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On St. Leo the Great VATICAN CITY, March 5, 2008 The General Audience today took place once again in two places. First, the Pope greeted the faithful inside St. Peter's Basilica, including Italian students belonging to two national associations. Afterwards, he proceeded to Paul VI Hall where he delivered his Wednesday catechesis and greetings to various pilgrim groups. Here is a translation of the catechesis: Dear brothers and sisters, Continuing our journey with the Fathers of the Church, true stars who shine from afar, today we come to a Pope who was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Benedict...

ST LEO THE GREAT IS THE FIRST BORN POPE DOCTOR. HIS GREATNESS IS EVIDENT FROM HIS ROLES AS PEACEMAKER AMIDST TERROR, UNIFIER AMIDST CONTROVERSY AND PASTORAL CONCERN AMIDST WAR, DISEASES AND FAMINE. FOR TWO DECADES DURING HIS PONTIFICATE THE POWER OF TERRORISTS AND HELL ATTACKED AND PLUNDERED ROME AND ITS CITIZENS. LEO BELIEVED AND TRUSTED IN GOD THROUGH THE INTERCESSION OF ST PETER, THE ROCK OF THE CHURCH, AND JESUS CHRIST. IT WAS HE WHO GAVE PETER AND HIS SUCCESSORS THAT POWER OVER ALL MORTALS WHO WOULD CHALLENGE HIS CHURCH ON EARTH. IN ADDITION TO WRITING, LEADING AND EXEMPLYING...

November 10, 2005Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, pope and doctor of the Church Psalm: Thursday 48 Reading IWis 7:22b–8:1 In Wisdom is a spiritintelligent, holy, unique,Manifold, subtle, agile,clear, unstained, certain,Not baneful, loving the good, keen,unhampered, beneficent, kindly,Firm, secure, tranquil,all-powerful, all-seeing,And pervading all spirits,though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion,and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity.For she is an aura of the might of Godand a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty;therefore nought that is sullied enters into her.For she is the refulgence of eternal...

Defender of Rome and Codifier of Orthodoxy     The twelvth Doctor in this chronological series on the Doctors of the Church was the first of two Sovereign Pontiffs to be elevated to the noble and dogmatic structure of Doctor and be called "Great." The first, whom we feature today, was Leo the Great, better known in his time as Pope Leo I who became the 45th in the line of Peter as Pope Leo I when he was chosen to succeed Pope Sixtus III on September 29, 440.     Born in Tuscany, Italy near the very end of the 4th...