Rome was cut off from Constantinople by Lombard forces, and all but abandoned by Imperial officials. In a city on the verge of collapse, only one organisation was left standing, the Church. Reluctantly, Gregory was drawn back into civil affairs. Ordained against his will, he ran a section of the city, and when Pope Pelagius died of plague, he was elected his successor. Gregory took charge of running the city. He proved to be brilliant at planning, finance and diplomacy. He bought a truce with the Lombards and paid the wages of the military. He donated his estates in Southern Italy and Sicily to the Church and used them to feed the hungry Romans. Gregory set up welfare centres across the city, and he himself dined with 12 poor people every day. Gregory had expanded his religious power into the realm of political authority. But he'd set his sights much further afield.


伦巴蒂军队把罗马从君士坦丁堡割裂出去；整个城市就这么被帝国官员们撇下。在这座濒临陷落的城市，只有一个组织存留下来——教会。格里高利又一次被卷入民政管理事务，尽管这非他所愿。格里高利不得已受了戒成为圣职人员，而后开始掌管城市的部分辖区；伯拉纠教皇死于瘟疫之时，格里高利被推选为他的继任者。格里高利接过管理整个城市的重任；他果然不负众望，在财政，规划和外交上的表现均十分出色。他花钱与伦巴蒂人签订停战协议并且支付了军中饷银。他把自己位于意大利南部和西西里岛的庄园捐给了教会，并且（把庄园的收益）用来喂饱饥饿的罗马人。格里高利在城里创办了福利中心；而他本人则每天与12名穷人一同就餐。格里高利将自己的宗教权力扩大到了政治领域。但是，他的目光已经投向了更远的地方。