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Gregory the Great, a Model for Civil and Religious Leaders
Catholic Culture.org ^ | September 3, 2006 | Pope Benedict XVI

Posted on 09/03/2007 8:27:42 PM PDT by Salvation

Gregory the Great, a Model for Civil and Religious Leaders

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today, 3 September, the Roman calendar commemorates St Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (c. 540-604).

His exceptional, I would say, almost unique figure is an example to hold up both to pastors of the Church and to public administrators: indeed, he was first Prefect and then Bishop of Rome. As an imperial official, he was so distinguished for his administrative talents and moral integrity that he served in the highest civil office, Praefectus Urbis, when he was only 30 years old.

Within him, however, the vocation to the monastic life was maturing; he embraced it in 574, upon his father's death. The Benedictine Rule then became the backbone of his existence. Even when the Pope sent him as his Representative to the Emperor of the East in Constantinople, he maintained a simple and poor monastic lifestyle.

Called back to Rome, Gregory, although living in a monastery, was a close collaborator of Pope Pelagius II, and when the Pope died, the victim of a plague epidemic, Gregory was acclaimed by all as his Successor.

He sought in every way to escape this appointment but in the end was obliged to yield. He left the cloister reluctantly and dedicated himself to the community, aware of doing his duty and being a simple and poor "servant of the servants of God".

"He is not really humble," he wrote, "who understands that he must be a leader of others by decree of the divine will and yet disdains this pre-eminence. If, on the contrary, he submits to divine dispositions, and does not have the vice of obstinacy, and is prepared to benefit others with those gifts when the highest dignity of governing souls is imposed on him, he must flee from it with his heart, but against his will, he must obey" ( Pastoral Rule, I, 6). It is like a dialogue that the Pope has with himself at that time.

With prophetic foresight, Gregory intuited that a new civilization was being born from the encounter of the Roman legacy with so-called "barbarian" peoples, thanks to the cohesive power and moral elevation of Christianity. Monasticism was proving to be a treasure not only for the Church but for the whole of society.

With delicate health but strong moral character St Gregory the Great carried out intense pastoral and civil action. He left a vast collection of letters, wonderful homilies, a famous commentary on the Book of Job and writings on the life of St Benedict, as well as numerous liturgical texts, famous for the reform of song that was called "Gregorian", after him.

However, his most famous work is certainly the Pastoral Rule , which had the same importance for the clergy as the Rule of St Benedict had for monks in the Middle Ages.

The life of a pastor of souls must be a balanced synthesis of contemplation and action, inspired by the love "that rises wonderfully to high things when it is compassionately drawn to the low things of neighbours; and the more kindly it descends to the weak things of this world, the more vigorously it recurs to the things on high" (II, 5).

In this ever timely teaching, the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council found inspiration to outline the image of today's Pastor.

Let us pray to the Virgin Mary that the example and teaching of St Gregory the Great may be followed by pastors of the Church and also by those in charge of civil institutions.

© Copyright 2006 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana



TOPICS: Catholic; History; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: catholic; catholiclist; guidance; inspiration
Address by Pope Benedict a year ago.
1 posted on 09/03/2007 8:27:48 PM PDT by Salvation
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To: nickcarraway; sandyeggo; Lady In Blue; NYer; american colleen; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; ...
Saint of the Day Ping!

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Saint of the Day Ping List.

2 posted on 09/03/2007 8:29:21 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: ELS

Ping.


3 posted on 09/03/2007 8:30:16 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All

**His exceptional, I would say, almost unique figure is an example to hold up both to pastors of the Church and to public administrators: indeed, he was first Prefect and then Bishop of Rome.**

I laughed when I first read that Pope Gregory the Great was first a politician.

Then, reading further I realized what a truly remarkable man he was.

We need Pope Gregroy the Great today in the liturgy and in the music.

Pope Gregory the Great pray for us!


4 posted on 09/03/2007 8:32:04 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Gregory the Great, a Model for Civil and Religious Leaders

I Had a Dream: The Music of Palestrina and Gregory the Great Had Come Back

Saint Gregory The Great: Pope, Doctor of the Church

[Pope]St.Gregory The Great

Pope St.Gregory 1(the Great) [Read Only]

5 posted on 09/03/2007 8:36:04 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Salvation

One of the greatest popes to have served.


6 posted on 09/03/2007 9:05:13 PM PDT by pissant (Duncan Hunter: Warrior, Statesman, Conservative)
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To: Salvation
I laughed when I first read that Pope Gregory the Great was first a politician. Then, reading further I realized what a truly remarkable man he was. We need Pope Gregroy the Great today in the liturgy and in the music.

