Pope Leo the Great

The Pope Who Took on Attila the Hun

In the fifth century, the Roman Empire was falling apart. Attila the Hun was advancing on Rome, and many feared the city would be destroyed. Pope Leo I boldly stepped out to meet this king and his terrible army. Against all odds, Attila turned back, and Rome was spared.

This wasn’t the only time Pope Leo I took a stand for the Church. He later met the Vandal leader Genseric and won promises to spare lives and churches. Brave acts like these helped transform how people understood the papacy and set a pattern for the shepherds who would follow.

For the first time, a pope stepped into a role once held by emperors. In addition to countering invading armies, Pope Leo I organized aid in Rome and kept order in difficult years. His writings countered a major heresy and helped guide the Council of Chalcedon. Leo was the first pope to receive the added title “the Great” after his death. He was also declared a Doctor of the Church. His feast day is November 10.

Centuries later, his legacy lives on. Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum shaped Catholic social teaching in 1891, and our current pontiff chose the name Leo XIV, indicating what kind of leader he aspires to be.

When we encounter figures like Pope Leo the Great, we learn to connect the past to our own lives. We begin to see that history isn’t a distant story—it’s alive here and now. And God has given each of us a part to play.