Pope Saint Gregory II. Confessor. Reigned From 715 A.D. - 731 A.D. (Part Two).

Pope Saint Gregory II.

This File: 4 December 2006.

User: Nico86

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Gregory ordered a number of Litanies to be said to stem the floods, which spread over the Campus Martius and the, so-called, Plains of Nero, reaching the foot of the Capitoline Hill.[8]

The first year of his Pontificate also saw a Letter arrive from Patriarch John VI of Constantinople, who attempted to justify his support of Monothelitism, while at the same time seeking sympathy from the Pope over the position he was in, with respect to The Emperor. Gregory responded by sending a Letter outlining the Traditional Roman position against Monothelitism.[9]

Then, in 716 A.D., Gregory received an official visit from Duke Theodo of Bavaria to discuss the continuing conversion of his lands to Christianity. As a result of this meeting, Gregory gave specific instructions to his delegates who were to travel to Bavaria, co-ordinate with the Duke, and establish a local Church hierarchy, overseen by an Archbishop.[10]

Gregory maintained an interest in Bavaria; in 726 A.D., he forced an unwilling Corbinian, after reviewing his appeal through a Synod, to abandon his Monastic calling, and become Bishop of Freising, in Upper Bavaria.[11]

Gregory next turned his attention to Germany. In 718 A.D., he was approached by an Anglo-Saxon Missionary, Winfrid, who proposed undertaking Missionary work in Germany.[12] Gregory agreed, and after changing his name to Boniface, commissioned him in May 719 A.D. to Preach in Germany.[1]

After hearing of the work that had been done so far, in 722 A.D., Gregory summoned Boniface back to Rome to answer rumours concerning Boniface’s doctrinal purity.[13]

At this face-to-face meeting, Boniface complained that he found Gregory’s Latin difficult to understand, a clear indication that Vulgar Latin had already started to evolve into the Romance Languages.[14]

After examining Boniface’s written Profession of Faith, Gregory was satisfied enough that he made Boniface a Bishop in November 722 A.D, and returned him to Germany to continue his Mission.[1]

Continued successes saw Gregory write to Boniface in December 724 A.D. to offer his congratulations, followed in November 726 A.D. by a response to Boniface’s questions about how to structure the newly-emergent Churches in Germany.[15]

Gregory also strengthened Papal authority in the Churches of Britain and Ireland. In 726 A.D., Gregory was visited by Ine, the former King of Wessex, who had abdicated the throne in order to undertake a Pilgrimage to Rome and end his life there.[16]

Gregory also concerned himself with establishing or restoring Monasteries. He turned his family mansion in Rome into a Monastery, Saint Agatha in Suburra, endowing it with expensive and precious Vessels for use at the Altar,[17] and also established a new Church, Dedicated to Sant’Eustachio.[18]

In 718 A.D., he restored Monte Cassino, which had not recovered from an attack by the Lombards in 584 A.D., and he intervened in a dispute at the Monastery of Saint Vincent, on The River Volturno, over the deposition of the Abbot.[19]

In 721 A.D., Gregory held a Synod in Rome, for the purpose of fixing issues around illegitimate marriages.[20]

Then, in 723 A.D., the long-standing dispute between the Patriarchs of Aquileia and Grado flared up again. Upon the request of the Lombard King, Liutprand, Gregory had given the Pallium to Bishop Serenus, granting him the Patriarchate of Aquileia.

Soon afterwards, however, Gregory received a Letter from Donatus, Patriarch of Grado, complaining that Serenus had overstepped his authority, and was interfering within Grado’s Ecclesiastical jurisdiction.[21]

At the same time, Gregory reprimanded Donatus for complaining about Gregory’s decision to grant the Pallium to Serenus in the first place.[22]

Then, in 725 A.D., upon Donatus’ death, the Grado Patriarchate was usurped by Peter, the Bishop of Pola. Gregory responded by depriving Peter of both Sees, and he wrote to the people of the Diocese, reminding them to only elect Bishops in accordance with Church Law, whereupon they elected Antoninus, with Gregory’s approval.[23]

Gregory also mandated a number of practices within The Church. He decreed that in Lent, on Thursdays, people should Fast, just as they were required to do during the other days of the week.

PART THREE FOLLOWS.