed Pelagius in the Papal chair, that his interest was excited in the evangelization of Britain by seeing some beautiful children, natives of that country, exposed for sale in the slave-market there ("non Angli, sed Angeli"). He volunteered to head a mission to convert the British, and, having obtained the Pope's sanction for the enterprise, had got three days' journey on his way to Britain when he was peremptorily recalled by Pelagius, at the earnest demand of the Roman people.
In 590 he became Pope himself, and, as is well known, carried out his benevolent purpose towards Britain by the mission of St. Augustine, 596. His Papacy, upon which he entered with genuine reluctance, and only after he had taken every step in his power to be relieved from the office, lasted until 604, when he died at the early age of fifty-five. His Pontificate was distinguished by his zeal, ability, and address in the administration of his temporal and spiritual kingdom alike, and his missionaries found their way into all parts of the known world. In Lombardy he destroyed Arianism; in Africa he greatly weakened the Donatists; in Spain he converted the monarch, Reccared: while he made his influence felt even in the remote region of Ireland, where, till his day, the native Church had not acknowledged any allegiance to the See of Rome. He advised rather than dictated to other bishops, and strongly opposed the assumption of the title of "Universal Patriarch" by John the Faster of Constantinople, on the ground that the title had been declined by the Pope himself at the Council of Chalcedon, and declared his pride in being called the “Servant of God's Servants." He exhibited entire toleration for Jews and heretics, and his disapproval of slavery by manumitting all his own slaves. The one grave blot upon his otherwise upright and virtuous character was his gross flattery in congratulating Phocas on his accession to the throne as emperor in 601, a position the latter had secured with the assistance of the imperial army in which he was a centurion, by the murder of his predecessor Mauricius (whose six sons had been slaughtered before their father's eyes), and that of the empress Constantina and her three daughters.
Gregory's great learning won for him the distinction of being ranked as one of the four Latin doctors, and exhibited itself in many works of value, the most important of which are his Moralium Libri xxxv., and his two books of homilies on Ezekiel and the Gospels. His influence was also great as a preacher and many of his sermons are still extant, and form indeed no inconsiderable portion of his works that have come down to us. But he is most famous, perhaps, for the services he rendered to the liturgy and music of the Church, whereby he gained for himself the title of Magister Caeremoniarum. His Sacramentary, in which he gave its definite form to the Sacrifice of the Mass, and his Antiphonary, a collection which he made of chants old and new, as well as a school called Orplianotrophium, which he established at Rome for the cultivation of church singing, prove his interest in such subjects, and his success in his efforts to render the public worship of his day worthy of Him to Whom it was addressed. The Gregorian Tones, or chants, with which we are still familiar after a lapse of twelve centuries, we owe to his anxiety to supersede the more melodious and flowing style of church music which is popularly attributed to St. Ambrose, by the severer and more solemn monotone which is their characteristic.
The contributions of St. Gregory to our stores of Latin hymns are not numerous, nor are the few generally attributed to him quite certainly proved to be his. But few as they are, and by whomsoever written, they are most of them still used in the services of the Church. In character they are well wedded to the grave and solemn music which St. Gregory himself is supposed to have written for them.
The Benedictine editors credit St. Gregory with 8 hymns, viz. (1) “Primo dierum omnium;" (2) "Nocte surgentes vigilemus;" (3) "Ecce jam noctis tenuatur tunbra;" (4) “Clarum decus jejunii;" (5) "Audi benigne conditor;" (6) "Magno salutis gaudio;" (7) “Rex Christe factor omnium;" (8) "Lucis Creator Optime." Daniel in his vol. i. assigns him three others. (9) “Ecce tempus idoneum;" (10) "Summi largitor praemii;" (11) "Noctis tempus jam praeterit." For translations of these hymns see under their respective first lines. (For an elaborate account of St. Gregory, see Smith and Wace's Dictionary of Christian Biography.)
[Rev. Digby S. Wrangham, M.A.]
