Pope Gregory III (Latin:Gregorius III; died 28 November 741) was thebishop of Rome from 11 February 731 to his death on 28 November 741. His pontificate, like that of his predecessor, was disturbed byByzantine iconoclasm and the advance of theLombards, in which he invoked the intervention ofCharles Martel, although ultimately in vain. He was the lastpope to seek the consent of theByzantineexarch of Ravenna for his election, the last pope ofSyrian origin, and the last pope born outside Europe until the election ofPope Francis 1,272 years later in 2013.[2]
Gregory was the son of aSyrianChristian named Ioannes, Yohannan or John.[3] He waselected pope by popular acclamation on 11 February 731, but was not formallyconsecrated asbishop of Rome until 18 March,[4] after having received the approval of theByzantineexarch of Ravenna. He was the last pope to seek the exarch's ratification of a papal election.[5]
Immediately upon his accession, Gregory appealed toEmperor Leo III to moderate his position oniconoclasm. When Gregory's representative was arrested on the orders of the emperor, Gregory called asynod in November 731, which condemned iconoclasm outright.[6] Leo responded by trying to bring the pope under control, but the fleet he sent to enforce the imperial will was shipwrecked in theAdriatic Sea.[7] He then proceeded to appropriate papal territories inSicily andCalabria, and transferred ecclesiastical jurisdictions in the formerpraetorian prefecture of Illyricum to thepatriarch of Constantinople.[8] However, his attempt to force theduke of Naples to enforce an imperial decree to confiscate papal territory in the duchy failed, as the duke was supportive of the pope's stand.[9]
Gregory, in the meantime, demonstrated his opposition to iconoclasm by emphasising his veneration of icons and relics. He repaired or beautified numerous churches, which involved their decoration with icons and images ofJesus Christ, theVirgin Mary and the saints.[10] He ordered to be erected in the heart ofSt. Peter's Basilica aniconostasis, situated between sixonyx andmarble columns which had been sent to Gregory as a gift from the exarchEutychius.[11] He built a new oratory in St. Peter's Basilica to house the relics of a number of saints, convoking asynod in 732 in order to regulate the prayers and masses to be said there.[12] Gregory was an enthusiastic supporter ofmonasticism; he established the monastery ofSt. Chrysogonus and rebuilt the hospice ofSaints Sergius and Bacchus, near St. Peter's, endowing it for the support of the poor.[13]
A temporary lull in the conflict between theByzantines and theLombards allowed Gregory to deal with some longstanding internal issues, in particular the ongoing jurisdictional dispute between the patriarchs ofGrado andAquileia. Although the Synod of 731 had adjudicated in this matter in favour of Grado, Gregory was forced to reprimand the patriarch of Aquileia, Calixtus, who had attempted to gain possession of the island ofBarbana from Grado's jurisdiction.[14] In 731, he approved the election ofTatwine asarchbishop of Canterbury, after the latter came to Rome in person to ask for thepallium. Gregory approved of the election of his successor,Nothhelm, while in 735 he agreed to the request of KingCeolwulf of Northumbria that BishopEgbert of York should be elevated to the rank ofarchbishop.[15]
Gregory promoted the Church innorthern Europe. He supported the continuing mission ofSaint Boniface inGermany, elevating him to the rank of archbishop of Germany in 732; and, after a personal visit to Rome from Boniface in 737, where he was meant to attend a synod which does not appear to have been held,[16] Gregory made Boniface apapal legate in Germany, and asked him to reorganize theepiscopal sees in Germany.[17] Gregory sent Boniface back toBavaria with three letters. One commanded the bishops and higher ecclesiastical officers to provide Boniface with as much help as they could. A second was addressed to the nobles and people of Germany, urging them to obey Boniface. A third, addressed to the bishops inAlamannia and Bavaria, confirmed Boniface's status as thepapal vicar, ordering them to assemble in a council twice a year atAugsburg under Boniface's authority.[18] Gregory promoted the mission ofWillibald in Germany.[19]
In 732, Gregory banned the consumption ofhorse meat, both domestic and wild, anathematizing it as an "abomination" since it was associated withpagan ritual feasting.[16][20]
The division of Italy between the Lombards and the Byzantines during Gregory III's pontificate
Conscious of the ongoing Lombard threat, Gregory undertook and completed the restoration of theAurelian Walls during the early 730s. He also refortifiedCentumcellae, purchasing fromThrasimund II of Spoleto the fortress ofGallese along theVia Flaminia, which had been taken by the Lombards, interrupting Rome's communications with the exarch atRavenna.[21] The return of the Lombard kingLiutprand in 737 saw a renewal of the Lombard assault on the Exarchate of Ravenna.
Gregory's opposition toByzantine iconoclasm did not stop his lending support to theByzantine Empire to help in the recapture of Ravenna after it had fallen to the Lombards in around 738.[22] In that same year,[23] Liutprand demanded that the Lombard dukes ofSpoleto andBeneventum ravage the area around the Duchy of Rome; but both refused, citing a treaty with the pope.[24] Gregory then actively encouraged the rebellion of Thrasimund, forcing Liutprand to temporarily abandon his attacks on the exarchate, turning his attention towards Spoleto, which Liutprand annexed. Thrasimund was forced to flee Spoleto, seeking refuge in Rome, where he was welcomed by Gregory.[25]
By the middle of 739, Liutprand was encroaching once again on the Exarchate and threatening Rome. In desperation, Gregory sent ambassadors toCharles Martel, theFrankishmayor of the Palace, begging him to intervene on the pope's behalf.[26] Although Gregory stated that he was willing to give up his allegiance to the Eastern Empire and place himself under the protection of the Franks, Charles made no promise to assist, since he was fully occupied by theUmayyad invasion of Gaul.[27][28] Gregory himself referred to theseSaracen Muslims asgens ferocissima or "that most fierce nation".[29] The Lombard capture of the towns ofAmeria,Ortas,Polimartium andBlera once again caused Gregory to write to Charles, this time in even greater tones of despair, beseeching his aid:[30]
Our affliction moves us to write to you once again, trusting that you are a loving son of St. Peter and of us, and that, from respect for him, you will come and defend the Church of God and His peculiar people, who are now unable to endure the persecution and oppression of the Lombards. They have seized the very means set aside to furnish funds for the lights ever kept burning at St. Peter's tomb, and they have carried off offerings that have been made by you and by those who have gone before you. And because, after God, we have turned to you, the Lombards deride and oppress us. Hence the Church of St. Peter has been stripped and reduced to the last straits. We have put into the mouth of the bearer of this letter, your faithful servant all our woes, which he will be able to unfold to you. Please come at once, to show your love towards St. Peter, and us, his own people.[31]
This time Charles Martel did send an embassy to Rome, and this implicit support, together with the beginnings of fever running through his troops, forced Liutprand to march back toPavia by the end of August 739.[32] Taking advantage of this withdrawal, Gregory agreed to support Thrasimund II's return to Spoleto. Thrasimund II forced his way back in by December 739 with Roman armed support, but refused to hand over the four captured towns he had promised in exchange for papal support.[33] Learning that Charles Martel was sick, Liutprand once again returned to attacking the Exarchate in 740, forcing Gregory yet again to appeal to the Franks, who again refused to become involved.[34]
Unsuccessful at stopping the Lombard advance, Gregory III died on 28 November 741.[35] He was succeeded byPope Zachary. He was buried in St. Peter's Basilica, in the oratory he had built at the start of his pontificate.[36] Gregory'sfeast day is now celebrated on 10December.
