Pope Leo Iii Flashcards, test questions and answers
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What is Pope Leo Iii?
Pope Leo III was an Italian Pope who reigned from 795 to 816. He is known for his promotion of the veneration of the Virgin Mary and for his defense of papal authority against those who sought to limit it. He was also a key figure in the Carolingian Empire, helping to restore Charlemagne as emperor.Leo III was born in Rome around 750. Not much is known about his early life, other than that he belonged to a prominent Roman family and had political connections with the Lombard kingdom of Italy. He became pope in 795, succeeding Pope Adrian I after a conclave lasting three months. As pope, he quickly established himself as an energetic leader within both religious and political circles. One of Leo’s earliest acts as pope was to encourage devotion to the Virgin Mary by establishing her feast day as December 8th (which remains today). This generated considerable opposition from some quarters, but Leo persevered in his efforts and eventually saw it adopted throughout Christendom. His promotion of Marian devotion helped make her one of the most revered figures in Catholic Christianity today. Leo was also involved in re-establishing Carolingian rule over Europe following Charlemagne’s death in 814. After Charlemagne’s son Louis refused to accept the imperial title, Leo stepped up and crowned him Emperor at Saint Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Day 815 – thus beginning what is known as the Carolingian Renaissance or the Age of Charlemagne.