Sixth Century

Monks, Barbarian Conversion, Gregorian Chant

            St. Benedict drew up his Rule for monks in 529. Based on prayer and work it attracted many men and women to religious life. At one point there were over 40,000 monasteries guided by the Benedictine rule. A Benedictine is a person in religious life who follows the Rule of Saint Benedict.

            Church and State became more closely intertwined. Church buildings become more monumental. Justinian built Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, dedicated to Christ as the "Holy Wisdom."

            Saint Columba (521-597) went as a missionary to Scotland, establishing headquarters at Iona.

            The conversion of barbarian groups continued. Recared, Visigoth King in Spain, and an Arian, became Roman Catholic.

            Pope St. Gregory I the Great (590-604), a Benedictine, was the first monk elected pope. He sent St. Augustine of Canterbury and a company of monks to evangelize England (596), and other missionaries to France, Spain, and Africa. He collected the melodies and plain chant now known as Gregorian Chants. Organs began to be used in churches. Church bells were first used to call people to worship and to bring monks to pray the Holy Office (the Hours) in the monasteries. Together with Augustine, Ambrose, and Jerome, Pope St. Gregory I is considered one of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church. He wrote seminal works on the Mass and Office and gave the Mass much of the shape it has today.

Saints

            Saint Benedict: Born in Umbria around 480 A.D. He established the Benedictine Rule. Because this rule was subsequently adopted throughout Europe, St. Benedict received the title of patriarch of Western monasticism. He died on March 21, 547 A.D. He founded 12 monasteries.

            Saint Columba, 521-597: Born in Ireland, he studied at the monastery of Clonard and was ordained a priest. At the age of 42 he left Ireland and landed on the island of Iona off the coast of Scotland. There he built the monastery which was to become world famous. With Saints Canice and Comgall he spread the gospel to the Picts.

            Pope Saint Gregory I the Great: In 592, two years after his election as pope, the Lombards were at the gates of Rome; Gregory accepted papal responsibility for the city and negotiated to persuade the barbarians to withdraw. As a temporal ruler of Rome, using monastic establishments to spread spiritual rule throughout Europe, he established the pattern for the medieval papacy.

            St. Augustine of Canterbury, Apostle of England: Laboring patiently, Augustine wisely heeded the missionary principles—quite enlightened for the times—suggested by Pope Gregory the Great: purify rather than destroy pagan temples and customs; let pagan rites and festivals be taken over into Christian feasts; retain local customs as far as possible. The limited success Augustine achieved in England before his death in 605, a short eight years after he arrived in England, would eventually bear fruit long after in the conversion of England. Truly Augustine of Canterbury can be called the “Apostle of England.”

            St. Bridget of Ireland: Bridget consecrated herself to God at a young age, choosing a life of virginity, dedication to God and service to the poor. Many legends surround her.

            St. Hermenegild: the Prince killed by his Father because he refused to receive Communion from an Arian Bishop

            St. Scholastica: twin sister of St. Benedict. She visited her brother once a year, and as she was not allowed to enter his monastery, he went in company with some of his brethren to meet her at a house some distance away. These visits were spent in conferring together on spiritual matters. On one occasion they had passed the time as usual in prayer and pious conversation and in the evening they sat down to take their reflection. St. Scholastica begged her brother to remain until the next day. St. Benedict refused to spend the night outside his monastery. She had recourse to prayer and a furious thunderstorm burst so that neither St. Benedict nor any of his companions could return home

Heresies: No new heresies. Plenty of confusing heresies existed by this time, but Church Councils had refuted them.