Pope Saint Leo II (Leo junior, Leone II) governed the Church of Rome from 17 August 682 to 28 June 683 (burial at Saint Peter's on 3 July). The Holy See presents him as the 80th pope of the Catholic Church, born in Sicily, successor of Saint Agatho.[1]
His effective pontificate lasts less than a year, but he receives a decisive charge: to confirm, translate and disseminate the acts of the sixth ecumenical council, Constantinople III, which condemns Monothelitism (the error according to which Christ would have only one will) and proclaims in Christ two natural wills and two natural operations.[2][3]
Leo II is also the pope who formulates, with decisive precision, the fault of Honorius I. He confirms the conciliar anathema, but explains it in the West as a failure of apostolic vigilance: Honorius did not purify the Roman Church by the teaching of tradition and let the immaculate faith be defiled.[4][5]
The Liber Pontificalis also preserves the portrait of a learned pope, bilingual in Greek and Latin, excellent in chant and psalmody, a friend of the poor, builder of a church near Saint Bibiana and restorer of Ravenna's dependence on the Apostolic See.[6][7][8]
"We give our assent to what has been defined by it, and We confirm it by the authority of blessed Peter." — Leo II, letter Regi regum to Constantine IV[9]
Why does Leo II matter?
The pope of reception, not of preparation
Agatho had prepared the Roman answer: consultation of the West, Roman synod of 680, legates sent to the council, dogmatic letter on the two wills of Christ.[10] Leo II receives the finished work. His role is therefore not to reopen the discussion, but to give the conciliar decision its definitive Roman reception.
This distinction avoids two errors. Leo II must not be credited with Agatho's letter; nor must he be reduced to a belated clerk. In the ancient Church, an ecumenical council does not become merely an Eastern event: it must be received, confirmed, translated, sent out, explained and inscribed in the communion of the Churches.
A short pontificate set within a long crisis
The Monothelite crisis does not begin in 680. It goes back to the imperial attempts at appeasement after Chalcedon, to the Ecthesis of Heraclius (imperial letter of 638 imposing Monothelitism as official doctrine), to the Typos of Constans II (edict of 648 forbidding all debate on the wills of Christ), to the martyrdom of Martin I, to Saint Maximus the Confessor, to the prudences of Vitalian and to the pontificates of Donus then Agatho.[11][12]
Leo II appears at the end of this chain. The doctrinal victory he confirms cost decades of suffering, exile, forced silence, negotiation and Roman fidelity. His brief reign is the moment when Rome officially says: the council has confessed the true faith, and the Apostolic See confirms it.
The Catholic key to the Honorius affair
The name of Leo II is inseparable from the Honorius affair. The council condemns Honorius along with the Monothelite leaders; Leo II confirms this condemnation; but he gives it a Latin formulation that avoids two misunderstandings: making Honorius a pope who defined heresy, or denying the real gravity of his fault.[13][14][15]
For Catholic apologetics, this nuance is decisive. Vatican I does not promise that every pope, in every letter or pastoral prudence, is impeccable or always clear. The assistance promised to Peter concerns the Church in the confession of the faith, and definitional acts under their proper conditions. Leo II confirms precisely that the fault of Honorius was a grave doctrinal negligence, not a solemn definition of error.
The main sources
Table of witnesses
| Source | Date | What it contributes | Caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holy See | current list | 80th pope, Sicily, 17.VIII.682 (consecration) - 3.VII.683 (burial, end of entry; death on 28 June) | Very brief notice |
| Liber Pontificalis | Roman tradition, Duchesne ed. | Moral and cultural portrait, reception of the council, Ravenna, relics, eclipse, ordinations, burial | Main narrative source, very condensed |
| Denzinger | DS numbering (Hünermann ed.; in French: Cerf, 1996) | Letter Regi regum, confirmation of Constantinople III, condemnation of Honorius | Doctrinal reference to be cited precisely |
| Acts of Constantinople III | 680-681 | Definition of the two wills, condemnations, request for Roman confirmation | Major conciliar source |
| New Advent / Catholic Encyclopedia | 1910 | Synthesis: delay of consecration, Spain, Honorius, Ravenna, relics, liturgical memory | Old, but rich and Catholic |
| Treccani / Eugenio Susi | 2005 | Critical reading: vacancy, Byzantine stakes, Spain, Ravenna, taxation, liturgy, feast | Best short modern synthesis |
| Britannica | modern | Summary: chant, reception of the council, Honorius, Ravenna | Very synthetic |
The Holy See: the official dates
The Vatican's official entry gives Leo II as the 80th pope, with the pontificate beginning on 17 August 682 (consecration) and ending on 3 July 683 (day of the burial, which closes the entry; the death is of 28 June), and birth in Sicily.[16] These three data points govern the Ignispedia title: Pope Saint Leo II (682-683).
