Leo, Pope of Rome

On this day we celebrate the memory of our holy father Leo, Pope of Rome.

Leo lived during the reign of king Marcianus in 450. Because he was extremely prudent and pure and because he led a true and unblemished life, he was consecrated bishop of Elder Rome by the grace of the Holy Spirit. He pastured his flock with holiness and he completely destroyed the blasphemies of the heretics at the time of the holy and Ecumenical fourth Council which was held at Chalcedon in 451. This Council declared and affirmed many dogmas of the orthodox faith and completely refuted the dogmas of those heretics, who said that there was one nature and one energy and will over Christ, our God.

Because those enemies of God were fighting against the truth and were studying how to refute the God-inspired dogmas of the divine fathers, this blessed man yielded to the entreaties of the whole Council and he fasted, kept vigils and prayed for many days. So, he was inspired by the life-giving Spirit and exposed in writing, declared and laid down about the issues of that time that there are clearly two natures and two energies and wills over Christ, our God. He also sent a letter about these issues to the forementioned fourth ecumenical Council, about which the multitude of the fathers who received it thought that it was a column of orthodoxy and they believed that it was as if it had been pronounced by the mouth of God. So, that holy Council rested on this letter and with greater courage resisted the numerous Monophysites and Monotheletes. The Council was dismissed after these things. Divine Leo on the other hand remained in this life for some time more, shining like the sun with his virtues, and then departed to the Lord full of years.