Contribuția Papei Grigorie cel Marela încreștinarea Regatului Kent

Abstract

The initiative of post-Roman Britain’s Christianization, now Anglo-Saxon regions, belonged to Pope Gregory the Great. His determination was complex. As the Roman Emperor Theodosius I (January 347-17, 395), Gregory the Great, saw the Church involved in all the fields of the empire, including the political and the administrative sphere. Taking that into consideration, he understood that it was useful to bring back the former Roman territory of Britain under Roman influence. An important aspect was also the desire of Pope Gregory to preach the Christian faith to the Anglo-Saxon pagans, a view that, on the one hand, at that time was related to the idea of the imminent coming of the Day of Judgment, but which, was also a good opportunity to develop diplomatic relations in favor of Rome with many of the authorities of the barbarian peoples. The christianisation of post Roman Britain began around 596-597 in Rome, where Pope Gregory the Great took the initiative to send Augustine (not to be confused with Augustine of Hipona, 354-430), the abbot St. Andrew’s Monastery in Rome, along with a group of disciples. At the beginning of the mission, the group of missionaries, headed by Augustine, encountered several problems, especially in Gaul, where, most likely because of the hostilities encountered, there was hesitation in continuing the evangelistic expedition. Finally, the Roman christian missionaries arrived in southern Britain, on the island of Thanet, near the Kingdom of Kent, where they met Æthelberht, the ruler of this region/kingdom, and his wife, the French princess Bertha, who was a Christian. Most likely, due to his wife, Æthelberht, king of Kent, converted to Christianity, which allowed Augustine to step up his mission in this region and to convert the whole kingdom.