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Name:
Pope Leo III
Preceded by: Adrian I (772 - 795)
Succeeded by: Stephen V (IV) (816 - 817)
Roman Catholic Pope #97
Dates:
Born: ? (Rome, Italy)
Died: June 12, 816
Pope: December 26, 795 - June 12, 816 (20 years)
Crowned Charlemagne: December 25, 800
Biography:
Leo III has been known to history as "Charlemagne's Pope." He came from the lower
classes and, as a result, the aristocrats who formed the bulk of the Vatican hierarchy
always resented him. Although he was unanimously elected, just a few years afterwards
a conspiracy lead by some members of his predecessor's family (including Paschalis, a
nephew of Pope Hadriam) attacked him just as he was about to say mass in St. Peter's
Cathedral in 1799. They tried to blind him and cut out his tongue - but he recovered
and sought refuge with Charlemagne.
On Christmas day, 800, Leo crowned Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor. This solidified the imperial protection of the papacy which meant that things proceeded peacefully for Leo, but he never forgot that he had made himself something of a subject to Charlemagne and he never seemed to be entirely happy about it. Leo did manage to resist Charlemagne's efforts to have the word filioque ("and the son") added to the Nicene Creed, but the two worked together to fight the heresy of Adoptionism. This direct alliance to the political rulers of the West became an important stepping stone towards the ultimate schism between the Eastern and Western churches.
After Charlegmagne died in 814, Leo III lost a lot of his political protection, but by that time he had learned to exercise such power himself and he had conspirators against him executed. Theologically, he fought against the spread of the doctrine of adoptionism but with the issue of filioque he was more cautious - allowing its use, but not requiring it.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
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