LEO 156 LBO
Aries for a long time retained the position Leo had ac- ing them to convene a general council in order to re- corded it. Another papal vicariate was that of the store peace to the Church. To the same end he used bishops of Thessalonica, whose jurisdiction extended his influence with the Western emperor, Valentinian over lllyria. The special dutv of this vicariate was to JII^ and his mother Galla Placidia, especially during protect the rights of the Hoiv See over the district theu* visit to Rome in 450. This ^neral council was of EajBtem ulyn&f which belonged to the Eastern held in Chalcedon in 451 under Marcian, the successor Empire. Leo bestowed the vicariate upon Bishop of Theodosius. It solemidy accepted Leo's dogmati- Anastasius of Thessalonica, just as Pope oiricius had cal epistle to Flavian as an expression of the Catholic formerly entrusted it to Bishop Anysius. The vicar Faith concerning the Person of Christ. The pope con- was to consecrate the metropolitans, to assemble in a firmed the decrees of the Council aiter eliminatmg the synod all bishops of the Province of Eastern lllyria, canon, which elevated the Patriarchate of Constant i- to oversee iheir administration of their office; but the nople, while diminishing the rights of the ancient most important matters were to be submitted to Onental patriarchs. On 21 March, 453, Leo issued a Rome (epp. v, vi, xiii). But Anastasius of Thessa- circular letter confirming his dogmatic definition (ep. lonica used his authority in an arbitrary and despotic cxiv). Through the mediation of Bishop Julian of manner, so much so that he was severely reproved by Cos, who was at that time the papal ambassador in Leo, who sent him fuller directions for the exercise of Constantinople, the pope tried to protect further eccle- his office (ep. xiv). siastical interests in the Orient. He persuaded the In Leo's conception of his duties as supreme pastor, new Emperor of Constantinople, Leo I, to remove the the maintenance of strict ecclesiastical disciphne oc- heretical and irregular patriarch. Timotheus Ailunis, cupied a prominent place. This was particularly im- from the See of Alexandria. A new and orthodox
Cortant at a time wnen the continual ravages of the patriarch, Timotheus Salophaciolus, was chosen to fill,
arbarians were introducing disorder into all condi- his place, and received the congratulations of the pope
tions of life, and the rules of morality were being in the last letter which Leo ever sent to the Orient, seriously violated. Leo used his utmost energy in In his far-reaching pastoral care of the Universal
maintaining this discipline, insisted on the exact Church, in the West and in the East, the pope never
observance of the ecclesiastical precepts, and did not neglected the domestic interests of the Church at
hesitate to rebuke when necessary. Letters (ep. xvii) Rome. When Northern Italy had been devastated by
relative to these and other matters were sent to the Attila Leo by a personal encounter with the King of
different bishops of the Western Empire: — e. g., to the Huns prevented him from marching upon Rome,
the bishops of the Italian provinces (epp. iv, xix, At the emperor's wish, Leo, accompanied by the Con-
dxvi, clxviii), and to those of Sicily, who had toler- sul Avienus and the Prefect Trigetius, went in 452 to
ated deviations from the Roman Liturgv in the ad- Upper Italy, and met Attila at Alincio in the vicinity
ministration of Baptism (ep. xvi), and concerning of Mantua, obtaining from him the promise that he
other matters (ep. xvii). A very important disciplin- would withrdaw from Italy and negotiate peace with
ary decree was sent to Bishop Rusticus of Narbonne the emperor. The pope also succeeded in obtaining
S). clxvii). Owing to the dominion of the Vandals in another great favour for the inhabitants of Rome,
tin North Africa, the position of the Church there When in 455 the city was captured by the Vandals
had become extremely gloomy. I^o sent the Roman under Genueric, although for a fortnight the town had
priest Potentius thither to inform himself about the been plundered, Leo's intercession obtained a promise
exact condition, and to forwiuxl a report to Rome, that the city should not be injured and that the Uves
On receiving this Leo sent a letter of detailed instruo- (k the inhabitants should be spared. These incidents
tions to the episcopate of the province about the ad- show the high moral authority enjoyed by the pope,
justment of numerous ecclesiastical and disciplinary manifested even in temporal affairs. Leo was always
questions (ep.xii). IjCo also sent a letter to Dioscurus on terms of intimacy with the Western In^perial
of Alexandria on 21 July, 445, urging him to the strict Court. In 450 Emperor Valentinian III visited Rome,
observance of the canons and discipline of the Roman accompanied by his wife Eudoxia and his mother
Church (ep. ix). The primacy of the Roman Church Galla Placidia. On the feast of Cathedra Petri (22
was thus manifested under this pope in the most var- February), the Imperial family with their briUiant
ious and distinct wajrs. But it was especially in his retinue took part in the solemn services at St. Peter's,
interposition m the confusion of the Christological upon which occasion the pope delivered an impressive
Suarrels, which then so profoundly agitated E^sistem sermon. Leo was also active in building and restoring
hristendom, that liCo most brilliantly revealed him- churches. He built a basilica over the grave of Pope
self the wise, learned, and energetic shepherd of the Cornelius in the Via Appia. The roof of St. Paul's
Church (see Monophtsitism). From his first letter without the Walls having been destroyed by hght-
on this subject, written to Eutyches on 1 June, 448 ning,hehadit replaced, and undertook other improve-
(ep. xx), to ills last letter written to the new orthodox ments in the basilica. He persuaded Empress Galla
Patriarch of Alexandria, Timotheus Salophaciolus, on Placidia, as seen from the inscription, to have executed
18 August, 460 (ep. clxxi), we cannot but admire the the great mosaic of the Arch of Triumph, which has
dear, positive, and systematic manner in which Leo, survived to our day. Leo also restored St. Peter's on
fortined by the primacy of the Holy See, took part in the Vatican. During his pontificate a pious Roman
this difficult entanglement. For particulars refer to lady^ named Demetria, erected on her property on
the articles: Eutyches; Flavian, Saint; Ephesus, the Via Appia a basilica in honour of St. Stephen, the
Robber Council of. ruins of which have l)een excavated.
Eutyches appealed to the pope after he had been Leo was no less active in the spiritual elevation of
excommunicated by Flavian^ Patriarch of Constanti- the Roman congregations, and his sermons, of which
nople, on account of his Monophysite views. The ninety-six genuine examples have l)een preserved, are
Eope, after investigating the dirouted question, sent remarkable for their profundity, clearness of diction,
is sublime dogmatic letter to Flavian (ep. xxviii), and elevated stvle. The first five of these, which were
concisely setting forth and confirming the doctrine of delivered on the anniversaries of his consecration,
the IncamatioUj and the union of the Divine and manifest his lofty conception of the dignity of his
human natures m the one Person of Christ. In 449 office, as well as his thorough conviction of the pri-
the council, which was designated by Leo as the "Rob- macy of the Bishop of Rome, shown forth in so out-
ber Synod . was held. Flavian and otherpowerful spoken and decisive a manner by his whole activity as
prelates of the East appealed to the pope. The latter supreme pastor. Of his letters, which are of great im-
•ent urgent letters to Constantinople, particularly to portance for church history, 143 have come down to
Elmperor Theodosius II and Empress Puloheriai. urs^ us: we also possess thirty which were sent to him. The
