Pope Leo I

Pope Saint Leo I

Also known as:
Pope Leo the Great

Memorial 10 November ( it used to be 11 April until 1969)

Our Saint was born in Tuscany about the year 400; Leo was elected the 45th Pope in the year 440. Although there were 44 guys before him Leo was the first Pope we have some substantial writings from.

Around this time the Bishops of the other big dioceses, Constantinople in particular, were flexing their muscles and were saying that the Bishop of Rome was not so special anymore, and all bishops were all equal in the hierarchy. Seeing as how the Emperor of Rome was now, no longer, living in Rome but in Constantinople, the Patriarch of that city claimed Papal primacy. This eventually led to that whole Greek Orthodox thing....

Another particular troublemaker was the Patriarch of Alexandria, Cyril, who called himself “Pope Cyril”. Leo pointed out that Rome’s Church was founded by Peter, and Alexandria’s Church was founded by Peter’s disciple Mark. Even the Founder of Cyril’s Church would agree he was subservient to Peter. He was the head man not because of the Emperor or where the Empire’s capital was, but because he was the successor to St. Peter. This idea of the primacy of the Bishop of Rome can be traced all the way back to the time of St. Linus, the second Pope and reinforced by the writings of Clement the 4th Pope. It was never a question before so no one needed to publish an edict declaring this fact; everyone accepted it.

Leo persuaded Emperor Valentinian to recognize the primacy of the bishop of Rome in an edict in 445. This basically told Constantinople and Alexandria: “Omnes homines estis stulti.” (Don’t ask)

The doctrine of the Incarnation was formed by him in a letter to the Patriarch of Constantinople. This became an article of Catholic faith in the East and West.

The secular world knows Leo for his leadership during the upheaval of the fifth century barbarian invasion. As he was seen as the only person of authority in the city he went out to parlay with Attila the Hun. His encounter with Attila at the very gates of Rome persuading him to turn back remains a historical memorial to Leo’s great eloquence. Later when the Vandals occupied the city of Rome, he persuaded the invaders to desist from pillaging the city and harming its inhabitants. He died in 461, leaving many letters and writings of great historical value.

He is one of the 37 Doctors of the Church. He was the first and still one of only two Popes with the popular appellation “The Great” after his name. He died on 10 November 461