St. Leo I: When Popes Were Great

The following is based on a true story of when the unarmed Pope Leo the Great rode out to a battlefield to face Atilla the Hun. Yes, that Atilla the Hun, the most feared enemy of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires. Somehow Pope Leo I convinced him to not plunder and raze the city but to spare Rome. Many believe it was due to some sort of supernatural intervention that Attila and the Huns went away peacefully.

Here's what really happened... 

It was a warm summer morning in 452 AD. The sun began to gain strength as it broke through the horizon. Warriors in lightly clad leather armor mounted their horses and assembled loosely in battle lines up on the hill overlooking what remained of the sadly declining city of Rome.

They held in one hand their composite bows and in the other the reins of their mighty steeds as they waited for the command to attack. Attached to their backs were their quivers filled with arrows. Some men in the back lines held torches, ready to burn the wooden structures as they finished plundering their contents in a savage frenzy. It was what they did and they did it well. They were the Huns.

Conquering city after city, they expanded their Hunnic territory into a great empire eclipsing the once great Roman Empire. Now they waited for their 'Little Father', the 'Scourge of God', Atilla to lead them into the city of Rome. They were not expecting any resistance at all. The Roman emperor Valentinian III and his army were cowards but also smart. They fled when they heard Atilla was near. 

Before Atilla was ready to give the command to attack, he noticed a small band of city managers and clerics mounted on farm horses slowly trotting up the hill toward him. They were determined to save Rome at any cost. When the party came within 50 feet of the Huns, the horses stammered and became nervous. Even the horses knew how dangerous it was to approach these cruel killers.

The party stopped but Pope Leo alone kept riding directly toward Attila. He recognized him as the leader because he was the only Hun dressed in silks and brightly beaded garments. The other men showed deference to Attila which made him all the more recognizable. He had a dark, wolf-like appearance. His face was covered with a long black beard and a small pink scar cut deep into his forehead.

When Leo came within ten feet of Attila, he dismounted and looked up into his slightly bloodshot eyes and said, “I am Leo the Vicar of Christ who is God, the Lion of Judah.  I am the keybearer, the bishop of this city and successor of Peter. I am the Patriarch of the West. I convert cities to Christ, build churches and give alms to the poor. I come in peace and I am here to tell you that Christ has conquered the world.”

The Hunnic King responded, “I am Atilla, the Scourge of God. I am the little father, king of my people the Huns. I destroy churches, plunder treasure, pillage homes and raze cities. Now I am here to take Rome”.

Slowly drawing his sword and holding it above his head, Attila raised his voice, “Do you know what this is? This is the Sword of God, the Sword of Mars and now it is the Sword of Attila!” 

Leo, calmly replied, “I have no weapons as you have, but I am armed with an unseen armor. It is the full armor of God. With it I stand against the devil but I come in peace. My struggle is not against flesh and blood.”

Unimpressed with the fifty two year old holy man, Attila lowered the Sword of Mars so that it pointed at the pope's face, “This mighty sword was forged from the iron of a meteorite by the gods with the power to conquer all nations. This blade has spilled the blood of many warriors and yet you stand there like a fool unarmed and unafraid.”

“It is true. I am a fool. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the true power of God. The only sword I carry is the word of God, the sword of the Spirit”, said Leo.

Attila let out an audible grunt as he said, “With this sword and these bows” pointing to his men now mounted on their warhorses, “we will decimate your once great city. Now bow to me and worship me as your god”. 

Without hesitation, Leo shouted, “You shall worship the Lord Jesus because he is your Lord too!" Before Atilla could respond, he quickly added, “and him alone shall you serve.”

Attila laughed out loud and said, ‘Who do you think you are?’
Leo bowed his head in prayer and suddenly, from clouds above, a voice rang out, “This is Peter and upon this rock I have built my Church. The gates of hell will never prevail against it.” 

Just then a ray of dazzling sunlight lit up the sky behind Leo and the outline of the Apostle Peter appeared above him, first as a translucent  silhouette, then as a clear apparition of a man with broad shoulders and strong arms. His rough fisherman hand held up a ring with two keys. 

Blinded by the light, Attila covered his brow with one hand straining to see this awesome manifestation. No one else heard the voice or saw the vision, not even pope Leo.

Then Peter challenged Atilla, “These are the keys to the city of Rome and the kingdom of God. Come and take them!”
Attila slowly backed away and the vision ended. The barbarian, visibly shaken, cried out to Leo, “Whoever you may be, man or angel, mystic or magician, Rome and Italy are indebted to you. For you and your God have spared their destruction this day." 

His men stared at each other in disbelief as they heard Attila. For the first time in his barbarian career, Atilla commanded his men to abandon their battle plans and turn back empty handed to the land of the Huns. Attila looked back as he fled and exclaimed, "Give thanks to your God. For your God is God.”

Pope Leo fell to his knees and wept, thanking God for the strength and the courage that came over him as he stood before what he feared was certain death. He knew it was God's grace at work but he still did not know what actually happened.
When he returned to the city walls he summoned all the residents to gather for a Mass of thanksgiving at Old St. Peter's basilica.

From then on he became known as Pope Leo the Great. 

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"Pope St. Leo the Great, pray for us all that we can have the courage to be spiritually strong and peacefully calm no matter the ugliness and horrors that might surround and threaten us. Amen"