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St. Leo the Great
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Saint Leo (c. 400 – 10 November 461), also known as Pope Leo I or Leo the Great, was Bishop of Rome from September 29th, 440 until his death in 461.

Leo was a Roman aristocrat, and was the first pope to have been called “the Great”. He is perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452 and persuaded him to turn back from his invasion of Italy. He is also a Doctor of the Church, most remembered theologically for issuing the Tome of Leo, a document which was a major foundation to the debates of the Council of Chalcedon, the fourth ecumenical council. He also contributed significantly to developing ideas of papal authority.

Pope Benedict XVI said that Leo’s papacy was “undoubtedly one of the most important in the Church’s history”.