Pope Gregory I ("the Great") was a wise and patient pastor, who prior to his election as pope had served as one of Rome's seven deacons. In that capacity he was sent to Constantinople as apocrisarius, an ambassadorial office usually filled by a deacon (1) — for deacons, unlike the canonically sedentary bishops and presbyters, were in this age (the late sixth century) mobile and missionary.
Though wise and patient, Gregory was also of a somewhat abstemious bent — he had after all been a monk before being called to active service as a deacon. News had come to Gregory's papal predecessor from Honoratus, the deacon of Salona, that the bishop of that metropolitan see of Dalmatia, Natalis by name, was living a lavishly convivial lifestyle to the neglect of his episcopal duties. Gregory wrote to the bishop to admonish him; a lengthy correspondence ensued. When the bishop said he was simply following the biblical injunction to hospitality, and, like Abraham, might be entertaining angels unawares, Gregory shot back, "Neither will we blame your Blessedness for feasting, if we come to know that you entertain angels." (2)
After continued complaints from Deacon Honoratus, Bishop Natalis finally had enough, and ordained the deacon to the priesthood against his will, "technically a promotion but a not uncommon device for disposing of troublesome deacons" (3) — since priests were restricted to their parishes. Gregory wrote to the wily bishop, "Thou didst attempt by a cunning device to degrade the aforesaid Honoratus thy archdeacon (4) under colour of promoting him to a higher dignity," and demanded that he "restore the aforesaid Honoratus to his post immediately on the receipt of my letter." He even threatend removal of the pallium, the symbol of papal approbation. (5) Natalis eventually complied, and in later years Gregory seems even to have warmed towards this convivial and witty metropolitan.
— Tobias Stanislas Haller, BSG
Barmby, James. The Book of Pastoral Rule and Selected Epistles of Gregory the Great Bishop of Rome, translated, with introduction, notes and indices by the Rev. James Barmby, D.D., Vicar of Northallerton, Yorkshire. Volume XII of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, edited by Schaff and Wace. Reprinted by Wm. B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1979.
Richards, Jeffrey. Consul of God: The Life and Times of Gregory the Great. Routledge & Kegan Paul: London, Boston and Henley 1980.
2. Gregory, Epistle II.52. (Barmby 118)
4. In this period only deacons "were capable of holding the office of archdeacon." (Barmby 79, n.)