Although reluctant to take the mantle, preferring the quiet of the monastery, Gregory accomplishments were “great” – from reorganization to foreign relations, along with the famous Gregorian chant (not the calendar that came with Gregory XIII in 1582).Īs I continued to study the popes by Norwich, I came across John Anderson’s article for the New York Times – Who Died and Made You Pope? – describing a new film “We Have a Pope,” scheduled for release on Good Friday this week. Gregory the Great (590-604), a former wealthy civil servant who gave away his lands to the church (a practice that continued through the ages to increase the church’s coffers and influence) had the distinction of being the first monk to become a pope. If you are a fan of exploring family trees or the evolution of dynastic power, Norwich’s study of the popes delivers the longest running line in history – some pious, some crazy, most power-hungry – some great. Norwich’s book reads like a text – not quite the “beach-read” described by Bill Keller in his review for the New York Times – 2000 Years of Popes, Sacred and Profane– but Norwich does insert some humor with his own irreverent commentary, and shows no mercy with some of the “idiotic” politics.
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