Seeker

Have you ever wondered why people say " bless you" when you sneeze? Some say it originated from the time of a terrible plague in Rome in 590 A.D. The Roman plague ended in spasms of sneezing or yawning. Gregory, as the new Bishop of Rome ordered that "God bless you" should be said to all who sneezed and the sign of the cross made on the mouths of those who yawned. It strikes me that the signing could have encouraged the plague's spread! Today the Church of England remembers 'Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome, Teacher, 604'. 3 September is the anniversary of Gregory's consecration in 590 A.D. as Bishop of Rome and 'Successor of St Peter'. Gregory (540 - 604 A.D.) was the first to refer to the role of 'Pope' as "servant of the servants of God" - a helpful image for any Christian minister. The English church (in all its expressions) has special reason to remember Gregory the Great - not for his instructions on sneezing...