The same entry preserves a trace of the chronological difficulty: the election comes after the death of Agatho, in 681, but the consecration only takes place on 17 August 682.[17] This delay is not an administrative detail. It still reveals the Byzantine dependence of the pontifical election.
The Liber Pontificalis: an exceptional portrait
The notice of the Liber Pontificalis is particularly rich for so brief a pontificate. It says that Leo, "the younger", is Sicilian, son of Paul, and that he sits ten months and seventeen days.[18]
Above all, it draws a rare intellectual and liturgical portrait: a very eloquent man, sufficiently instructed in the divine Scriptures, trained in the Greek and Latin languages, remarkable in chant and psalmody, subtle in their understanding.[19]
"A very eloquent man, sufficiently instructed in the divine Scriptures, trained in the Greek and Latin language, remarkable in chant and psalmody." — Liber Pontificalis, notice on Leo II[20]
Treccani draws a cautious hypothesis from it: Leo II had probably lived in Rome for a long time and may have belonged, perhaps even at a high level, to the schola cantorum of the Lateran. The source does not allow his whole career to be reconstructed, but it points to a pope perfectly suited to the reception of Greek conciliar acts.[21]
The Denzinger: the doctrinal centre
The Denzinger preserves the major paragraphs of the letter Regi regum to Constantine IV. In it Leo notes that the universal council confessed in agreement with the Roman synod: Christ is one of the Trinity, existing from two natures and in two natures, without confusion or division.[22]
He then states that the Apostolic See receives with veneration the definition of faith proclaimed by Constantinople III, gives its assent and confirms it by the authority of Peter.[23] Finally, he anathematises the inventors of the Monothelite error and also names Honorius, specifying the nature of his failure.[24]
Before the pontificate: a Sicilian trained in Rome
Sicilian origin and a father named Paul
The Holy See and the Liber Pontificalis agree on the Sicilian origin of Leo II.[25][26] The Roman notice adds his father's name: Paul.[27] The ancient sources give neither his certain date of birth, nor his childhood, nor the whole of his ecclesiastical career.
Sicily is no secondary detail in the seventh century. It belongs to the Byzantine world, largely speaks Greek, and supplies Rome with several popes able to serve as intermediaries between the old apostolic capital and the Eastern Empire. Agatho was already Sicilian; Leo II continues this line.[28][29]
Greek and Latin: a political and doctrinal competence
Mastery of Greek and Latin is here more than a cultural quality. The acts of Constantinople III are written in Greek; the Churches of the West must receive them in Latin. The pontificate of Leo II therefore requires a pope able to understand the doctrinal matter and to carry it from one ecclesial language to the other.
Treccani stresses that this erudition and knowledge of Greek probably explain why Leo was an appropriate candidate to continue Agatho's work.[30] The Liber Pontificalis explicitly says that he carefully translated the holy sixth synod into Latin.[31]
Chant, psalmody and liturgical formation
The notice also insists on chant and psalmody. Britannica sums up Leo II as a pope who promoted church music and was an accomplished singer.[32] This memory is not decorative. In the Rome of the early Middle Ages, orthodoxy is also transmitted through the liturgy: psalms, readings, offices, processions, translations of relics.
Leo II is therefore not only the pope of the conciliar acts. He is a pope of the sung word, of translation, of psalmody and of the liturgical ordering of the received faith.
The election delayed by Constantinople
Elected in 681, consecrated in 682
Agatho dies on 10 January 681.[33] New Advent notes that Leo was elected a few days later, but was only consecrated after a delay of one year and seven months, on 17 August 682.[34] Treccani speaks of an election in January 681 and a consecration eighteen months later, when Constantine IV sent to Rome the iussio (the emperor's written order) required for ratification.[35]
This delay shows that the papacy still lives under the Byzantine regime. The Roman election is not immediately enough: imperial confirmation is needed. The contrast is stark with the doctrinal greatness of the See of Peter: Rome confirms the faith of the council, but its bishop still awaits the political ratification of Constantinople.
