St. Leo the Great

Rome was afraid.

Attila the Hun was advancing into Italy.

Cities had already fallen.

People knew his reputation.

Then Pope Leo went out to meet him.

Leo was not a general.

He did not command an army.

He was a bishop.

Yet he traveled to meet Attila and pleaded for Rome to be spared.

Soon afterward, Attila withdrew.

History cannot tell us every reason why he turned back, but the meeting became one of the most famous moments in the life of Pope Leo.

And it was only one part of his mission.

Leo also defended the truth about Jesus Christ during one of the greatest theological controversies of the early Church.

He taught clearly that Jesus is one Person with two natures:

truly God and truly man.

His teaching helped shape the Council of Chalcedon and became one of the great landmarks of Christian doctrine.

Leo defended Rome with courage.

He defended the faith with clarity.

And the Church remembers him as one of the few popes to receive the title:

“the Great.”

St. Leo the Great, pray for us.

Who Was St. Leo the Great?

St. Leo the Great lived during the fifth century, a time of political instability and serious theological controversy.

He became pope in A.D. 440.

The Western Roman Empire was weakening.

Barbarian invasions threatened cities.

At the same time, Christians were arguing over how to speak correctly about the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ.

Leo became one of the most important Church leaders of that age.

A Pope in a Time of Crisis

The Roman world Leo inherited was unstable.

Imperial power in the West was declining.

Political authority was fragmented.

Ordinary people often looked to bishops for leadership when civil government could not protect them.

Leo understood that the pope’s role was spiritual, but he also found himself acting as a public leader during moments of danger.

His meeting with Attila is the best-known example.

Meeting Attila the Hun

In A.D. 452, Attila the Hun invaded Italy.

The threat to Rome was serious.

Leo joined an embassy sent to meet him.

The exact details of the conversation are unknown.

Later Christian tradition surrounded the meeting with dramatic stories, including visions of Sts. Peter and Paul appearing beside Leo.

Those details belong to later tradition and cannot be verified historically.

What is certain is that Leo met Attila and that Attila soon withdrew from Italy.

Other factors, including disease, supply problems, military pressure, and diplomacy, likely contributed as well.

Still, Leo’s willingness to go personally became a powerful symbol of pastoral courage.

Defending the Truth About Christ

Leo’s theological work was even more important than his diplomatic missions.

A major controversy had developed over how Christians should understand the relationship between Christ’s divinity and humanity.

Some teachings risked blending the two natures together.

Others risked dividing Christ into two separate subjects.

Leo insisted on the faith of the Church:

Jesus Christ is one divine Person.

He is fully divine.

He is fully human.

His divinity does not erase His humanity.

His humanity does not diminish His divinity.

The Tome of Leo

Leo explained this teaching in a famous letter commonly called the Tome of Leo.

The letter was addressed to Flavian, the patriarch of Constantinople.

In it, Leo carefully explained how the one Person of Christ acts according to both His divine and human natures.

The document became extremely influential.

It was read at the Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451.

The Council of Chalcedon

The Council of Chalcedon became one of the great ecumenical councils of the early Church.

The bishops affirmed that Christ is one Person in two natures, divine and human, without confusion or division.

Leo’s Tome played an important role in the council’s teaching.

The council fathers famously expressed their agreement with Leo’s doctrine with the phrase traditionally rendered:

“Peter has spoken through Leo.”

The statement reflected their conviction that Leo’s teaching faithfully expressed the apostolic faith concerning Christ.

Leo and the Papacy

Leo also wrote strongly about the role of the bishop of Rome.

He understood the pope as the successor of St. Peter and as having a special responsibility for the unity and teaching of the universal Church.

His letters show him intervening in disputes far beyond Rome.

He corresponded with bishops across the Christian world.

He corrected abuses.

He defended discipline.

He insisted that the Petrine office carried responsibilities extending beyond one local diocese.

For this reason, Leo is an especially important figure in the historical development of Catholic teaching about the papacy.

Another Threat to Rome

A few years after the meeting with Attila, Rome faced another invasion.

In A.D. 455, the Vandals under King Genseric entered the city.

Leo again went out to negotiate.

He was not able to prevent the sack of Rome entirely.

But ancient sources indicate that he helped secure limits on the violence, including protection from widespread killing and destruction by fire.

Once again, Leo acted as a shepherd trying to protect his people in a moment of crisis.

Leo the Preacher

Leo was also a gifted preacher.

Many of his sermons survive.

He preached about Christmas, Lent, the Passion, fasting, almsgiving, and the dignity of Christian life.

His teaching was practical as well as theological.

Leo wanted Christians to understand what their faith meant for the way they lived.

He repeatedly connected doctrine with charity.

A correct belief about Christ should produce a transformed life.

Why Is He Called “the Great”?

Very few popes are traditionally given the title “the Great.”

Leo received it because of the extraordinary importance of his leadership and teaching.

He defended orthodox Christology.

He strengthened the authority of the Roman See.

He guided the Church through political crisis.

He protected his people during invasions.

And he left behind writings that shaped Catholic theology for centuries.

A Doctor of the Church

St. Leo died in A.D. 461.

The Church later recognized him as a Doctor of the Church because of the importance of his theological teaching.

His work remains especially important for understanding Christology, the papacy, and the life of the Church in the fifth century.

What St. Leo the Great Teaches Us

St. Leo teaches us that clarity matters.

When Christians were confused about who Jesus is, Leo did not treat the issue as a minor disagreement.

The identity of Christ is at the center of Christianity.

If Jesus is not truly God, He cannot save us as God.

If He is not truly human, He has not truly united Himself to our humanity.

Leo defended both truths.

He also teaches us that leadership means being willing to step forward when others are afraid.

He met invading rulers.

He defended doctrine.

He guided bishops.

He preached to ordinary Christians.

His life joined courage with responsibility.

When Is the Feast of St. Leo the Great?

The Catholic Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Leo the Great on November 10.

He is honored as a pope, Church Father, defender of the true doctrine of Christ, and Doctor of the Church.

Prayer Inspired by St. Leo the Great

Lord Jesus Christ,

give us the courage and clarity of St. Leo the Great.

Help us to know You as true God and true man and to remain faithful to the teaching handed down by the apostles.

Give wisdom and courage to the pope and all bishops who shepherd Your Church.

When fear or confusion surrounds us, help us stand firm in truth and charity.

And may everything we believe about You transform the way we live.

St. Leo the Great, pray for us. Amen.