Pope Leo the Great was a pretty awesome guy who doesn't get that much fame (which is why my source is Wikipedia, okay! There aren't exactly a ton of websites that give more than his name and date of death...).
Although he doesn't have a recorded birth date, most people believe that he was a "native of Tuscany", and quickly rose the ranks of the Catholic leaders, becoming a deacon by 431 (Wikipedia). He then become the pope on September 29th, 440, after the old pope, Pope Sixtus III, passed away. He was the founder of many central Catholic ideals, such as "Christ's presence in the Church" through the teaching and preaching of the faith, the liturgy, and the lives of Christians (Wikipedia).
However, (possibly) the coolest part of his life was when he single-handedly saved Rome from the destruction of the infamous Attila the Hun (Ever seen Mulan? Yeah, it's that dude. Pretty terrifying, right?). And even better? He did it without raising a single weapon or hurting a single person. Legend has it that when the emperor sent three representatives, Leo being one of them, Attila was so impressed with Leo that he simply left. However, other scholars believe that Attila's troops might have already been plagued with disease and he just coincidentally left after speaking with Leo.
Although Vandals would eventually come to sack Rome, Leo still took part in rebuilding the city. He died in 461, and his body was buried inside St. Peter's basilica, as he wanted to be as close as possible to Peter's body.
With everyone that's happened in Paris today, maybe we can all learn a lesson or two from Pope Leo the Great. Violence is not always the answer, and maybe the most convincing thing can be kindness. It's hard to even consider this after all the bloodshed we've seen today, but it's important that citizens around the world support France and Paris in their grief.
Pray for Paris, guys.
Wikipedia Link
Although he doesn't have a recorded birth date, most people believe that he was a "native of Tuscany", and quickly rose the ranks of the Catholic leaders, becoming a deacon by 431 (Wikipedia). He then become the pope on September 29th, 440, after the old pope, Pope Sixtus III, passed away. He was the founder of many central Catholic ideals, such as "Christ's presence in the Church" through the teaching and preaching of the faith, the liturgy, and the lives of Christians (Wikipedia).
However, (possibly) the coolest part of his life was when he single-handedly saved Rome from the destruction of the infamous Attila the Hun (Ever seen Mulan? Yeah, it's that dude. Pretty terrifying, right?). And even better? He did it without raising a single weapon or hurting a single person. Legend has it that when the emperor sent three representatives, Leo being one of them, Attila was so impressed with Leo that he simply left. However, other scholars believe that Attila's troops might have already been plagued with disease and he just coincidentally left after speaking with Leo.
Although Vandals would eventually come to sack Rome, Leo still took part in rebuilding the city. He died in 461, and his body was buried inside St. Peter's basilica, as he wanted to be as close as possible to Peter's body.
With everyone that's happened in Paris today, maybe we can all learn a lesson or two from Pope Leo the Great. Violence is not always the answer, and maybe the most convincing thing can be kindness. It's hard to even consider this after all the bloodshed we've seen today, but it's important that citizens around the world support France and Paris in their grief.
Pray for Paris, guys.
Wikipedia Link