Gregory of Brechin (died 1242x1246) was a 13th-century

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...

based in the

Kingdom of Scotland The Kingdom of Scotland (; , ) was a sovereign state in northwest Europe traditionally said to have been founded in 843. Its territories expanded and shrank, but it came to occupy the northern third of the island of Great Britain, sharing a la ...

. Gregory's name appears for the first time in an Arbroath Abbey document dating between 1189 and 1198, when he is holding the office of

Archdeacon of Brechin An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that of most ...

.Watt, ''Fasti Ecclesiae'', p. 72 He is the first known

archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that o ...

in the

diocese of Brechin The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brechin, also known as the Diocese of Angus, was one of the thirteen pre-Reformation dioceses of Scotland. History The diocese was believed to have been founded by Bishop Samson in 1153, and based at the cathedr ...

. Following the death of Bishop Hugh in 1218, he is elected

Bishop of Brechin The Bishop of Brechin is the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Brechin or angus, Scotland, Angus, based at Dundee. Brechin Cathedral, Brechin is a parish church of the established (presbyterian) Church of Scotland. The diocese had a long-es ...

; the

papacy The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

issued a mandate to the

bishop of St Andrews The Bishop of St. Andrews ( gd, Easbaig Chill Rìmhinn, sco, Beeshop o Saunt Andras) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of St Andrews in the Catholic Church and then, from 14 August 1472, as Archbishop of St Andrews ( gd, Àrd-easbaig ...

for his confirmation and

consecration Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

on 15 December 1218.Watt, ''Fasti Ecclesiae'', pp. 53, 72 Gregory is found as a

papal judge-delegate A papal judge delegate was a type of judicial appointment created during the 12th century by the medieval papacy where the pope would designate a local judge, often an ecclesiastic, to decide a case that had been appealed to the papal court. Histo ...

in 1219, 1224 and 1225.Dowden, ''Bishops'', p. 175 He was present at the royal council in Forfar in 1225, and at

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

in 1230. He appears in another Arbroath document dating to 1242, his last appearance in contemporary sources. During Gregory's time the cathedral was run by Scottish priests called ''

Céli Dé The Culdees ( ga, Céilí Dé, "Spouses of God") were members of ascetic Christian monastic and eremitical communities of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England in the Middle Ages. Appearing first in Ireland and subsequently in Scotland, attac ...

'', governed until at least the early part of Gregory's episcopate by a prior named Máel Brigte (''Mac Léoit'', "MacLoud"). The old abbots of Brechin were in the process of becoming the secular ''Mac in Aba'' (''filius Abbe'', "MacNab") lords of Glen Esk. Soon after Gregory's death these priests "by change of name" came to be "styled as canons". Gregory may have been responsible for this nominal change. Gregory died sometime between his last appearance in 1242, and 1246 when the papacy mandated the confirmation of his successor Albin.Watt, ''Fasti Ecclesiae'', p. 53

Notes

References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gregory Of Brechin 12th-century births 1240s deaths Bishops of Brechin (pre-Reformation) 13th-century Scottish Roman Catholic bishops