After his election as pope on Thursday, May 8, Robert Francis Prevost, the first American pope ever elected, adopted the papal name Leo XIV in order to pay tribute to the legacy of Pope Leo XIII, a major player in Church history. Serving from 1878 to 1903, Pope Leo XIII was well-known for his advocacy of social justice, especially via his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed worker rights and circumstances.
Though we just scratch the surface of what these popes did and their mark on Catholicism, to have 14 (tied for the fourth-most common papal name alongside Clement) of these guys is interesting to say the least.
So who were these other 13 popes with the “LEO” moniker?
Renowned for persuading Attila the Hun to spare Italy, Pope St. Leo I was the 45th pope. PopeHistory.comServing for little than a year (682–683), Pope Leo II supported church music, denounced heresy, approved the sixth Council of Constantinople and kept friendly relations with Eastern emperors. PopeHistory.comFrom 795 to 816, Pope Leo III oversaw the Church; his interactions with Charlemagne impacted the papacy’s political authority and relationships with the Eastern empire and church. PopeHistory.comServing from 847 to 855, Pope Leo IV is remembered for erecting the Leonine Wall surrounding Vatican Hill and repairing churches devastated by Arab invasion. PopeHistory.comPope Leo V, a native of Priapi in the Ardea province in what is now modern-day Rome, commanded the Church during the chaotic late 800s, a time when the papacy wielded little political power. PopeHistory.comPope Leo VI led the Church during a tumultuous period, coping with internal conflicts among bishops and external challenges from Arab invaders near Rome. PopeHistory.comPope Leo VII, the 126th pope, governed during a politically turbulent time, after Pope John XI, whose mother had exerted quite a bit of authority over the Church and Papal States. PopeHistory.comPope Leo VIII reigned as pope from 963 to 964, beginning as a challenger to John XII and Benedict V. He returned to the pope in June 964, remaining until his death. PopeHistory.comPope St. Leo IX, bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 1002 to 1054, is often recognized as the most prominent German pontiff of the Middle Ages. PopeHistory.comPope Leo X, the 217th pope and 10th to bear the name, was born Giovanni de’ Medici. A member of the wealthy Medici family, he became pope in 1513, during the Renaissance, and played a crucial role in transforming European Christianity. PopeHistory.comPope Leo XI, born Alessandro Ottaviano de’ Medici, was the 232nd pope and one of four Medici family members to serve as pope. PopeHistory.comPope Leo XII, the 252nd pope and 12th to take the name Leo, was born Annibale Francesco Clemente Melchiore Girolamo Nicola della Genga. He became pope in 1823 and served until his death in 1829. PopeHistory.comPope Leo XIII, the 256th pope and 13th to take the name Leo, holds the record as the oldest living pope, reaching 93 years and 140 days. PopeHistory.comPope Leo XIV, the 267th pope, is the first American to lead the Catholic Church. Vatican News
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Caleb is currently the Managing Editor for LEO Weekly from Southern Indiana, AKA the Suburbs of Louisville, and has worked for other news outlets, including The Courier Journal and Spectrum News 1 KY....
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