Saint Gregory the Great gave "specific directions to the effect that the property of the Church, that it needed to support itself and its evangelising work across the world, was managed with perfect honesty and according to the rules of justice and mercy". It was highlighted by the Pope during today’s general audience when he spoke not only of the "spiritual work" of the "great Pope", but also of his being "the proactive protagonist of varied social work". As to ecclesiastic property, said the Holy Father, Gregory "wanted the farmers to be protected from the abuse of the people who granted the land owned by the Church, and, in the case of frauds, he wanted them to be promptly compensated, so that the face of the bride of Christ would not be polluted by dishonest profits". "Despite the very hard conditions in which he had to work pointed out Benedict XVI , he managed to gain the devotees’ confidence, through the holiness of his life and his rich humanity, obtaining truly great results for his time and for the future". "Just because of this concluded the Pontiff , we still look at him with admiration, recognising his superior personality, the fascination of his example, the depth of his lesson" of which "I will speak during next Wednesday’s catechesis", he announced.
