GREGORY THE GREAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12547, 14 April 1904, Page 5

GREGORY THE GREAT.

THIRTEENTH CENTENARY. By Telegraph —Pres» Asiociation,—-Copyright* , Rome, April 12 The Pope, in the presence of 60,000 people, celebrated mass in St. Peter's on the occasion of the annisary of the thirteenth centenary of Pope Gregory the Great. The Gregorian music, which Pope Pius is introducing at the church services, was a special feature in the celebration. It appears that the Rev. Mr. Bannister, an Anglican clergyman, who has been chosen to prepare an exhibition in Rome and at the Vaticanof Gregoriin codices, discovered a' tenth century manuscript and the beautiful sequence belonging to Gregory the First, which was sung yesterday.

Pope Gregory the Great was born in Rome, being the son of a Senator. He was mad® pr»>tor of Koine, but relinquished that office and became a monk. He devoted himself to the regulation of church worship, instituting among other things the liturgy of the Mass. Ho also did a great deal for the propagation of the faith. The story is told of Pope Gregory that on one occasion he saw some fair-haired British youths in the slave market at Rome. On being fold that they were Angles he said they should he angels, and resolved from that day on the conversion of the nation they belonged to, and sent to England for that purpose a body of monks under St. Augustine, who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury.