Memorial of St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church
"Love justice and seek God in integrity." Wisdom 1:1
Today is the Feast of Saint Leo the Great. Leo is the fourth most common papal name. Only John, Gregory & Benedict are more popular. Until this past spring, we haven’t had a Leo in more than a century. The last Pope Leo (XIII) served from 1878-1803. His 25 year pontificate was third longest.
“Leo” derives from the Latin for “lion,” suggesting strength and courage. Leo XIII is known as the pope of Catholic social teaching. His 1891 encyclical, “Rerum Novarum” (“Of Revolutionary Change”), concerned the destruction wrought by the Industrial Revolution and the dehumanization of the worker. Regarding our Leo XIV, a Vatican spokesman said, “the name Leo is a clear reference to the modern social doctrine of the Church, which began with Rerum Novarum, a deliberate reference to “men, women, their work, and workers in an age of artificial intelligence.” Thus we see a link from the threat of the Industrial Revolution to the threat that technology poses today.
The first Pope Leo, who served in the fifth century, known as “Leo the Great,” persuaded Attila the Hun to halt his invasion and spare Rome. Their meeting was rendered in a 1514 painting by Raphael near the Sistine Chapel. Cardinal electors must pass it on their way to a conclave. In the painting, an unarmed Leo – watched over by Sts. Peter & Paul – calmly confronts Attila. Their meeting demonstrated that peaceful agreements can be reached without violence.
In this light, our current Leo used his first words from the balcony of St. Peter’s to call for peace: “Peace be with you.” “This was the first greeting of the risen Christ,” he said. The name Leo is reflected in the words roaring from Wisdom today: “love justice and seek God in integrity.”
Leo I and Leo XIII are listed among the great popes who brought necessary social change of majestic portions. Googling and reading a summary of Rerum Novarum would be most appropriate on this day.
—Timothy J. Cronin