Over the centuries, up to Robert Prevost Leone XIV, thirteen popes have brought the name of Leone, each contributing in a unique way to the history of the Catholic Church. Below, an overview of these popes.
1. Leone I (440–461) – Leone the Great
Leone I, known as Leone the Great, was the 45th Pope of the Catholic Church. Born around 390 in Tuscany, his pontificate is remembered for the defense of Christian orthodoxy and for having faced Attila, king of the Huns, persuading him not to invade Rome. It is venerated as a saint both from the Catholic and Orthodox Church.
2. Leone II (682–683)
Originally from Sicily, Leo II was Pope for less than a year. It is known for having confirmed the decisions of the third council of Constantinople, who condemned the monothelite heresy. The Catholic Church venerates him as a saint.
3. Leone III (795–816)
Leo III, Roman by birth, is famous for having crossed Charlemagne as emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in the 800. His pontificate was marked by political and religious tensions, but also by a close collaboration with the Carolingian Empire.
4. Leone IV (847–855)
During his pontificate, Leone IV fortified Rome by building the Leonine walls to defend the city from Saracen incursions. It is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church.
5. Leone V (903)
Leone V was Pope for about a month in 903. His pontificate was short and turbulent, ending with his deposition and imprisonment.
6. Leone VI (928)
Leone VI, Romano, was Pope for a few months in 928. His pontificate took place during a period of political instability known as Saeculum Obscurum.
7. Leone VII (936–939)
Leone VII was Pope from 936 to 939. His pontificate is remembered for the promotion of the monastic reform and for having maintained good relationships with secular power.
8. Leone VIII (963–965)
Leo VIII was Pope in two distinct periods between 963 and 965, during an era of conflicts between the papacy and the empire. His legitimacy has been the subject of debate among historians.
9. Leone IX (1049–1054)
Leone IX, born Bruno of Egisheim-Dagsburg, is considered one of the most important popes of the Middle Ages. His pontificate was marked by ecclesiastical reforms and by the great schism of 1054, which separated the Catholic Church from the Orthodox church.
10. Leone X (1513–1521)
Giovanni di Lorenzo de ‘Medici, known as Leone X, was Pope during the beginning of the Protestant reform. His pontificate is remembered for the patronage of the arts and for the controversy with Martin Luther.
11. Leone XI (1605)
Leone XI, born Alessandro Ottaviano de ‘Medici, was Pope for only 27 days in 1605, one of the shortest pontificates in history.
12. Leo XII (1823–1829)
Annibale della Genga, known as Leo XII, was Pope from 1823 to 1829. His pontificate was characterized by a return to conservative positions and by internal reforms to the Church.
13. Leo XIII (1878–1903)
Vincenzo Gioacchino Pecci, known as Leo XIII, is remembered for his encyclical Rerum novarumwho faced the social question and workers’ rights. His pontificate was one of the longest of the nineteenth century.
