Pope Leo, the Great, also known as Saint Leo the Great, was serving as a layman when he was chosen to be the Bishop of Rome and reigned from 440 to 460. He was the first Pope to be called "Great" due to his meeting with Attila (Kaiser, 2015). He was born in an aristocratic family where his father's name was Quintianus and raised in Tuscany (Kaiser, 2015). However, his place and date of birth are not known. A lot was happening during this era, including the church struggle in its progress as a result of the Western Empire's collapse. Living in Tuscany had a significant influence on Pope Leo the Great since his skills were adequate. According to the historical information, Leo was chosen to be a deacon under Pope Celestine I, and this paved the way for him to be chosen as the Bishop of Rome. Pope Leo died on the 10th of November, 461. Even though Pope Leo served for 21 years, his importance and contribution to the church is highly felt leaving a strong legacy.
Papacy
According to the Church’s history, Saint Leo’s papacy was important since he was elected as the pope in his absence. Pope Sixtus III, who succeeded Pope Celestine I, died on 11th August 440. On 29th September, Saint Leo the Great was elected while he was away from Rome on a political mission (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2020). Following his election, it was evident that Saint Leo was a highly respected figure and widely recognized from his ministries. One of the reasons he was chosen to be the pope was due to his great love of God. Besides, he was persuasive, influential and intelligent to the extent that he could reconcile disputing groups whether secular or theological
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Even though Saint Leo the Great was chosen to be the pope of the Roman Empire, he was not interested in that position. By then he was only a deacon spreading the love he had for Christ through ministries. Even so, he did not deny the position but took it gladly and not because of power’s sake. With the power he had at hand, he used it to root out evil practices in the Church, such as abuse, to bring unity and resolve disputes in the Church (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2020). He also clarified the sermons about divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ. One instance where Pope Leo exercised his power effectively was the time he ordered Bishop Hilary of Arles to limit his pastoral activities to his diocese when he assumed to take authority over the neighboring French diocese.
Accomplishments and Importance of his contribution to the Church
Pope Leo reorganized elections of Bishops by allowing their clergy and leading laity to exercise the elections, which are later authorized by the rest of the community in the diocese. According to Pope Leo and Pope Gregory I, pastoral leaders were selected through the consent of the clergy and laity in addition to the bishops of neighboring dioceses (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2020). This was to be the norm in Italy, Gaul, North Africa, and Northern Europe. Bishop Leo’s principle of elections of “All must elect him who is to preside over all,” was to be observed. The principle was passed over throughout the history of the church. However, the contemporary churches have now abandoned the principle.
Leo the Great, being an advocate, kept efforts in uniting the churches of the East and West. He intervened cautiously, confidently, and consistently in several situations through his writings and representatives. His actions of unity made Roman’s primacy known to be important as the service to communion. Roman primacy characterized the Church of Christ. Saint Leo, using his authority, destroyed heterodoxy since he believed that it was the cause of corruption and disunity. Many saw this as an achievement since it led to the formation of orthodoxy while eliminating the heresy. This can be exemplified by how Pope Leo treated Eutyches, the monk of Constantinople by rejecting his teachings on the nature of Christ (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2020). Eutychianism was formed by Eutyches, which was a form of Monophysitism emphasizing that Christ’s human nature was absorbed in his divine nature, thus having one nature. Eutyches appealed to Leo to reconsider his case after he was dismissed by Flavian. After Leo studied the case, he rejected Eutyches sermons. He then sent Flavian, to present his organized doctrine of Christ explaining his true nature. (Neil, 2018. Presenting this doctrine was the support of the council of Chalcedon, who criticized Eutychianism and confirmed that Leo’s Tome was the entire truth. Leo’s writings believed to be “Peter’s voice.”
