Gregory the Syrian

Imagine being thrust suddenly from a life of quiet scholarship to the top position in the Western European church. That is what happened to Gregory. He was a scholar from Syria with a reputation for learning and holiness. Pope Gregory II died in February 731. As Gregory the Syrian followed the funeral procession through the streets, the Roman mob shouted that he should be made pope. Hands seized him and dragged him toward his destiny.

Gregory was not consecrated until this day, March 18, 731, about a month later. Probably he had to await the approval of the secular authorities in Ravenna. If so, he was the last pope to seek their nod.

Gregory would demonstrate courage and dignity as pope. Boniface was laboring among the Germanic tribes in northern Europe. Gregory supported this work, writing to him: "You are to teach them the service of the kingdom of God by persuading them to accept the truth in the name of Christ, the Lord our God. You will instill into their minds the teaching of the Old and New Testaments, doing this in a spirit of love and moderation, and with arguments suited to their understanding." He sent Willibald to help Boniface.

Shocked when he learned that some who called themselves Christians sold their slaves to pagans for sacrifice, Gregory wrote, "Among other crimes committed in those parts you have mentioned this, that certain of the faithful sell their slaves to the pagans for sacrifices. Which thing, brother, we think should be corrected, and we do not think you should allow it to proceed further; for it is a disgrace and an impiety. To those therefore who have done these things you should mete out the same punishment as for homicide."

Italy was harassed by the Lombards in those days. Gregory completed the restoration of Rome's walls as a defense. The Lombards were so strong that he found it necessary to solicit the aid of Charles Martel. Little help came from the Franks, however, because Charles was dying. In other action, Gregory made Egbert of York archbishop, thus making it official that England would have two metropolitans (the other was at Canturbury). He also confirmed the rights of certain eastern patriarchs.

Shortly after Gregory was elevated to the primacy, Leo III, emperor of the East, decided that icons were idolatrous. He ordered them destroyed. Blood flowed. Gregory took the side of icons and made a special show of venerating them. He remonstrated with Leo and called synods that supported the use of icons. Leo sent ships to capture Gregory. Although advised to flee, Gregory refused. His courage took on superhuman overtones when a storm destroyed Leo's fleet. Leo had to content himself with seizing Italian lands. Gregory died in the midst of further political troubles on the Italian peninsula.

Resources:

1. Brusher, Joseph Stanislaus. Popes through the Ages. (Princeton, N. J.: Van Nostrand, 1959.)
2. Mann, Horace K. "Pope St. Gregory III." The Catholic Encyclopaedia. (New York: Robert Appleton, 1914).
3. Montor, Chevalier Artaud de. Lives and Times of the Popes. (New York: Catholic Publication Society of America, 1909).