- Feb 5, 2002
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An angel at a pope's table? That's the story behind the tradition of the "Table of Charity," which takes us back to the origins of pontiffs' charitable works.
On the banks of the road leading from the Colosseum to the Circus Maximus, opposite the Palatine Hill, stands a basilica that bears the name of St. Gregory. Set on the green slopes of the Caelian hill, this church is dedicated to Pope Gregory I, who had a monastery built here in the 6th century.
Evidence of this great pope’s life can be found in many places in Rome, starting with the basilica that bears his name. Frescoes in the atrium recount the great episodes of his life, including the processions he ordered during the plague. He had an icon of the Virgin Mary, known today as the Salus populi romani — “Health of the Roman people”– paraded through the city to ask for liberation from the plague — a petition that was granted. This representation of the Virgin, particularly venerated by Pope Francis, can be found today in the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
Continued below.
aleteia.org
On the banks of the road leading from the Colosseum to the Circus Maximus, opposite the Palatine Hill, stands a basilica that bears the name of St. Gregory. Set on the green slopes of the Caelian hill, this church is dedicated to Pope Gregory I, who had a monastery built here in the 6th century.
Pope Gregory the Great’s mark on Rome
Born into one of Rome’s most prestigious patrician families, and nephew of Pope Felix III, this aristocrat at one time pursued a brilliant political career, even becoming prefect of the city of Rome in 572. Two years later, however, he abandoned the cursus honorum to devote himself entirely to God. He turned to an ideal of monastic life, which led to his election as pope in 590.Evidence of this great pope’s life can be found in many places in Rome, starting with the basilica that bears his name. Frescoes in the atrium recount the great episodes of his life, including the processions he ordered during the plague. He had an icon of the Virgin Mary, known today as the Salus populi romani — “Health of the Roman people”– paraded through the city to ask for liberation from the plague — a petition that was granted. This representation of the Virgin, particularly venerated by Pope Francis, can be found today in the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
Dining room for the poor
Continued below.
An angel at the table of the Pope St. Gregory the Great
An angel at a pope's table? That's the story behind the tradition of the "Table of Charity," which takes us back to the origins of pontiffs' charitable works.
aleteia.org
