Madigan describes Gregory the Great to be the savior of their times. He was not only extremely devout to the western church, but also had impeccable leadership skills. These qualities all helped him to become the first monk to be made bishop, and later on Pope, of Rome.

Before his time came as Pope in 590, he accomplished quite a lot as a monk and as a bishop. He was able to establish geographical and ecclesiastical principles that later allowed the popes of that times to grow in authority and power. In addition, he was also Rome’s wealthiest inhabitant, allowing him further advantage as the principle citizen of Rome.

When his time as Pope finally came after Pope Pelagius II died, he was expected to do much more than just lead the church. The city of Rome demanded a figure to lead them in times of the plague and when Rome would come under attack by the Ostrogoths and the Lombards. This is when Pope Gregory’s leadership abilities were put to the test. When barbarians and refugees were flooding into the city, he organized troops and dispensed advice to military commanders. When his troops became unhappy because they felt they weren’t being paid enough, he took five hundred pounds of gold from Rome’s ecclesiastical funds, and then attempted to negotiate with the Lombard King. These are only a few instances where Gregory the Great was able to show his incredible capabilities of leading a city out of distress.

The letter from Gregory the Great to Dominic, Bishop of Carthage is a strong representation of what Madigan describes him to be like. He is very devout to his religion and never lets personal matters breach what the Creator has taught him to think. When talking about the plague and how a lot of people have lost hope, Gregory tells Dominic to keep their spirits high. He tells him to keep the people believing that God will help them out, and surely the world will not come to and end. As a “Consul of God” Gregory the Great definitely demonstrates that here and he gives his advice to other Bishops.

The context behind this letter is that a lot of people believe the world is coming to an end because of the plague, flooding, invasions, etc. However, Gregory the Great knows these things are only temporary, and with God they can overcome them. He sends his thoughts and recommendations to Dominic to make sure he is on the same page. In Mark 13 there is a multitude of destruction happening all around them, but Jesus reassures the people that everything is okay. Gregory is reflecting the same values as he takes it upon himself to not only let his own people know everything is going to be okay, but also Dominic’s people.