Biography of st leo the great
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November 10: Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor—Memorial
c. 400–461
Pre-Congregation canonization
Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIV in 1754
Liturgical Color: White
Version: Full – Short
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Quote:
He conquered that we too might likewise conquer. For there are no works of power, dearly beloved, without the trials of temptations, there is no faith without proof, no contest without a foe, no victory without conflict. This life of ours is in the midst of snares, in the midst of battles; if we do not wish to be deceived, we must watch: if we want to overcome, we must fight. ~Sermon by Saint Leo the Great
Reflection: When Cardinal Ratzinger was elected pope, taking the name Benedict XVI, the first words he spoke from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica referred to his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, whom he referred to as “the great pop
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The great Pope St. Leo did not back down from any challenge to the faith of the Church—he guided our understanding of Jesus’ human and divine natures at a critical moment in history, and even faced down Attila the Hun in person.
Leo was born at the end of the fourth century to a family from Tuscany, Italy, though he called Rome his home. He received a good education and was selected to serve the Church in Rome as a deacon. He was raised to positions of responsibility under two popes.
In 440, rival generals in the Roman army had a feud that threatened the security of the region of what is now France. Leo was sent to reconcile the two generals. While he was away, the reigning pope died, and messengers had to fetch Leo to tell him he had been elected to replace him.
Leo quickly became known for his edifying homilies, and his systematic and instructive preaching became a model for pastors in Rome and beyond. He was a prolific correspondent, sending letters far and wide to corr
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Pope St. Leo I (the Great)
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(Reigned 440-61).
Place and date of birth unknown; died 10 November, 461. Leo's pontificate, next to that of St. Gregory inom, is the most significant and important in Christian antiquity. At a time when the Church was experiencing the greatest obstacles to her progress in consequence of the hastening disintegration of the Western Empire, while the Orient was profoundly agitated over dogmatic controversies, this great pope, with far-seeing sagacity and powerful hand, guided the destiny of the Roman and Universal Church. According to the "Liber Pontificalis" (ed. Mommsen, inom, 101 sqq., ed. Duchesne, I, 238 sqq.), Leo was a native of Tuscany and his father's name was Quintianus. Our earliest certain historical resultat about Leo reveals him