This Friday the 11th is the Feast of Pope Saint Leo the Great (trad calendar). First I’ll get my rant out of the way. This another instance of utterly senseless moving of traditional feast days. On the new calendar St. Stanislaus is on the 11th. But on the old calendar the 6th – 10th were empty. John Baptist de le Salle was added on the 7th, but what about those other ferial days? We couldn’t squeeze St. Stanislaus into one of those? We had to bump Pope Leo the Great! I don’t know how long St. Leo’s feast day has been on 4/11, but I am willing to bet it has been more than a thousand years. In fact, it has probably been on the 11th since he died on April 11th 461. How absurd to move it now.
Now that that’s out the way…
Pope Leo reigned from 440 to 461. This holy saint was a staunch defender of orthodox Christology. He called the council of Chalcedon to defeat the heresies of Nestorianism (Christ’s human person is distinct from his divine person) and Monophysitism (Christ’s divine nature complete subsumes his human nature such that only the divine is left). Leo’s defense of true doctrine was well received at the council, and of such eloquence the council participants proclaimed that “Peter has spoken by the mouth of Leo.”
Pope Leo was equally effective in temporal affairs. When it seemed that nothing could stop Attila the Hun, Leo met with him and convinced him to turn back from Rome rather than
sacking the city. Later when another barbarian king came to sack Rome, Leo could not persuade him to turn back, but did convince him to leave the people of Rome alone, and not to burn the city down.
Leo was the first pope to acquire significant temporal authority. However, this wasn’t some power grab by the holy pontiff, though some may want to believe that. The fact is, when the barbarians were at the gate (literally) the last vestiges of official Roman government fled for greener pastures. Leo was the only authority figure left.
The Romans turned to Leo, and he did his best to take care of the city. For more than 1400 years after that Rome was tended by Popes, until the Italian Risorgimento unlawfully stripped the Pope of virtually all the territory under his rule. Now, I would argue that the pope today is probably better off without the Papal States. He has too much on his plate as it is. But Rome itself would have disintegrated back into the earth if not for the Papacy. Popes ran Rome for longer than the Roman republic/empire did. The city of Rome should still be entrusted to the Pope as far as I am concerned.
Leo’s sermons are the earliest we have from a pope, and they are a treasure of wisdom. He has many excellent sermons on the liturgical year, which I try to incorporate on this blog. He is, of course, a doctor of the Church too.
Here is the collect for his feast:
Graciously hear our prayers, O Lord, we beseech Thee, which we offer in the solemn commemoration of blessed Leo, Thy confessor and bishop; and absolve us from all sins by the merits of him who served Thee worthily, interceding for us. Through our Lord.
And here is some of the pray Abbot Gueranger has in the Liturgical Year for this feast (emphasis original):
O Holy Pontiff Leo! thou worthily didst represent Peter in his Chair, whence they apostolic teaching ceased not to flow, ever beautiful in its truth and majesty. The Church of thine own day honoured thee as the great teacher of faith; and the Church of every succeeding age has recognized thee as one of the most learned Doctors and preachers of the divine word. From thy throne in heaven, where now thou reignest, pour forth upon us the understanding of the great mystery, which thou wast called on to defend. Under thy inspired pen, this mystery grows clear; we see how sublimely it harmonizes with all other mysteries; and faith delights at gaining so close a view of the divine object of its belief. Oh! strengthen this faith within us. The Incarnate Word is blasphemed in our own times; avenge his glory, by sending us men of thy zeal and learning.
Thou didst triumph over barbarian invaders: Attila acknowledged the influence of thy sanctity and eloquence, by withdrawing his troops from the Christian land they infested. In these our days, there have risen up new barbarians - civilized barbarians, who would persuade us that religion should be eliminated from education, and that the State, in its laws and institutions, should simply ignore our Lord Jesus Christ, the King to whom all power has been given, not only in heaven but on EARTH also. Oh! help us by thy powerful intercession, for our danger is very great. Many are seduced, and have fallen into apostasy, whilst flattering themselves that they are still Christians. Pray that the light that is left within us may not be extinguished, and that the public scandals which now exist may be brought to an end. Attila was but a pagan; our modern statesmen and governments are, or at least call themselves, Christians: have pity on them, and gain for them light to see the precipice to which they are hurrying society…
Bless, O Leo ! and help the Pontiff who is now thy successor on the Chair of Peter.
Pope Benedict’s General Audience catechesis on Leo the Great.
Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great.
Leo’s patron saint index page.
More at the Catholic Encyclopedia.