In 1513, Cardinal Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici became the last non-priest to be elected pope. At the time, it was not uncommon for a layman to be a cardinal. Pope Leo X (1513-1521), as he called himself, was then ordained a priest and a bishop. True to his era, Leo joyously remarked, “God has given us the papacy; let us enjoy it!” And indeed his pontificate was not without adventure. Leo liberally offered indulgences to all who would contribute to the restoration and renovation of St. Peter’s Basilica which splendid results are seen today. His generosity however greatly provoked Martin Luther, to put it mildly, and the rest sadly is history.
Pope St. Leo I, (440-461) also known as Leo the Great, famously confronted Attila the Hun in 452, persuading him to turn back from his invasion of Italy. As a Doctor of the Church, he is most remembered theologically for his teachings on Christology, clarifying Christ’s hypostatic union of two natures, divine and human, united in one person, “with neither confusion nor division.” More of his written works still exist than any other ancient Church doctor. He also contributed significantly to developing ideas of papal authority.
St. Leo II (682-683) further clarified the true nature of Jesus Christ insisting that the Savior had both a Divine Will and a human will, gainsaying the Monothelites who admit only one will. St. Leo III (795-816) had the privilege of crowning the Emperor Constantine thus beginning the Holy Roman Empire that would rule most of Europe for over 800 years. St. Leo IV (847-855), when he was not fighting the Saracens from North Africa, had the impressive wall built completely around what we know today as The Vatican City.
Popes Leo V (903), Leo VI (928-929), Leo VII (936-939), endured very brief reigns of one, two and three years which historians call the “seculum obscurum” or “dark ages” during which these men were mostly nominal rulers due to ill health. Leo VIII (964-965) had the dubious honor of being both an anti-pope and a legitimate pope in succession.
Christianity’s second millennium began sadly with the Great Western Schism which separated Catholic Christianity from Orthodox Christianity. The fissure between Rome and Constantinople continues to this day. Presiding over this difficult split was St. Leo IX (1049-1054) who nonetheless made great strides in enforcing celibacy throughout the Church and in encouraging seminaries. This Leo would introduce a rather cosmopolitan sparkle to the papacy which would mark the Roman Church for some time.
In 1605, Leo XI (1605) would guide the See of Peter for only 26 days. Leo XII (1822-1829) witnessed a very successful and joyous Holy Year in 1825 which contrasted greatly with the arch-conservatism that marked the rest of his tenure. He was determined to bring society back to the old usages and ordinances which he deemed admirable. He pursued his goal with unfailing vigor. His treatment of the Jews living in the Papal States was regrettable as was his resistance to vaccinations which were new to the medical scene. He was however an active diplomat trying to straighten out Europe after the strife of the Napoleonic era.
Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) had the fourth-longest reign of any pope. He was well known for his clarifications on the position of the Catholic Church regarding modern thinking. In 1891 his encyclical Rerum Novarum outlined workers’ rights, fair wages, safe working areas, trade unions, private property and free enterprise. He opposed Socialism and was cautious of Capitalism. He greatly influenced Marian devotions promoting both the rosary and the scapular. He issued a record eleven papal encyclicals on the rosary. Early in his pontificate, he sought to revive the theological systems of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, making them the official political, theological, and philosophical foundations of the Catholic Church.
Beside St. Leo the Great there are four Leonine saints. St. Leo II is remembered for his role in preserving the teachings of the Second Council of Constantinople. St. Leo III is known for crowning Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor in 800 A.D., a pivotal event in the history of the papacy and western Europe. St. Leo IV is famous for his work in rebuilding Rome after years of neglect, especially in fortifying the city walls and restoring basilicas. St. Leo IX was a reforming pope who sought to address the problems of the church, particularly in Italy, and whose reign marked a significant period of religious renewal. Our present Pontiff joins a distinguished pride of Leos in continuing the work of St. Peter.
