Complete Works of Pope Leo the Great

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THE LIFE OF ST. LEO

[He] was most observant in all things, and no less learned than he was holy. We shall deal with him a little further down; in this man, even the glory of martyrdom is not lacking, so great was the tyranny of Dioscorus Dioscorus was the Bishop of Alexandria who presided over the "Robber Council" of Ephesus in 449 AD, where he used violence to support the Eutychian heresy. at Ephesus. This was because Flavian had been the first among his own people to condemn the arch-heretic Eutyches Eutyches was a monk who taught that Christ had only one nature (Monophysitism), a view the Church deemed heretical. after he was accused by Eusebius. For this reason, the name of Flavian is honorifically cited everywhere by Leo, and he was further honored by many letters sent to him.

Indeed, among the letters of Leo, none is more celebrated than the tenth, read to Flavian, which was highly approved by the Council of Chalcedon This letter is famously known as the Tome of Leo (449 AD); it defined the doctrine that Christ has two distinct natures, human and divine, in one person.. Gennadius Gennadius of Massilia, a 5th-century Christian historian. mentions this letter alone, omitting the rest of Leo’s works. Furthermore, Pope Gelasius Pope from 492–496 AD, known for his "Decretum Gelasianum" which listed authorized books., a man of precise judgment, when pronouncing upon the received and approved writings of the Fathers, not only numbers St. Leo among the first, but certainly follows that letter with such reverence that he pronounces an anathema A formal curse or excommunication by the Church. upon anyone who, being too contentious, should reject even one iota of its text, or who does not reverently accept every single point within it.

Some believe it was accomplished more by the divine spirit than by human wit that the perplexed impiety of Eutyches was exposed and routed by such a light of truth. For here Leo, distrusting even his own strength, before he sent that letter anywhere, placed it (however it was then written) upon the altar of St. Peter. For forty days, exercising himself in both fasting and prayer, he pleaded this one thing from the Prince of the Apostles St. Peter. with burning prayers: that if the letter, which treated a most difficult matter of faith, contained anything needing correction, he—Peter—might finish and correct it all with his own hands.

Nor did a rare outcome fail the holy expectation of the petitioner. For the fortieth day returned the letter polished and refined, with a most certain revelation added that the success was to be attributed to that Apostle. For Peter’s pious dignity and faithful love do not grow cold, even in the person of an unequal heir original: "imparis haeredis." Leo frequently referred to himself as the "unworthy heir" or "shadow" of St. Peter, emphasizing the office over the individual..

And what of the story that at one time, when he was tortured by an excessive heat of lust—after a certain woman happened to kiss his hand, as was then the custom during the Holy Communion on the feast of Easter—he took such a punishment upon himself by his own will that he completely cut off the hand that had caused the scandal? He cut it away as if it were a harmful and pestilent limb.

Then, just as the famous John of Damascus An 8th-century monk and theologian; legend says his hand was cut off by a Caliph and restored by the Virgin Mary. recovered his severed hand through prayers poured out to the Blessed Virgin Mary (as the Patriarch John of Jerusalem is a fit witness), so in a similar way, through the intercession of the same Most Holy Virgin, which Leo then sought with great sorrow of soul, he received his amputated hand back again. Once it was restored, he joyfully showed it to the people who were grumbling because he was not performing the sacrifice The Mass or Eucharist., and he honored such a great gift received from God with public praise.

Nor does it exceed faith or conflict with piety that he is said to have once received full forgiveness for all his sins, especially after fasting and praying for forty days at the body of the most blessed Peter. Seeking divine mercy there, he at last joyfully received this response: "I have prayed for you to the Lord; He has forgiven your sins, so that only this remains to be weighed and demanded of you..."