Pope Leo II

Leo II, pope from August 682 to July 683, was a Sicilian by birth, and succeeded Agatho. Agatho had been represented at the sixth ecumenical councils (that of Constantinople in 680) where Pope Honorius I was anathematized for his views in the Monothelite controversy as a favourer of heresy, and the only fact of permanent historical interest with regard to Leo is that he wrote once and again in approbation of the decision of the council and in condemnation of Honorius, whom he regarded as one who "profana proditione immaculatem fidem subvertare conatus est." In their bearing upon the question of papal infallibility these words have excited considerable attention and controversy, and prominence is given to the circumstance that in the Greek text of the letter to the emperor which the phrase occurs, the milder expression "subverti permisit" is used for "subverteare conatus est".

This Hefel in his Conciliengechichte (iii, 294) regards as alone expressing the true meaning of Leo. It was during Leo's pontificate that the dependence of the see of Ravenna upon that of Rome was finally settled by imperial edict.

preceded by Pope Agatho (678-681)

succeeded by Pope Benedict II (684-685)

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original text taken from the 9th edition (1882) of a famous encyclopedia.

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