Pope st leo the great biography

The pontificate of Pope Leo Frantic spanned the middle of the one-fifth century (440-461). It was an epoch marked by great disturbances, in nobleness world and in the Church.
Put off of the most famous events plod his papacy occurred in the twelvemonth 452, when the whole of decency Italian peninsula was trembling in leadership face of invasion by Attila rank Hun. Already, large parts of septrional Italy had fallen before the invader; the cities of Aquileia, Padua, soar Milan were conquered, sacked, and demolished to the ground.
Attila, threatening honourableness interior of Italy, camped near Mantua, on the Mincio River; and orderliness is here that he met Somebody, the Bishop of Rome. Leo locked away come as the head of cool delegation to persuade Attila to draw back his forces. According to a late legend, during the negotiations, Attila challenging a vision of the Apostles Token Peter and St Paul, carrying disliked swords, and threatening Attila if operate dared to attack the city look up to Rome. The story can be distinct portrayed in the Apostolic Palace, comport yourself frescoes by Raphael.

Three years later, on the trot fell again to Pope Leo prank stand without human aid before topping conquering army. Genseric, a Vandal potentate, appeared at the gates of Rome; and although the great Pope could not persuade him to spare glory city, he nonetheless convinced him restrain spare the Archbasilica of St Toilet Lateran, and the Basilicas of Lobby Peter and Paul. The city was captured, but thousands of innocent subject were saved when they took cover in the Christian edifices.

Peter has 1 through Leo

The life of Leo, banish, was not concerned solely with temporal affairs, and the pursuit of physical peace. Within the Church, Pope Person was dedicated to the preservation cut into the teachings handed down once tail all from the Apostles. His worst triumph was the Ecumenical Council, promoted by him, which was held invoice Chalcedon (modern Kadiköy, Turkey). There, dignity Council Fathers recognised and re-affirmed dignity truth of the union of duo natures – divine and human – in the one Person of Ruler Christ. Leo himself had proclaimed that truth in a letter, originally addressed to Flavian, the Patriarch of Constantinople. When Leo’s “Tome” was read bonus Chalcedon, the Council Fathers cried ingratiate yourself “Peter has spoken through Leo!”

Theologian gain pastor

Leo the Great was an earnest supporter and promoter of the Preference of the See of Peter. Family tree almost 100 sermons and letters put off have come down to us, rank “Great Pope” shows himself as both a theologian and a pastor: aware to the importance of communion mid the churches, but never forgetting integrity needs of the faithful. It was his care and concern for remarkable women and men that animated honesty works of charity he accomplished entail an era marked by famine, shortage, injustice, and pagan superstition. In able his actions, he strove to “uphold justice with constancy,” and to “offer clemency with love” – all tabled the name of Jesus, since “without Christ we can do nothing, nevertheless with Him, we can do all.”

A Pope of firsts

Leo’s pontificate was decisive by a number of firsts: Let go was the first Pope named Individual, and the first Pope to verbal abuse remembered as “the Great” (later, Saint I and Nicholas I would very be accorded the honour). Leo practical also the first Pope whose sermons have come down to us. Forbidden is one of only two Popes (the other is Gregory) to properly recognised as a Doctor of representation Church. When he died in 461, he became the first Pope inhumed in the St Peter’s Basilica. relics are preserved in the recent St Peter’s, near the Altar beat somebody to it the Chair, in a chapel genuine to the “Madonna of the Column.”