Papal trivia

Gregory the great, whose feast we commemorate today, was the first monk to be elected Pope! And I think it would not be too far off the mark to say that it was Gregory who actually cemented the role of the Pope as a ruler, an administrator in the early years of Christianity.  Not that he intended it to be - certainly his priority was the spiritual growth and consolidation of the Church.  That is evident from his numerous letters and writings.  But his ability to foresee events and plan as per was something that went hand in hand with this catechetical skill. 

Moreover it is to him that it can be attributed the narrowing down of the election to the papacy (and roles of ecclesial hierarchy) from among the priestly and religious - again, no fault or plan of his!! 

Things are not to be loved for the sake of a place, but places are to be loved for the sake of their good things. 

When Augustine asked whether to use Roman or Gallican customs in the mass in England, Gregory said, in paraphrase, that it was not the place that imparted goodness but good things that graced the place, and it was more important to be pleasing to the Almighty.