Pope St. Gregory III (90º): Biography, Pontificate & Legacy

Who Was Pope Gregory III?

Among the 267 popes, Gregory III is number 90, remembered for the years 18 March 731 –28 November 741 in late antiquity. Subject of the Umayyad Caliphate; last pope from Syria. Use the sections below to move from a one-line summary of Gregory III to a usable historical and spiritual picture. Catholics also honor him as a saint whose intercession remains part of living devotion.

Early Life & Background

Born Gregorius, he entered a world shaped by politics and piety very different from today's global Church.

Historical Context

Gregory III (#undefined) governed amid imperial transition, invasions, and debates over Christ's nature — Rome's bishop increasingly seen as a guardian of orthodoxy for the wider Church.

Pontificate & Key Events

The pontificate (18 March 731 –28 November 741) centered on governance during late antiquity. Third pope to come from a Muslim country. Third pope to bear the same name as his immediate predecessor.

Papal Acts & Achievements

Acts associated with Gregory III (#90, 18 March 731 –28 November 741) still draw historians and Catholics who want more than a one-line summary. His reign remains a link in the succession now counted at 267 popes.

Key Highlights

• 90th pope of the Catholic Church
• Pontificate: 18 March 731 –28 November 741
• Venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church
• Last pope to have been born outside Europe until the election of Francis in 2013.

Legacy in the Catholic Church

St. Gregory III remains pope 90º in the Annuario Pontificio. The Church still points to Gregory III's virtues for imitation. Set against late antiquity, Gregory III's choices show both the limits of any one pontiff and the continuity of the office he held.

Why Catholics Study This Pope Today

Reading Gregory III as pope 90º (18 March 731 –28 November 741) is a way to study how Rome answered the crises of late antiquity. Because the Church venerates Gregory III, you may seek his intercession and check his feast in the Martyrology or local calendar. Start with the concrete record: Last pope to have been born outside Europe until the election of Francis in 2013. Then step back to the full list of 267 popes to see where Gregory III sits between crisis and consolidation.

Place in the Line of Succession

St. Gregory III followed Pope St. Gregory II (89º, 19 May 715 –11 February 731) after a transition shaped by the politics and piety of their shared century. He was followed by Pope St. Zachary (91º, 3 December 741 –15 March 752), whose biography continues the chain on Guide Catholic. For the full chronological map, see our complete list of all 267 popes — then read neighboring biographies for contrast, not only continuity.