Saint  Leo The Great, 

45th Pope of Rome & Patriarch of the West

Saint Leo the Great was born roughly around the year AD 400 in Tuscany, Italy. He was a well-educated youth who desired the life of the Church. The earliest accounts of his life record his being a Deacon under the reign of Pope Celestine 1st of Rome. He was raised to the honored post of being the archdeacon of Pope Sixtus III. As Archdeacon he was sent numerous times to engage in settling disputes of both political and ecclesiastical nature. One such matter that he found himself involved in was the dispute between Pope Cyril of Alexandria and Archbishop Nestorius of Constantinople. Archdeacon Leo was unanimously elected to the 45th Metropolitan Archbishop of Elder Rome, the Latin See of Saints Peter and Paul in September of the year AD 440. Pope Leo alone went out and famously stood against Attila the Hun, causing him to turn back. Other barbarian wars were also being waged that called his most immediate attention and personal intervention. Because of this, he sent four delegates to the Fourth Ecumenical Council held in Chalcedon with his letters in hand, condemning the heretical teachings of Eutyches and those who supported him. Saint Leo's epistle to Archbishop Flavian of Constantinople was read at the Council, and was confirmed by the Church Fathers as being the Orthodox teachings. They all famously exclaimed "Peter doth speak through Leo!", accepting the word of God on the two natures of Christ. He was acclaimed during the proceedings as "head of all the Churches", "Ecumenical Archbishop", "Ecumenical Patriarch", "Archbishop of all the Churches", "most apostolic bishop who is the ruler of the whole Church", he "who presided over the Council as head over the members" and "appointed for all men the interpreter of the voice of Blessed Peter". When asked by the Council for the Pope of Rome to hold such authority over all the Church world however, Pope Leo declined. Pope Saint Leo the Great died on the 10th of November, AD 461 after reigning as Archbishop of Rome for twenty-one years. Because of his famous works of bravery, orthodoxy, and diplomacy, he was canonized as "Pope Saint Leo the Great".

 

Holding hands from consecration to consecration down through the generations of Church history and the ministry of the All-Holy Spirit, the United Holy Caribbean Apostolic Church shares in the historic apostolic succession and grace filled ministry of Pope Saint Leo the Great by way of the teachings and episcopal ministry and lineage of the Old Catholic Churches Brazilian Catholic Churches, and the Church of Rome who have passed on his succession with power and faithfulness.