gregory I

Pope Gregory I has been selected by Roberto Amati in relation to the real history of european integration, then enlisted in the People, Dates, Places and Events category, accompanied by own fact SHEET useful to the comprehension, completed of historical MAPS AND IMAGES or with a direct linking to the related Blog contents dedicated to the entire history of european integration and the future of Europe.

Saint Gregory "the great" is one of the most important people in whole history of european integration and will probably have influence on the future of United europe, because his magisterium changed and founded the Roman Church as we knew until nowadays characterized for apostolical and evangelical mission towards all european peoples.

Pope Gregory I was member of the Gens Anicia, an aristocratic Israelites family elevated to senatorial class and imperial chair within the Roman Empire close its fall in 476 A.D., which they belonged also the Popes Felix III and Leo I as well as the founder of the european monasticism, Saint Benedict of Nursia. After becoming a monk, he transformed his house on the Celio hill in the centre of Rome in a monastir dedicated to the Apostol Saint Andrew, still exising nowadays and conserving his relic that Gregory received as present from the Basileus at the end of his mission in Constantinople in late VI century A.D.! He always lived a retired contemplative life and made lots of fundamental operas, like the biography of the first christian monks starting from Benedict, or the consitution of the nucleus of Patrimonium Petri estate by a donation of all his family properties.

Once back from the diplomatic mission at the Byzantine Empire, Gregory was elected Pope in 590 A.D.: then he personally substained all the expenses of the Duche of Rome and all the monsastirs and ecclesiastic properties within the Lombards regna or the byzantine's possessions in Italy, nomined the local italian bishops and helped many noble roman families decaded cause of the greek-gothic war drawing on the Charitas funds, that could enjoy of all the immense possessions of his family in Sicily and Gallia. By controlling personally all the church costs and the diplomatic relations with Constantinople and the regna germanorum in Pars Occidens, Pope Gregory I organized the Roman Church in a model perdured all along the Middle Age, so fighting corruption and laissez-faire behaviour among the priests.

His main evangelization action had been the conversion to ortodoxy of the Lombards kings, thanks to the Queen Teodolinda and his son, giving start to the christianization of all the german elite so that it became possible in VII century A.D. come to mixed marrying between Romans and Lombards. Then, he was able in reconcile Christianity over the "monophysitism question" but could not avoid the schisme of the ancient eastern churches of Alexandria, Antiochia and Jerusalem still in being nowadays! After that, Pope Gregory I marked the history of european integration by sending benedettines monks to evangelize England under the rule of Saint Augustine, Archibishop of Canterbury, who founded new diocesis in York and Dhuram and nominated their bishops, with the mission to convert the anglosaxon kings with a Bible translated in latin language ("Vulgata") and the "David royal rite" of anointing as rex christianorum among the european genealogies. In the end, Pope Gregory I sent new missions towards Northern Europe, over the ancient roman Imperium limes, starting from the famous monastir of Lindisfarne founded by Saint Patrick.

Pope Gregory I transformed the Roman Church in defensor fidei in Occidens, when the byzantines emperors could not intervine, in opposition to the paganist and eretical movements, so proclamed himself servus servorum Dei and protected Italy from the violences of the Lombards warriors, represented the Christian Empire and absorbed his political and religiosus commitment from his Roman seat. He changed the liturgy, implemented the catholic doctine, developed the ecclestiastic and diplomatic network, owned the monopoly of the christian western culture, even by inventing the chorus of monks ("gregorian chant"). Gregory I has been a real giant of Christianity and of the whole history of european integration.

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