How did Pope Pelagius II’s death lead to Gregory I’s election as pope?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

St. Gregory the Great Pope Gregory I (the Great) depicted in a stained glass window at St. Michael & All Angels Church in Brinkworth, Wiltshire, England.

Pope Pelagius II died on February 7, 590, after succumbing to a plague that had been sweeping through Rome following a disastrous flood. Following his death, Gregory I was elected as his successor later that same year. Gregory, who had previously served as a deacon and as an apocrisiarius (legate) to Constantinople under Pelagius II, accepted the office of the papacy unwillingly.12