Leo used his writings to educate and bring unity to the church. He was known to be a theological doctor, and his writings are still remembered. He had 100 sermons and one fifty letters that are preserved in t he new St Peter's, near the Altar of the Chair. Among his most remembered writings and sermons are the Tome, council of Chalcedon, the teaching of Christ and heir of Peter. The tome was a letter about the faith of the Roman Church, speaking to Flavian of Constantinople during the Second Council of Ephesus in 449. This letter formed a basis for the arguments of the Council of Chalcedon (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2020). The latter was known to be the fourth ecumenical council, which specifically dealt with Christology and interpreted it as the union of two natures, divine and human (Neil, 2018). Therefore, because of the denial of the true nature of Christ by Eutyches, his heresy was not accepted.
In the Teachings on Christ, Pope Leo’s sermons and letters mainly revolved around Christology. In his sermons and letters, he presented questions about Jesus Christ and his nature, his role as a mediator and savior. These theological questions were associated with the council of Chalcedon (Kaiser, 2015). In this, it can be seen that Leo worked hard to spread the faith in Christ universally, as explained in the Chalcedon. In his propagation, he stands by the true divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ against the heretical understanding of one-sidedness (Kaiser, 2015). As years pass by, his propagation led to the formation of his concepts about divinity and humanity. His main idea was that both the church, the teachings and preaching of faith, were filled with the presence of Christ. He further taught that the presence of Christ was upon the liturgy, believer’s life, and the church’s organization. Leo believed if Jesus Christ was the only divine one, everything else connected to him would be divine.
Leo the Great took serious actions in civic and political affairs due to the increase of Barbarian attacks and the collapse of authority in the West. He promoted papal primacy based on the succession of Peter the Apostle, preserving unity among churches (Kaiser, 2015). Leo developed a relationship with Peter using terms from Roman law. He considered himself as the heir and deputy (vicarious) of Peter during the beginning of his authority, where he followed his footsteps. Furthermore, a claim explains that Leo was advised on how to run his office by Peter, the Apostle (Uhalde, 2020). He was also dependent on Peter’s mediation and his examples for him to successfully exercise his authority as the Bishop of Rome (Uhalde, 2020). On the other hand, Leo represented Peter in his actions following his advice. He was also held responsible to Christ, who is the source of all authority, on how he performed his duties. Through this, Leo’s office was believed to have the foundation of the relationship between Christ and Peter.
Legacy and Lasting Influence
Saint Leo was highly honored because he met with Attila the Hun in 452. During this period, Attila led the Huns towards Rome for them to destroy the city. When Pope heard of their plan, He went out to meet Attila and convinced him to stop. Attila agreed to Leo’s proposal as he was promised to receive tribute every year. However, years later, the Vandals, led by Genseric, also planned an invasion of Rome (Neil, 2018). This time, Leo did not manage to stop them, but he helped rebuild the city after the attack. He also gathered several missionaries to travel to Africa and preach to those captured by the Vandals. Besides the meeting with the Attila, other actions that make Saint Leo the Great popular to this date are letters and sermons that have survived bringing an understanding of the church’s history, he was declared as the doctor of the church (Kaiser, 2015), he was first to call himself he initiated an heir of Peter and the practice of fasting between church seasons.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Pope Leo the Great is an essential figure in the history of the church. He is remembered for his contributions to the progress of Christianity. Pope Leo lead by example in eliminating abuses and corruption in churches, however, corruption is still seen in several churches in the world today. Church leaders should consider Pope Leo the Great’s achievements as their inspiration for building a better church and community. Even after his death, Pope Leo's achievements including his writings and sermons are still used as references in today's churches. He has an impact in the church today, and it will forever be felt in the coming generations.
References
Kaiser, D. (2015). Leo the Great on the Supremacy of the Bishop of Rome. Andrews University Seminary Student Journal, 1 (2). https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/aussj/vol1/iss2/7
Neil, B. (2018). Addressing conflict in the fifth century: Rome and the wider church. Brill, 14 (1), 92-114. https://doi.org/10.1163/18177565-00141P08
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2020). Saint Leo I. Encyclopædia Britannica . https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Leo-I
Uhalde, K. (2020). Pope Leo I on power and failure. The Catholic Historical Review, 95 (4), 671-688. www.jstor.org/stable/27745668Copy