The council continues during the Roman vacancy
News of Agatho's death and Leo's election reaches Constantinople on 10 March 681, during a crucial phase of the council opened on 7 November 680.[36] At that moment, Patriarch George of Constantinople adheres to the theses of the Roman synod, soon followed by the majority of the assembly.[37]
Treccani notes that this situation favours the manoeuvres of the Byzantine court and clergy: the ratification of the new pope can be made conditional on the completion of the conciliar debate.[38] The condemnation of Honorius therefore comes in a context where Rome is represented by its legates, but where its new pope is not yet consecrated.
The confirmation arrives with the acts
The conciliar acts, officially addressed to Agatho, are finally transmitted to Leo II by the pontifical delegation returning from Constantinople. Treccani places their arrival in Rome between May and June 682, with the imperial letters and the recognition of Leo's election.[39]
Leo can then be consecrated on 17 August 682. He becomes pope not at the beginning of the discussion, but at the exact moment when the doctrinal result must be turned into Western reception.
Receiving Constantinople III
What the council defines
Constantinople III answers a precise Christological question: does Christ have one will or two wills? The Catholic answer is that the incarnate Word is a single divine person in two natures, divine and human; he therefore possesses two natural wills and two natural operations, without division of person and without sinful opposition.[40][41]
The definition protects the reality of the Incarnation. If Jesus did not have a true human will, his human obedience to the Father, his prayer at Gethsemane and his free sacrifice would be emptied of part of their truth. Monothelitism often claimed to protect the unity of Christ; in reality it threatened the fullness of his humanity.
"We proclaim likewise in him, according to the teaching of the holy Fathers, two natural wills or volitions and two natural activities, without division, without change, without partition and without confusion." — Constantinople III, definition of faith[42]
Leo II confirms by the authority of Peter
In Regi regum, Leo II does not receive the council as external information. He commits the Apostolic See: because the council proclaimed in all its fullness the true definition of faith received by the See of Peter, the pope gives his assent and confirms what has been defined.[43]
This sentence is central for a Catholic encyclopaedia. It shows that the Roman reception is not a mere administrative stamp. Leo II understands his ministry as that of the venerable Apostolic See, speaking by the authority of blessed Peter.[44]
Translating for the West
The Liber Pontificalis specifies that Leo II translated the holy sixth synod into Latin very carefully.[45] Treccani confirms that he undertook the revision and Latin translation of the acts, then transmitted them to the Churches and kingdoms of the West.[46]
Translation is here a pastoral act. A Greek council not understood by the Latins would remain fragile. Leo II makes the definition accessible to the Western bishops, so that they sign it, preach it and integrate it into ecclesial discipline.
Visigothic Spain
New Advent stresses that the letters sent by Leo II to the king, the bishops and the nobles of Spain have been preserved. In them he explains what the council accomplished and asks the bishops to subscribe to its decrees.[47]
The result can be seen at the XIV Council of Toledo, held from 14 to 20 November 684, under the pontificate of Benedict II but in execution of Leo II's mandate.[48][49] Spain thus becomes one of the first great Western areas of reception of Constantinople III.
Leo II and Honorius
The fact: Honorius is condemned
The fact must be stated without softening it. Constantinople III rejects the letters of Sergius, Cyrus and Honorius as contrary to the apostolic teachings and harmful to souls.[50] The council also decides to banish Honorius from the holy Church of God and to strike him with anathema.[51]
Leo II confirms this condemnation. He does not remove the name of Honorius. He does not claim that the council exceeded its rights. He includes Honorius in the list of those he anathematises in his letter to Constantine IV.[52]
Leo II's Latin precision
The decisive precision comes from Leo's formula. Honorius is condemned because he did not purify the apostolic Church by the teaching of the apostolic tradition, but attempted to subvert the immaculate faith by an impious betrayal.[53]
"Honorius [...] did not purify this apostolic Church by the teaching of the apostolic tradition, but attempted to subvert the immaculate faith by an impious betrayal." — Leo II, Regi regum[54]
New Advent sums up this nuance: Leo wants to show that the condemnation of Honorius does not concern a solemn heretical teaching, but the fact of not having been active enough in opposing error.[55] Treccani likewise insists: Leo imputes to Honorius non-opposition to Monothelitism, not direct adherence to its theses.[56]
Why this distinction matters
The Honorius affair is often used against pontifical infallibility. The Catholic answer does not consist in denying the documents, but in reading exactly their scope. Honorius wrote private and ambiguous letters to Sergius; he sought a badly formulated peace; he did not guard the Roman Church by a clear confession.[57]
Leo II shows that the Church can condemn a grave fault of a pope without denying the Roman primacy. The same letter that names Honorius also confirms the council by the authority of Peter. Lucidity about the fault of a pontiff does not destroy Catholic doctrine; it refines it.
