13 Must Know St. Leo The Great Facts Revealed For Kids

As a pope from the 400's AD, St. Leo I was a well-known Roman aristocrat.

Pope St. Leo I is among the few popes of the Roman Catholic Church who have been canonized. He is one of the most popular popes as an advocate of orthodoxy and also the patron saint of popes and confessors.

Saint Leo became Pope in the year 440 AD after Pope Sixtus III. The vivid imagery and sermons of Saint Leo are among the many things he is known for.

His dedication to Saint Peter was also a well-known aspect of it. It was during his time that the pope became the head of the church in Rome.

His administrative capabilities reformed the ancient church, and his influence can be felt even today. He was one of the most influential preachers in history and his teachings are still valued possessions of the church.

Pope Leo also clarified the dual nature of Christ and how they were united. From his efforts against heresy to his many teachings, there is so much to learn about this great leader and his contribution to the church.

St. Leo The Great Life History

According to Pope Benedict XVI, he was one of the greatest popes in the history of the Church. Here are some more interesting facts about his life history that you would love to learn:

• He helped save the Western Church from several heresies, and this is one of the many things he is known for.
• This pope changed the course of history for the Church of Rome and the Universal Church.
• He was the successor of St. Peter and was also very fond of him, so he wished to be buried next to him later on.
• Nothing much is known about the birth and early life of the Great Saint Leo.
• But according to some reports, Pope Leo belonged to Tuscany.
• He became a popular deacon by the year 431. And by this time, there was a dispute between Saint Juvenal of Jerusalem and Cyril of Alexandria. The latter had filed a petition regarding this dispute. This was one of the first historic events where the pope was involved.
• Not much is known about the true nature of the petition itself or the person it was intended for, as some believe that it was directed at Pope Celestine.
• Pope Leo I became the pope right after Pope Sixtus III.
• Pope Leo was sent to settle yet another dispute, and this time it was between Aëtius and Albinus.
• Saint Leo meticulously balanced both domestic interests and the universal church's pastoral care.
• After years of successful administration of the church and the many resourceful sermons and books, Saint Leo the Great died in 431 and his great feast day was on November 10.

St. Leo Teachings

Here are some fascinating teachings from the books of Pope Leo.

• Back when people had a lot of doubts about the human nature and confusions of Jesus Christ and how he was the savior, Pope Saint Leo's teachings came as enlightenment to believers.
• Among his sermons, one also spoke about the human nature of Jesus Christ and how true God was born with the perfect nature of true man.
• His teachings had a strong role to play in preserving the faith and the whole church remembers him as one of the greatest leaders who defended orthodoxy.
• Denial of original sin, and Pelagianism were among the objectives of his pontificate. There were four such focus points in total.
• The pontificates of St. Gregory I and Pope Leo I are the most prominent ones in the history of the church.

St. Leo Books

For believers to get a taste of the teachings by Pope Leo I, there are numerous books by him available today. And there are also 150 letters that have been preserved, along with 100 sermons. Here are some more facts about the books by Pope Leo.

• Nearly all of the writings of Pope Leo I focused on the divinity and humanity of Christ and how they influenced faith in Christianity.
• His books had a similar effect on people as his teachings. Through his words, he moved the faith of people around the world, Rome in particular.
• Among them all, the one that deserves a special mention is his 'Tome', a book on the Nature of Christ.
• This was also among the critical religious books read out to Roman Emperor. The book was significant because the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon debates were particularly based on this book.
• Along with his contributions during his pastoral care, his books that strengthened faith are also popular.
• The most popular works among his writings are 'Letters and Sermons of Pope St. Leo I', 'Select sermons of Pope Leo the Great on the Incarnation', and 'Letters: The Fathers of the Church', all of which collate various letters and sermons.

What is St. Leo known for?

The course of history has been changed by Pope Leo. Here is everything about this legend.

• Among the many things that pope Saint Leo is known for, his efforts in bringing the pope to an authoritative position are one that is worth mentioning. This happened right when the Roman Empire was falling apart and that's one way he created history.
• Pope Leo also had a role to play in changing Italy's history by averting the invasion of the country by Attila the Hun in the year 452.
• One of the notable aspects of this resolution of the conflict was that it was an entirely peaceful resolution and Attila the Hun gave in to the requests of the pope. He told Attila to show mercy and change his decision to destroy or invade the country. With this, a major catastrophe was avoided and he thus prevented Rome from being destroyed in the invasion.
• During the time when Eastern Christians had doubts about the beliefs inculcated by the Christian Church and the divine nature of Jesus Christ, the teachings of great Saint Leo came as a transformational aspect.
• To put it in simple words, he had a strong influence on Church's history on the whole.
• All of his measures somehow brought peace, and he was also looked up to for the resolution of some of the most difficult political conflicts as the prime authority in Rome.
• According to Pope Leo, 'Peace is the first thing the angels sang'. On the whole, he was an advocate of peace and his methods had a great impact on the progress and politics of Rome as well as the Church on the whole.
• Great St. Leo was also the first pope called 'the Great' and there was only one other pope after him who earned this title. The other pope known by the label 'the Great' was Gregory. Pope Gregory I was from Italy and he became the Bishop of Rome as the 64th pope in the year 590 AD.
• Having strengthened the belief in Christ's presence, this pope, who is best known as Peter's successor, helped resolve the dispute over the human nature and divine nature of Jesus Christ. He was the pope who reincorporated the faith the union of true man and true God.
• Along with the religious work he was also well-versed in charity. His charitable works and support for the famine-affected population of Rome are remembered even today on his feast day.
• After St. Leo the Great died of old age, he was buried next to the tomb of St. Peter within the old St. Peter's Basilica. But later, his tomb was moved to the south transept presumably as a measure to reiterate the pope's prominence. He is still honored on the feast day, on November 10.