Pope Leo the Great

Before Pope Leo XIV, we had Pope Leo XIII and 12 others with that name. But the one that is probably the most popular was Pope Leo I, whose pontificate spanned the middle of the fifth century (440-461). It was an era marked by great disturbances, in the world and in the Church. One of the most famous events in his papacy occurred in the year 452, when the whole of the Italian peninsula was trembling in the face of invasion by Attila the Hun, who was threatening the interior of Italy, camped near Mantua, on the Mincio River; and it is here that he met Leo, the Bishop of Rome. Leo had come as the head of a delegation to persuade Attila to withdraw his forces. According to a later legend, during the negotiations, Attila had a vision of the Apostles St Peter and St Paul, carrying drawn swords, and threatening Attila if he dared to attack the city of Rome. The story can be seen portrayed in the Apostolic Palace, in frescoes by Raphael.

Pope Leo confronting Attila the Hun, saving Rome.

The life of Leo, however, was not concerned solely with secular affairs, and the pursuit of worldly peace. Within the Church, Pope Leo was dedicated to the preservation of the teachings handed down once for all from the Apostles. His greatest triumph was the Ecumenical Council, promoted by him, which was held in Chalcedon. There, the Council Fathers recognised and re-affirmed the truth of the union of two natures – divine and human – in the one Person of Jesus Christ, and the Council Fathers cried out “Peter has spoken through Leo!” Leo the Great was an ardent supporter and promoter of the Primacy of the See of Peter. In almost 100 sermons and letters that have come down to us, the “Great Pope” shows himself as both a theologian and a pastor: attentive to the importance of communion between the churches, but never forgetting the needs of the faithful.  Leo’s pontificate was marked by a number of firsts: He was the first Pope named Leo, and the first Pope to be remembered as “the Great.” Leo is also the first Pope whose sermons have come down to us. He is one of only two Popes (the other is Gregory) to be recognised as a Doctor of the Church. When he died in 461, he became the first Pope buried in the St Peter’s Basilica.