THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
Jejunator (q.v.), kept assuming the title "Ecumenical," Gregory made earnest remonstrances to him, and forbade his envoy to attend the patriarch's mass so long as he retained that title. The emperor addressing Gregory a written admonition to keep the peace, he answered both emperor and patriarch in the sharpest terms. Not even the bishop of Rome, he said, though to him was "committed the primacy and the care of the entire Church," called himself "Universal Bishop"; and last of all might the bishop of Constantinople so style himself, since it was notorious that many bishops of that Church had fallen into the abyss of erroneous doctrine. The dispute continued under the new patriarch, Cyriacus (see Cyriacus, 2). Finally, Gregory believed himself permitted to hope for victory in this contest, when (Nov., 602) the patriarch's defender, Emperor Mauritius, was dethroned and executed by Phocas. In confidence of the new emperor's assistance, he again admonished the patriarch "to put far from the Church the scandal of that impious and proud title." His will was attained after his death, in that Phocas acknowledged Rome as "head of all the churches." Gregory had likewise to contend with John, the archbishop of Ravenna, who had been loyally devoted to him at the outset. When the pope, however, forbade him to wear the pallium Relations except during mass, he would not comwithRa- ply. After his death (595), Gregory venna and rejected the candidates proposed in Other Bish- Ravenna, and nominated his friend,, oprics. the Roman presbyter Marinianus, yet even he soon refused to acknowledge the bishop of Rome as the decisive tribunal in the affairs of distant churches. Gregory encountered similar opposition in Illyria and Aquileia. In Africa, the Church still suffered grievously from the Donatist schism (see Donatism). Gregory deemed it his official duty to exhort the bishops as well as the exarch and the emperor to combat this heresy, and to express his censure if this were not done in the way by him judged proper. When, however, he desired that in future the primate of each ecclesiastical province should no longer be appointed according to seniority, but by election, the bishops declined to approve this infringement of their ancient consuetudines; and the pope was obliged to yield. In other instances he regarded the independent spirit of the North African Church; but, though he had the gratification of appeals from this church to Rome, he never required the case to be decided by himself at Rome, but stopped short with allowing the matter to be settled on the spot. He was able to commit the Spanish Church unreservedly to the care of his friend, Bishop Leander of Seville.
Peculiarly difficult "was Gregory's position in respect to the Frankish Church, which was already accustomed to independence, while The Gregory was so entirely unprovided Frankish with practical means to confront the Church, situation aggressively that here he must show forth, in special measure, a wise "humility in service." No vicar of the pope had held office in Gaul from 586 onward, until
Bishop Virgilius of Aries, in harmony with King Childebert, besought Gregory, in 595, to appoint him his vicar, and to confer the pallium on him. Gregory forthwith made efforts to abolish simony and the promotion of laymen to bishoprics. He also encouraged the holding of synods under the presidency of his vicar, along with obedience to their enactments, reserving for the Apostolic See the decision of disputes in matters of faith, and other difficult questions. When nothing resulted from all these beginnings, Gregory attempted to gain influence over this " extra- Roman " Church through a special legate, Candidus, as well as through frequent written communications to the princes and a number of the Frankish bishops. The task was aggravated because he was obliged to commend himself and his wishes to the favor of Brunhilda; but infamous as her deeds were in all else, at least she befriended the Church, so that Gregory deemed it his duty to ignore the darker sides of her life, and by laudatory recognition of what she did for the Church to render her disposed toward still further fulfilment of his wishes. This policy was not simply diplomacy. Gregory was entirely persuaded that what the good Brunhilda had wrought for the Church was in itself well-pleasing to God, meritorious, and available to cancel sin. However, the irregular appointment of bishops was not abated, nor did the synod, from which Gregory hoped for important reforms, come to pass in his lifetime. Nevertheless his endeavors with reference to the Frankish Church are to be reckoned among the fruitful seeds which at last sprang up and grew.
Of the very greatest importance for the future was Gregory's missionary activity, of which the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons (see Anglo-Saxons, Conversion op the ; Augustine, Saint, of Canterbury) was the most conspicuous result.
He sought also to win the Jews for
Gregory's Christendom, forbidding herein all
Missionary manner of coercive procedure, but
Activity, holding it allowable to promote their
conversion by pecuniary rewards. When he learned that in Sardinia there were still many heathen, he commanded the bishop to resort to flogging and imprisonment. Here the Church possessed power, and so needed not to exercise the patience that was still requisite in England.
Among the writings of Gregory, his Expositio in beatum Job seu moralium libri XXXV was utilized and highly esteemed as a compendium of ethics
during all the Middle Ages. He was Writings, moved to compose his second work,
Regula pastoralis, by the reproaches of Archbishop John of Ravenna for his attempt to avoid by flight his elevation to the papal throne. In the first part he shows how the highest government is to be attained; in the second, how a pastor should live; in the third, how he should teach; in the fourth, that good conduct of office must not be allowed to lead one astray through pride. This book was early so renowned that in 602 the Emperor Mauritius had it translated into Greek, while Alfred the Great (q.v.) rendered it into Anglo- Saxon. At several synods (for instance, those of