10 Nov: Leo the Great

Algardi Leo Attilla smIn the newer, post-conciliar, Novus Ordo Roman calendar today is the feast of Pope Saint Leo I, “the Great” (+461). In the older, traditional calendar, his feast is 11 April.

Every pontificate is a parenthesis in the history of Holy Church.  Some parentheses are long, some are short.  Some are important, some are not.

The parenthesis that was the pontificate of Pope Leo was both long and important.  Extremely important.  Of pivotal importance, in the history of the Church, as a matter of fact.

Among his important accomplishments, was virtually single-handedly convincing Attila the Hun not to invade undefended Italy in 452.  He issued what is called the “Tome”, intimately connected to the work of the Council of Chalcedon, which established orthodox doctrine about the two natures of Christ, divine and human, united in one person, without confusion or division.   He is a Doctor of the Church.

You could perhaps pray to St. Leo that he will intercede with God to ask strength and courage for his successor in this difficult time.

I have quite a few PODCAzTs dealing with him and his texts. I notice that all of them are from some time ago.  Come to think of it, I haven’t made a PODCAzT for a long time, have I?

061 08-05-17 Pope Leo I on a post-Pentecost weekday; Fr. Z rambles not quite aimlessly for a while
059 08-05-15 Leo the Great on Pentecost fasting; Benedict XVI’s sermon for Pentecost Sunday
053 08-03-31 Annunciation – St. Leo the Great; some voicemail Q&A
050 08-02-22 St. Leo the Great on Peter; Fr. Lang on the Cathedra of Peter
049 08-01-06 Leo the Great on Epiphany; Lefebvre compared to Athanasius; feedback
029 07-05-18 Leo’s mind blowing Ascension sermon; angels
027 07-05-16 Leo on the Ascension; a Collect; feedback
021 07-04-22 Leo the Great on Peter – Msgr. Schuler
020 07-04-19 Leo the Great and Benedict – Habemus Papam!
010 07-03-25 Leo the Great’s Letter 28 “ad Flavianum” – veiling statues – a “Tridentine” church in Rome
009 07-03-22 Leo on the Passion; Sobrino; confessions on Good Friday
008 07-03-20 Leo the Great on works of mercy in Lent

My relic of St. Leo.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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5 Comments

  1. Lucas Whittaker says:

    Most of the links do not work. Maybe it is my phone/network? I look forward to listening when I can eventually open the podcast links.

  2. Lucas Whittaker says:

    …and they now work for me. Thank you!

  3. VexillaRegis says:

    This morning I woke up at six o’clock with Leonard Cohens song Hallelujah playing in my head. Then read in in the newspaper, that Leonard Cohen had died on the 10th, St Leo’s day. May he rest in pecce of the lord of his ancestors’.

    “I’ll stand before the lord of song
    With nothing on my tongue but hallelujah”

  4. VexillaRegis says:

    edit: Lord!

  5. jameeka says:

    Pope St Leo, pray for us.

    Your admiration for Leo is contagious, Father Z!
    (You skipped podcaZt #90, St Leo on the Beatitudes) Thank you very much for such excellent creations which also instruct so well.

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