Pope Gregory I was a pioneering pope who transformed pastoral care, strengthened papal authority, and played a key role in medieval Church reforms and missionary work. 

Pope Gregory I, one of the three popes honored with the title "Great" in Church history, was the second to receive this distinction. He was also the first monk to become a pope.

Gregory was elected on September 3, AD 590, as the successor to Pope Pelagius II. He was among the most influential papal writers in Church history. He introduced the idea that the true role of a bishop was to be a shepherd of souls, setting a new standard for pastoral care, which later became a guiding principle for the medieval bishops.

Born in AD 540, Gregory was still a deacon when Pope Pelagius II passed away in AD 590. Upon Pelagius’ death, the Church leadership in Rome unanimously selected Deacon Gregory as the new supreme pontiff. Upon hearing of his election, Gregory wrote to the Emperor in Constantinople, requesting that he be freed from this obligation. While awaiting the Emperor's response, he dedicated himself to pastoral care, assisting the people of Rome who were suffering due to a plague. Resisting consecration for seven months, he accepted the Emperor's order to take up the office for the good of the Church, becoming the 64th Pontiff.

Gregory’s initial letters as pope reveal his reluctance at being forced to abandon his monastic life and assume the heavy responsibilities of Church leadership. Even as Pope he lived the simple life of a monk. Due to the political instability of the time, his duties extended beyond spiritual and ecclesiastical matters to include civil and political affairs.

He quickly organized systems for food distribution and expanded the Church’s resources to support the poor, restructuring the Papal Estates across Italy, Sicily, Dalmatia, Gaul, and North Africa to better serve the needy. He issued strict instructions to the rectors of these estates, emphasizing that Church property belonged to the poor and should be used for their welfare. Gregory firmly declared that the wealth he distributed did not belong to him personally but was meant for the impoverished, as he saw himself merely as a steward of resources entrusted to the Church by St. Peter.

Realizing that the Exarch of Ravenna was incapable of defending against the Lombards, Gregory personally took the initiative to form an alliance with the Duke of Spoleto to counter the Lombard threat. However, when the Exarch violated the agreement and the Lombards marched toward Rome, Gregory successfully negotiated with the Lombard king by offering an annual tribute, thus securing Rome’s safety. This diplomatic intervention solidified his role as the spiritual leader of Rome.

Gregory took an active role in governance, overseeing treaty negotiations, military payments, and the appointment of generals and governors. At the same time, he recognized the need to reform Church governance.

One of the first acts of the Great Pope was to enforce the law of celibacy on priests, deacons and sub deacons. He thus established clerical celibacy as a discipline within the Church. He introduced a comprehensive legal code that included clear regulations regarding the election and conduct of bishops in Italy. Gregory maintained strong relationships with Christian communities in Spain and Gaul and took special interest in missionary efforts.

Noting that the native clergy in Britain had failed to convert the Anglo-Saxons, he sent Augustine (later known as St. Augustine of Canterbury) with forty monks to Britain in AD 596. Augustine was later consecrated as the Metropolitan of Canterbury and received the pallium as a symbol of his authority.

Gregory’s relationship with the Emperor and Constantinople remained complex. The Emperor regarded the pope as merely a subject of the Roman Empire, leading to conflicts over Church governance. Despite this, Gregory firmly upheld papal primacy, advocating that even in the Eastern Church, the final court of appeal was in Rome. The controversy over the title "Ecumenical Patriarch," which had begun under Pope Pelagius II, continued during Gregory’s papacy. He maintained that no bishop, including the pope himself, should assume the title "Universal Patriarch."

His insistence on this principle was rooted in his belief that papal authority arose from humility rather than domination. As a result, Gregory adopted the title "Servant of the Servants of God", a designation that has been used by popes ever since.

Coming from a monastic background, Gregory was a strong advocate of monastic life. He worked to reform Church worship and sacred music, organizing and standardizing liturgical chant, which later became known as the Gregorian Chant. Many prayers used in the Holy Mass today were composed and codified by him. He was also responsible for incorporating the "Our Father" into the Eucharistic liturgy. However, his support for monasticism caused divisions within the Roman clergy, leading to long-standing tensions between diocesan priests and monastic clergy.

Gregory’s writings were more practical than theoretical and had a profound influence on medieval Christianity. His biblical commentaries were widely read, and he played a key role in systematizing the teachings of St. Augustine. As a result, he was counted among the great Doctors of the Church alongside St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, and St. Jerome. His most famous work, Pastoral Care, became a foundational text on the responsibilities of bishops. It was translated into Greek and Anglo-Saxon during his lifetime and emphasized the necessity of adapting pastoral care to meet the needs of individuals. The book provided guidelines for preaching, balancing contemplation with active ministry, and conducting regular self-examination.

In his work The Dialogues, Gregory detailed the lives and miracles of various Italian saints, particularly St. Benedict of Nursia. His aim was to encourage Christians to persevere in faith despite worldly trials. Gregory’s spirituality was shaped by his conviction that the end of the world was near—a belief influenced by his constant battle with illness. He suffered from severe arthritis, which left him unable to walk in his later years. Tragically, during his final years, Rome endured another siege, leading to famine and suffering. As a result, the Roman people, once his loyal supporters, turned against him in their desperation.

Weakened by age, illness, and the burdens of leadership, Pope Gregory I passed away on March 12, AD 604. He was buried in St. Peter’s Basilica, where his tomb bears the inscription: "God’s Representative."