Isn't THAT the truth.

7 posted on 09/04/2007 5:10:51 AM PDT by starfish923 (Socrates: It's never right to do wrong.)
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To: Salvation
Let us pray to the Virgin Mary that...

I don't know how many times I have been told that Catholics don't pray to the Virgin Mary.

But then I keep seeing statements like this.

8 posted on 09/04/2007 5:42:58 AM PDT by P-Marlowe (LPFOKETT GAHCOEEP-w/o*)
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To: P-Marlowe

You are certainly correct that all too often things are phrased incorrectly or worse. Pray in this case is fundamentally the wrong word, or the right word but with a fundamentally different meaning then when used to refer to Our Lord and Savior.


9 posted on 09/04/2007 6:43:27 AM PDT by StAthanasiustheGreat (Vocatus Atque Non Vocatus Deus Aderit)
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To: StAthanasiustheGreat
You are certainly correct that all too often things are phrased incorrectly or worse.

I see it a lot. Maybe you aren't supposed to pray TO Mary, but the fact of the matter is that a lot of Catholics do. The fact of the matter is that a lot of Catholics think Mary has Divine powers that are equal to or in some cases greater than those of her Son.

Now are they practicing correct Catholic theology? Maybe not, but who among the Catholics is correcting or admonishing them? Did any Catholics on this thread stop and question the statement of Pope Benedict? Has anyone chastised him for suggesting that Catholics pray to Mary?

Frankly since it is the Pope who is asking that everyone pray TO Mary, why should anyone think that is not what Catholics do?

10 posted on 09/04/2007 7:56:44 AM PDT by P-Marlowe (LPFOKETT GAHCOEEP-w/o*)
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To: StAthanasiustheGreat
Explain to me how this is not a Prayer To Mary:


Saint Alphonsus de Liguori - Prayer to the Blessed Virgin MaryPrayer by St. Alphonsus de Liguori

From the Glories of Mary

Most Holy Virgin Immaculate, my Mother Mary, to Thee who art the Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the universe, the advocate, the hope, the refuge of sinners, I who am the most miserable of all sinners, have recourse this day.

I venerate Thee, great Queen, and I thank Thee for the many graces Thou hast bestowed upon me even unto this day; in particular for having delivered me from the hell which I have so often deserved by my sins. 

I love Thee, most dear Lady; and for the love I bear Thee, I promise to serve Thee willingly for ever and to do what I can to make Thee loved by others also. I place in Thee all my hopes for salvation; accept me as thy servant and shelter me under thy mantle, thou who art the Mother of mercy.

 And since thou art so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or at least obtain for me the strength to overcome them until death. From Thee I implore a true love for Jesus Christ. Through Thee I hope to die a holy death. My dear Mother, by the love thou bearest to Almighty God, I pray Thee to assist me always, but most of all at the last moment of my life. Forsake me not then, until thou shalt see me safe in heaven, there to bless Thee and sing of thy mercies through all eternity. Such is my hope. Amen. 

11 posted on 09/04/2007 9:09:46 AM PDT by P-Marlowe (LPFOKETT GAHCOEEP-w/o*)
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To: Salvation

Troparion (Tone 4)

Receiving divine grace from God on high, O glorious Gregory,
And strengthened with its power,
You willed to walk in the path of the Gospel, O most blessed one.
Therefore you have received from Christ the reward of your labors!
Entreat him that he may save our souls!

Kontakion (Tone 3)

You showed yourself to be an imitator of Christ, the chief Shepherd,
O Father Gregory,
Guiding the orders of monks to the fold of heaven.
From there you taught the flock of Christ His commandments!
Now you rejoice and dance with them in the mansions of heaven!


12 posted on 09/04/2007 9:40:15 AM PDT by Kolokotronis (Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated!)
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To: P-Marlowe

Actually, I totally understand why you’re confused.

When people say “we don’t pray to Mary” they really should be much more clear. We don’t pray to Mary *as a divinity* is more accurate.

We do pray to Mary, and St. Joseph, and St. Francis, and all the saints. Mary is in heaven and how else would you communicate with someone in heaven but by prayer? Ma Bell don’t go there.


13 posted on 09/04/2007 10:31:30 AM PDT by Claud
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To: P-Marlowe

Which brings me to another point. I’ve been developing this proto-thesis on why Catholics and Protestants don’t see eye to eye on idolatry. I dunno if this is right or not, but here’s what I’ve come up with.

