Pope Saint Gregory III

Memorial

• 10 December
• 28 November (Roman Martyrology)

Profile

Priest at Saint Crisogono Church in Rome, Italy; except that his father‘s name was John, nothing else is known about his life prior to being elected 90th pope by popular acclamation in 731. Noted for his learning and virtue. The beginning of his pontificate was troubled by the excesses of the iconoclasts. He called a synod in November 731 to condemn iconoclasm; iconoclast leaders responded by seizing papal territories and assets, and insisting on the ecclestiastical allegiance to the Patriarch of Constantinople. The end of Gregory’s reign was troubled by the invasions of the Lombards, against these he sought the help of Charles Martel, establishing ties with the French crown that would echo for centuries. Gregory promoted the Church in northern Europe, supporting the missions of Saint Boniface in Germany and Saint Willibald in Bohemia, bestowed palliums on Egbert of York and Saint Tatwine of Canterbury, beautified Rome, and supported monasticism in general.

Born

• in Syria
• last pope born outside Europe until the ascension of Pope Francis

Papal Ascension

• elected on 11 February 731
• enthroned in March 731

Died

• 28 November 741 of natural causes

Canonized

• Pre-Congregation

Additional Information

• Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
• Catholic Encyclopedia
• Catholic Online
• Katherine Rabenstein
• Kirken i Norge
• New Catholic Dictionary
• Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
• Pope Gregory III Entrusts Boniface with a Mission to the Heathens
• Pope Gregory III Writes to Boniface about the Organization of the Church in Bavaria
• Wikipedia

MLA Citation

• “Pope Saint Gregory III“. Saints.SQPN.com. 29 May 2013. Web. 20 June 2013. <>