Editing Pope Gregory II (section)

==Local church activities==
Gregory also concerned himself with establishing or restoring monasteries. He turned his family mansion in Rome into a monastery, St. Agatha in Suburra, endowing it with expensive and precious vessels for use at the altar,<ref>Mann, pgs. 144–145</ref> and also established a new church, dedicated to [[Sant'Eustachio]].<ref>Ekonomou, pg. 299</ref> In 718 he restored [[Monte Cassino]], which had not recovered from an attack by the [[Lombards]] in 584, and he intervened in a dispute at the Monastery of St. Vincent on the [[Volturno]] over the deposition of the [[abbot]].<ref>Mann, pgs. 163–164</ref>

In 721, Gregory held a [[Synod of Rome (721)|synod in Rome]], for the purpose of fixing issues around illegitimate marriages.<ref>Ekonomou, pg. 245</ref> Then in 723, the longstanding dispute between the patriarchs of [[Patriarchate of Aquileia (Episcopal)|Aquileia]] and [[Patriarch of Grado|Grado]] flared up again. Upon the request of the [[King of the Lombards|Lombard king]], [[Liutprand, King of the Lombards|Liutprand]], Gregory had given the [[pallium]] to Bishop Serenus, granting him the patriarchate of Aquileia. Soon afterward, however, Gregory received a letter from Donatus, Patriarch of Grado, complaining that Serenus had overstepped his authority, and was interfering within what was Grado’s ecclesiastical jurisdiction.<ref>Mann, pgs. 166–167</ref> At the same time, Gregory reprimanded Donatus for complaining about Gregory’s decision to grant the pallium to Serenus in the first place.<ref>Mann, pgs. 167–168</ref> Then in 725, upon Donatus’ death, the Grado patriarchate was usurped by Peter, the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Poreč-Pula|Bishop of Pola]]. Gregory responded by depriving Peter of both sees, and he wrote to the people of the diocese, reminding them to only elect bishops in accordance with church law, whereupon they elected Antoninus, with Gregory’s approval.<ref>Mann, pg. 168</ref>

Gregory also mandated a number of practices within the Church. He decreed that in [[Lent]], on Thursdays, people should fast, just as they were required to do during the other days of the week. Apparently, the practice had been frowned upon by popes of previous centuries, as [[paganism|pagans]] had fasted on Thursday as part of their worship of [[Jupiter (mythology)|Jupiter]].<ref>Mann, pgs. 201–202</ref> He also prescribed the offices be said during church services on Thursdays in Lent, as prior to this, the Mass of the preceding Sunday was said on those Thursdays.<ref>Mann, pg. 202</ref>