Who he was
Gregory was a Roman of high birth, the son of John, ordained priest by St Paschal I and made Cardinal-Priest of St Mark's, which he decorated with mosaics. He was elected in 827 against his own protests, but the emperor's men in Rome would not let him be consecrated until Louis the Pious had approved, so he did not begin to govern until about March 828.
What he is remembered for
Much of his reign was spent trying, without success, to make peace between Louis the Pious and his rebellious sons. Against Saracen raiders he built a fortress at Ostia called Gregoriopolis, and he repaired Rome's aqueducts and churches. He supported St Ansgar's mission to the North, making him legate to the Swedes, Danes and Slavs, and asked that the feast of All Saints be kept throughout the empire.
Sources
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