Saint Leo the Great
Feast day: November 10
Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church, who bravely defended the faith and Rome (10/11)
Who is he?
Saint Leo the Great was a Pope who lived in the fifth century. The Church calls him “the Great” because he taught the faith very clearly and protected the people in a time of war. He was declared a Doctor of the Church.
Life story
Leo was born around the end of the fourth century, probably in Tuscany, in Italy. He was a deacon in Rome and helped the Popes in their work. In 440, while he was away on a mission in Gaul (today's France), the clergy and people of Rome chose him as Pope.
At that time, some people were teaching wrong things about Jesus. Pope Leo wrote a long letter explaining that Jesus is one single Person with two natures: he is both true God and true man. In 451, at the Council of Chalcedon, the bishops listened as the letter was read and cried out that Saint Peter himself had spoken through Leo. Jesus had said to Saint Peter, whose name means “Rock”: “you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church” (Mt 16:18).
In 452, King Attila led the Huns into Italy. Pope Leo went out to meet him near the city of Mantua, and Attila withdrew. In 455, the Vandals of King Genseric took Rome. Leo went out to meet them again. He could not stop the plundering, but he helped keep the city from being burned and protected the great basilicas where the people had taken refuge.
He also left nearly one hundred sermons. In a Christmas sermon, he reminded Christians to recognize their great dignity, because through Jesus they have become children of God. He died on 10 November 461 in Rome.
Why is he a saint?
Saint Leo loved Jesus and wanted everyone to understand him rightly. He was brave before the powerful, devoted to defending the faith and caring for the people.
A lesson for you
- Study your catechism carefully, so you know who Jesus is and can tell your friends about him.
- When you see a weaker friend being bullied, be brave and stand up for them, or tell an adult.
- You are a child of God: live up to that dignity in what you say and do.
Identifying marks
- The papal triple crown: a sign that he is Pope, drawn in the traditional way (in his time this crown did not exist yet).
- A staff topped by a cross with three crossbars: a symbol of the papal office in some traditional images.
- A red book: he is a Doctor of the Church; the letter he wrote about Jesus was welcomed by the Council of Chalcedon.
- A red cape with gold trim over a white robe: papal vestments as traditionally depicted.
- White hair and beard: as shown in the picture.
The text on this page is the saint card in the Catholic Information app, word for word.
Collect this card and read more about the saints in the app