Protestant theology (please correct me if I’m wrong) holds that the time of sacrificing is over. Thus, the Reformed faith orients itself wholly toward praise and worship of God primarily through prayer. To direct this prayer to some other being, like Mary, is therefore seen to be idolatry, because it can’t practically be separated from what is done for God Himself.

Catholics, however, still believe in the sacrifice the “pure oblation” described by Malachi. To us, the height of worship is not our own personal devotional prayer, but the offering of the Son to the Father at Mass. No matter how effusive our prayers are to Mary, they never reach this plane. We *never ever ever* offer sacrifice to Mary or to any one else but God. THAT we would consider idolatry.

So rest assured, there is an infinite gulf between what we offer to God and what we offer to Mary; only to see it, you have to come at it from our theology, not your own.


14 posted on 09/04/2007 10:43:12 AM PDT by Claud
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To: Salvation; ELS
Maureen of the Maria Lectrix blog podcasted Pope St Gregory the Great's Pastoral Care (The Book of Pastoral Rule). From her description of the work:
This is _the_ medieval management book, written by the pope who set up the Catholic Church to survive the Dark Ages. It was written for bishops and read by huge numbers of European lay leaders as well as church ones. This is the book that King Alfred so wanted to spread around that he had it translated into English. This is a book that still has important lessons today.

The first part considers what sort of person you ought to have in charge and what sort not, as well as good and bad reasons for wanting to lead and teach. It also warns of the bad side of being in charge. The second part considers what sort of life should be led by someone in charge. (Hint: the virtuous and humble kind.) The third part considers how to govern, discipline, and teach one's subordinates fairly and well. It includes thoughts on how to deal with different types of personalities. The fourth part is about how the successful ruler must continually examine his life so as to govern, criticize and discipline himself.

You can see why this isn't exactly next to Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and Genghis in the Business section of your bookstore. But is there much ultimate satisfaction in holding a good position and pulling down a good paycheck, if you aren't also a good person who's good to the people around you?
She has also read The Everlasting Man by Chesterton, Belloc's Europe and the Faith and many other interesting works.

She's looking for suggestions as to what her listeners would like to hear next: Coming Attractions and Call for Suggestions.
15 posted on 09/04/2007 11:33:16 AM PDT by Mike Fieschko (et numquam abrogatam)
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To: Claud

**We do pray to Mary, and St. Joseph, and St. Francis, and all the saints. Mary is in heaven and how else would you communicate with someone in heaven but by prayer?**

And we ask our Blessed Mother and the Saints to intercede for us with the Son.


16 posted on 09/04/2007 5:13:49 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Mike Fieschko

Sounds like a good podcast!


17 posted on 09/04/2007 5:15:06 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Salvation
Here's another one, which I found via the Catholic Audio blog (free mp3s, mostly): Medieval Lectures - University Course, which blog post links to The Medieval Intellectual Tradition course from the University of Sydney:
John Scott's lecture on Pope St Gregory the Great.

18 posted on 09/04/2007 6:55:55 PM PDT by Mike Fieschko (et numquam abrogatam)
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To: All
Doctors of the Catholic Church



Saint Gregory the Great is so called because he was truly a great leader starting as a Prefect of Rome before he was thirty. Afterwards, the church flourished under his wise and holy infuence as a monk, deacon, priest, papal nuncio, and abbot. At fifty he was elected Pope by the clergy and the people of Rome.

During his day during the sixth century the church was undergoing ferocious attacks by Huns, Goths, and Lombards and rampant strife that caused great hardships and tragedy. The population of Rome plumetted from a million to 15,000 due to invasions, pestilence, and diseases. Gregory's courage, leadership, action, and prayers, helped unite the church together.

No doctor of the church or member served in more offices or position than Gregory. He was the first Pope to be declared a doctor. He shares that distinction with St Leo, the only other pontiff to become a doctor, and he was born before Gregory.

Gregory was firm and direct in removing unworthy priests from office and was a great Benedictine reformer and strengthened the respect for doctrine. He was given a place with Sts Ambrose, Jerome and Augustine as one of the four ecumenical doctors of the Western church. The below link on the Life of St Greogry the Great by Sister Catherine Goddard Clark, M.I.C.M. will provide a far superioir insight into Gregory than what is printed below.

Gregory's Life:

      http://www.catholicism.org/pages/greg.htm


St Gregory, 540-604. Doctor of Hymnology, Feast Sept. 3rd.


19 posted on 09/03/2008 10:05:17 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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