Pope St. Leo III

Saint Leo III

Pope & Confessor

Leo was born in Rome in the eighth century. He was a cardinal and papal treasurer under Pope Adrian I, and was elected pope himself on the very day his predecessor was buried, in the year of Our Lord 795. Leo immediately placed the papacy under the protection of Bl. Charlemagne, King of the Franks, who was deeply honored and responded by sending great treasures and war spoils to benefit the Church and the poor in Rome. A few years into his reign, Leo was attacked by Pope Adrian’s relatives, who scarred his face, gouged his eyes, and nearly ripped out his tongue; but the holy pontiff miraculously recovered the use of his eyes and tongue, and fled to the protection of Charlemagne in Germany. Charlemagne restored order in Rome, and by Leo’s request the pope’s enemies were exiled, rather than executed. At Christmas Day Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, in the year of Our Lord 800, Leo crowned Charlemagne as Emperor of the Romans, reviving the Western Roman Empire with the first and foremost duty of protecting the Church and all Christendom from the enemies of God. Leo died in the year of Our Lord 816, having nobly led the Church for two decades.

Traditional Roman Martyrology for June 12th

AT Salamanca, in Spain, St. John of St. Facundus, confessor, of the Order of Augustinians, renowned for his zeal for the faith, for holiness of life, and miracles.

At Rome, on the Aurelian road, during the persecution of Decius and under the prefect Aurelius, the birthday of the holy martyrs Basilides, Cyrinus, Nabor, and Nazarius, soldiers, who were cast into prison for the confession of the Christian name, scourged with scorpions, and finally decapitated.

At Nicaea, in Bithynia, St. Antonina, martyr, who was scourged by order of the governor Priscillian during the same persecution, then racked, lacerated, exposed to the fire, and finally put to the sword.

In Thrace, St. Olympius, a bishop, who was expelled from his see by the Arians, and died a confessor.

At Rome, in the Vatican basilica, the pope St. Leo III, to whom God miraculously restored his eyes and his tongue after they had been torn out by impious men.

In Cilicia, the bishop St. Amphion, a celebrated confessor of the time of Galerius Maximian.

In Egypt, St. Onuphrius, an anchoret, who for sixty years led a religious life in the desert, and renowned for great virtues and merits, departed for heaven. His admirable deeds were recorded by the abbot Paphnutius.

℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.

℟. Thanks be to God.