E05872: The Whitby Life of *Gregory the Great (bishop of Rome, ob. 604, S00838), records the saint's life, miracles, and writings, with a special focus on his conversion of the English to Christianity. Written in Latin by a monk or nun of Whitby (north-east Britain), 685/714, perhaps 704/14. Overview entry

The Whitby Life of Gregory the Great (BHL 3637)

Summary:

Chapters 1-11 (Gregory's background)
The author comments in the prologue how it is proper to write a Life of 'our master' (magister) whom the whole world calls sanctus Gregorius. (1) On Gregory's parents, and his monastic life. (2) How we know of Gregory's monastic conversion, and his return to secular cares, through his own writings. (3-4) The author states her/his aim to consider how far Gregory ought to be honoured as saint, even though 'we have heard of few miracles,' and argues that sanctity is not necessarily dependent on miracle-working, noting the example of John the Baptist, as opposed to the Apostles (see E05960). (5) The author sets out to relay what is known of Gregory's sanctity from various and ancient sources, even though 'we have heard only a very few out of many.' (6) How Gregory, as their apostle, will present the English people (gens Anglorum) to the Lord on the Day of Judgement, 'according to his own opinion' (iuxta cuius sententiam); Gregory's 'spiritual' miracles are worth more to the English than the more visible wonders of Peter and Paul. (7) How we should imitate the humility of Gregory, who sought to resist his election as pope, although God revealed to the people of Rome where he had hidden. (8-10) Among the signs of Gregory's holiness was his gift of prophecy, and he 'foresaw and made provision for our conversion to God' when he saw some English boys in Rome before he became pope; Pope Benedict (I) granted him permission to leave Rome to undertake their conversion, but the people of Rome vetoed this, complaining to Benedict that he had 'offended Peter' in doing so. (11) After Benedict's death Gregory was elected pope, and 'with as little delay as possible' sent missionaries to the English.

Chapters 12-19 (the role of Edwin and Paulinus in the Gregorian mission to Northumbria)
(12) Æthelberht of Kent was the first Christian king of the English, and after him Edwin, 'a man of this race of ours called the Humbrians.' (13-14) The author comments on the wordplay between 'angels' (angeli) and the 'English' (angli), and of Edwin's father Ælli and 'Allelulia.' (15) How Bishop *Paulinus, whom Gregory sent, warned against reading omens from birds. (16) How Paulinus, 'according to ancient tradition' (antiquitus traditur) appeared to Edwin in a vision before the Gregorian mission. (17) How some said that, when Paulinus died, they saw his soul journey to heaven in the form of a swan. (18-19) How a man (vir) appeared three times in dreams to Trimma, a priest of the 'South English' (Sudrangli), and told him to find the bones of King Edwin at Hatfield and bring them to the monastery of Whitby, which are now buried there in the church of St Peter, east of the altar dedicated to Gregory (see $E05961).

Chapters 20-32 (Gregory's miracles, writings and death)
(20) How, through his prayers, Gregory convinced a matrona in Rome that the Body of the Lord was truly present in the sacrament, causing the consecrated bread on the altar to appear as a bloodied fragment of a little finger. (21) How Gregory granted relics 'of various martyrs' to 'men from western parts,' who brought them back after only thinking of them as 'dirty pieces of cloth'; after prayer, Gregory cut the cloths and caused them to bleed, proving their authenticity (see $E05962). (22) How an excommunicated divorcee sent magicians (magi) after Gregory, who were blinded by the Holy Spirit, but who later converted to Christianity. (23) How Gregory persuaded the king of the Lombards not to attack Rome; he later gave the same king dietary advice. (24) How the 'heavenly skill' of Gregory's writings is also proof of his sanctity. (25) On Gregory's writings on the ranks of angels (of which even sanctus Augustine knew nothing); (26) on Ezekiel, during the writing of which he was attended by a white dove (although Gregory adjured the witness of this never to speak of it during his lifetime); (27) and on Job. (28) How Gregory could 'bind and loose' the souls of the dead as well as the living, such as a physician (medicus) in a monastery, who had hidden three coins, and whom Gregory later freed from hell. He also 'put out the light' of the 'certain pope' (presumably Siricius) who had banished sanctus Jerome from Rome. After his own death, he killed his successor (Sabinianus), who had denigrated his memory (see E05963). (28) How his tears caused the posthumous baptism of the emperor Trajan (see E05964). (30) The author asks the reader not to criticise this work, 'diligently twisted into shape by love rather than knowledge': for even if these miracles were actually worked by someone else, Paul reminds us that the saints "are all members of each other" (see E05960). (31) On Gregory's own writings on his humility. (32) The author states he/she does not know how Gregory died, although he did so on 12 March and is buried in St Peter's, Rome, 'before the papal vestry' (ante eius officii secretarium sepultus). Gregory is remembered as sanctus Gregorius throughout the world, and is invoked in the litany.

Text and translation: Colgrave 1968. Summary: B. Savill.