W. Robert Godfrey

So as some in the West felt, well, the empire seems to be disappearing.

There seems to be a decentralization of civilization occurring.

There does seem to be a loss of some of the old Roman structures of society.

Where can we look for continuity?

Who will provide assurance that things are continuing?

and it was to the papacy that they looked.

The papacy, the bishop of Rome, had been around in the ancient church.

The bishop of Rome had been recognized as a leading church authority in the ancient church period, and so in an age of some anxiety, people were able to look to the bishop of Rome as a point of continuity, as a point of

security as a civilizing as well as Christianizing presence in the West.

And Gregory became a key foundational example of that because of his own talent and because of his own opportunities in the days in which he lived.

He was born in 540, so he and Justinian overlapped a little bit.

He was born actually to quite a rich family in Rome, ancient, influential family in Rome.

He was involved for a time in the city life, in the political life of the city, and then felt that he wanted to take his Christianity more seriously.

He was raised in a Christian home.

and he gave away the family fortune.

He joined a monastery and devoted himself to the ascetic ideal of Christianity that was becoming more and more popular in his day.

He was sent for a time as a representative of the Pope to the Byzantine court.

So these connections continue, and was then in 590, so at about the age of 50, he was elected Bishop of Rome.

He took the office very reluctantly.

He didn't want to be bishop of Rome.