Gregory III of Rome
Our father among saints Gregory III, Pope of Rome (731-741), a Syrian by birth, succeeded Pope Gregory II in March 731. He vigorously opposed the iconoclastic controversy in the Byzantine Empire. He died on November 28, 741. St. Gregory is remembered by the Church on December 10.
Life
Gregory was acclaimed pope by the crowds at his predecessor's funeral.
He was the last pope to seek the Byzantine exarch's mandate. Gregory immediately appealed to the Byzantine Emperor Leo III to moderate his position on the iconoclastic controversy. When this elicited no response, Gregory called a synod in November 731, denouncing iconoclasm and excommunicating destroyers of icons. When a messenger carrying the decrees reached the emperor, the latter decided to bring the pope under control. This included appropriating papal territories and transferring ecclesiastical jurisdictions to the Patriarch of Constantinople.
Gregory's support of the empire led him to help contribute to the recapture of Ravenna after it had fallen to the Lombards in 733. However, he also sought to fortify Rome and seek alliance with opponents of the Lombard monarch Liutprand, king of the Lombards, and then from the Franks. He sent embassies to Charles Martel, who made no response, having his own priorities.
Gregory promoted the Church in northern Europe, such as the missions of Saint Boniface in Germany and Willibald in Bohemia. He also bestowed palliums on Egbert of York and Tatwine, Archbishop of Canterbury. He beautified Rome and supported monasticism.
Source
| Gregory III of Rome | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: St Gregory II |
Pope of Rome 731-741 |
Succeeded by: St Zacharias |