-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
===================
Gregory I., St., Pope, p. 469, i. We have been unable to discover any grounds which justified the Benedictine editors and Daniel in printing certain hymns (see p. 470, i.) as by St. Gregory. Modern scholars agree in denying him a place among hymnwriters; e.g., Mr. F. H. Dudden, in his Gregory the Great (London, 1905, vol. i.,p. 276), says "The Gregorian authorship of these compositions [the hymns printed by the Benedictine editors] however cannot be maintained... Gregory contributed ... nothing at all to the sacred music and poetry of the Roman Church." [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)
Texts by Pope Gregory I (70) | As | Authority Languages | Instances |
---|---|---|---|
Behold, night's shadows fade | Gregory the Great (Author) | 1 | |
Blest Creator of the light | Gregory I, 540-604 (Author (attributed to)) | English | 1 |
Christ is the world's light, Christ and none other | Gregory the Great (Author (attributed to) (C)) | English | 1 |
Come, God Creator, Holy Ghost, And visit Thou the souls of men | Pope Gregory I (Author (attributed to)) | English | 1 |
Danksagen wir alle Gott | Pope Gregory I (Author) | German | 1 |
Eternal Source of light's clear stream | Gregory the Great (Author) | 1 | |
Father of mercies, hear, Thy pardon we implore | Gregory the Great (Author) | 1 | |
Grates nunc omnes reddamus | Gregorius (Author) | 1 | |
Herr Christe, treuer Heiland wert | Gregory the Great (Author) | German | 1 |
Kom, Gud og Skaber, Helligaand | Pope Gregory I (Author) | Norwegian | 1 |
Lo! now is our accepted day | Gregory I (Author (attributed to)) | English | 1 |
Lucis creator optime | Gregory the Great (Author) | 1 | |
Maker, by whose unuttered Word | Gregory the Great (Author) | 1 | |
Now is the healing time decreed | St. Gregory the Great (Author (attributed to)) | English | 1 |
O blest Creator of the light, Who mak'st the day with radiance bright | Gregory I, 540-604 (Author (attributed to)) | English | 1 |
Prayers | Gregory the Great, 7th C. (Author) | English | 1 |
Asi en ayunas vio Moisés | Gregory the Great (Author (attributed to)) | English, Spanish | 2 |
Blest Maker of the light, by whom | Gregory the Great (Author) | 2 | |
Christ's loving children, for his hope abiding | S. Gregory, 6th cent. (Author) | English, Latin | 2 |
Earth's mighty Maker, whose command | Gregory the Great (Author) | English | 2 |
Hagan ayuno y oración | Gregory the Great (c.540-604) (Author (attributed to)) | Spanish | 2 |
Hear, O thou bounteous Maker, hear | Gregory the Great (Author) | 2 | |
Lo fainter now lie spread the shades | Gregory the Great (Author) | 2 | |
Lo the dim shadows of the night are waning | St. Gregory the Great (540-604) (Author (attributed to)) | 2 | |
Now from the slumbers of the night arising | Gregory the Great (Author) | 2 | |
Now shadows wane, now heavy night departeth | S. Gregory (Author) | English | 2 |
O blest Creator of the world | Gregory the Great (Author) | English | 2 |
O come, Creator, Spirit blest! | Pope Gregory I (Author) | English | 2 |
O gracious Lord, incline thine ears | Gregory the Great (Author) | 2 | |
Ô Jésus-Christ, entends nos cris | St-Grégoire (540-604) (Author) | French | 2 |
O merciful creator, hear; In tender pity bow thine ear | Gregory I (Author (attributed to)) | English | 2 |
O merciful Creator! Hear, Our prayer, to Thee devoutly bent | Gregory I, 6th century (Author (attributed to)) | English | 2 |
O thou who calledst forth the light | Gregory the Great (Author) | 2 | |
On this the day that saw the earth | Gregory the Great (Author) | 2 | |
Rex Christe, factor omnium | Gregorius (Author) | 2 | |
Rising at midnight, one and all awaking | Gregory the Great (Author) | 2 | |
Rising in darkness, let us all keep watching | Gregory the Great, 540-604 (Author (attributed to)) | English | 2 |
This glorious morn, time's eldest born | Gregory the Great (Author) | 2 | |
Thou King anointed, at whose word | Gregory the Great (Author) | 2 | |
Tu Trinitatis Unitas | Gregory the Great (Author) | 2 | |
Creator Spirit, by Whose aid | Gregory the Great, 504-604 (Attributed to) | English | 3 |
Good it is to keep the fast | Gregory the Great (Author) | English | 3 |
Kom Helligaand med skaber magt | Pope Gregory I (Author) | Norwegian | 3 |
Let us arise and watch ere dawn of light | Gregory the Great (Author) | 3 | |
O bountiful Creator, hear | Gregory the Great (Author) | 3 | |
O maker of this world, give ear | Gregory the Great (Author) | 3 | |
O thou who dost all nature sway | Gregory the Great (Author) | 3 | |
O thou who dost to man accord | Gregory I (Author (attributed to)) | 3 | |
Thou Trinity in unity | Gregory the Great (Author) | 3 | |
With these lenten prayers, O Lord | Gregory the Great (Author) | 3 | |
Kind Maker of the world, O hear | Gregory the Great (Author (attr. to)) | English | 4 |
O merciful Redeemer, hear; in pity now incline thine ear | St. Gregory the Great, 540-504 (Author) | English | 4 |
This day the first of days was made, When God in light the world arrayed (Bridges) | Pope Gregory I (Author) | English | 4 |
Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest, And in our hearts take up thy rest | Gregory the Great (Author) | English | 5 |
Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire | Gregory the Great (Author) | English | 6 |
O gracious Lord, Creator dear | Gregory the Great (Author) | 6 | |
Now let us all with one accord, In company with ages past | Gregory the Great, 540-604 (Author) | English | 7 |
Behold, the shade of night is now receding | Gregory the Great (Author) | English | 8 |
'Mid evening shadows, let us all be watching | Gregory (540-604) (Author) | English | 8 |
O great creator of the light | Gregory the Great (Author) | 9 | |
Audi, benigne Conditor | Gregory the Great (Author) | 10 | |
O kind Creator, bow Thine ear | St. Greogry the Great (Author (Ascribed to)) | English | 10 |
O blest Creator of the light, Who dost the dawn from darkness bring | Gregory the Great (Author) | English | 11 |
Source of light and life divine | Gregory the Great (Author) | English | 15 |
Thou loving Saviour of mankind | Gregory the Great (Author) | 15 | |
Again we keep this solemn fast | Gregory the Great, c.540-604 (Author (attributed to)) | English | 18 |
The glory of these forty days | Gregory the Great, c. 540-604 (Author) | English | 25 |
O Christ, our King, Creator, Lord | Gregory the Great (Author) | English | 36 |
Now, when the dusky shades of night retreating | Gregory the Great (Author) | English | 40 |
Father, we praise Thee, now the night is over | St. Gregory the Great, 530-604 (Author (attributed to)) | English | 41 |