Abstract
Since Gregory the Great is regarded as one of the greatest of the Popes of the Catholic Church, a study of the saint reveals much about the position of the Church and its members during his reign. Some insight into this Pope’s thought may be gained through an investigation of his reaction to certain problems with which he was confronted during his reign. The fourteen volumes of his collected letters provide an excellent source for approaching these problems and his reaction to them. | One question that the saint dealt with was the part the clergy were to play in the life of the Church. This is a problem that had been present without solution since the Church had been established. No attempt will be made to examine Gregory's views on all the facets of clerical life. It is the purpose of this study to determine what Pope Gregory's views were on the clergy's relationship to the lay courts, civil officials, and the administration of the revenues and properties of the Church. To evaluate adequately the attitudes of Gregory on clerical life, it is necessary first to have some knowledge of his life and the conditions of the times in which he reigned. | To avoid confusion and to insure a clearer understanding, one should state what the term "clergy" is to include. In this study it covers only bishops, priests and monks. Deacons and subdeacons are thus excluded, a limitation which narrows the range considerably. | The scope of this work is further restricted by the fact that it is based entirely on the letters from the first six books of Gregory’s correspondence, with the exception of one letter from Book XIII which is used in order to acquire knowledge of the Imperial decrees on this subject. Understanding of the topic would be greatly enhanced by the letters of the remaining eight books, but such a study would be excessively large, and would go far beyond the scope of a thesis for the master’s degree.