The spiritual lesson
The fault of Honorius and the confirmation of Leo II give a sober lesson: in certain crises, pastoral silence becomes dangerous. A formula of peace that lets error breathe can produce more wounds than a demanding definition.
Leo II is not a brutal polemicist. He receives the council, translates the acts, disseminates the decrees and specifies responsibilities. His firmness is ordered to Catholic unity: a unity in truth, not a peace through doctrinal fog.
Ravenna returns under Roman ordination
A crisis inherited from Constans II
Ravenna had received from Emperor Constans II a privilege of autocephaly (independence from Rome) in 666, for the benefit of Archbishop Maurus. This claim freed the Ravennate Church from the direct jurisdiction of the pope, in a city that was also the seat of the Byzantine exarch.[58][59]
Donus and Agatho had already seen this autocephaly recede. Leo II obtains the more juridical solution. The Liber Pontificalis states that in his time, by a written order (divalis iussio) of Constantine IV, the Church of Ravenna was restored under the ordination of the Apostolic See.[60]
The agreement with Archbishop Theodore
The rule is clear: on the death of an archbishop of Ravenna, the elect must come to Rome to be ordained according to the ancient custom.[61] Treccani specifies that Archbishop Theodore restores the decree of Constans II and accepts that his successors be consecrated by the pope in Rome.[62]
In exchange, Leo II abolishes certain payments linked to the pallium and offices, and accepts a practical arrangement: the archbishop will not have to stay in Rome more than eight days, and may send a delegate each year for the homage due to the Apostolic See.[63][64]
Authority and conciliation
This dossier shows Leo II's method. He does not yield on the principle: Ravenna returns under Roman consecration. But he lightens the financial charges and humiliating constraints. The Roman primacy is not presented as a taxation; it is restored as an ecclesial order.
The link with Constantinople III is profound. At the very moment when Rome and Constantinople recover doctrinal unity, Ravenna ceases to be the symbol of an Italian autocephaly sustained by the Empire against Rome. The doctrinal victory and the jurisdictional pacification advance together.
Charity, relics and Roman churches
Friend of the poor
The Liber Pontificalis says that Leo II loved poverty and cared for the needy not only through the piety of his spirit, but also through the concrete work of his zeal.[65] Treccani sees in this the probable sign of support for the works of charity carried on by the Roman monastic communities and deaconries.[66]
This mention must remain in the article. The pope of the Christological definitions is not separated from the poor. In an impoverished Rome, still Byzantine, crossed by sickness, tensions and fiscal burdens, charity is an act of government.
A church near Saint Bibiana
The pontifical notice states that Leo II built in Rome, near Saint Bibiana, a church dedicated to the blessed apostle Paul on 22 February 683. There he laid the bodies of Saints Simplicius, Faustinus, Beatrice and other martyrs.[67]
New Advent explains that Leo perhaps feared new Lombard ravages in the catacombs, which would have prompted him to transfer many relics of martyrs into a church built to receive them.[68] Treccani specifies that the monumental remains of this oratory were seen by Antonio Bosio, who transcribed an inscription recalling the pontifical dedication.[69]
Saint George in Velabro
A late addition to the Liber Pontificalis also attributes to Leo II the building of a church in honour of Saint Sebastian and Saint George near the Velum aureum (the "Golden Veil", ancient name of the quarter where San Giorgio in Velabro stands).[70] Treccani judges that this late addition probably comes from a trustworthy source, while keeping the necessary prudence.[71]
This dossier completes the liturgical portrait of Leo II: chant, psalmody, relics, martyrs, churches, conciliar translation. His reception of the faith does not remain only in the archives; it passes into the places, offices and material memory of Rome.
Eclipse, ordinations and death
The Maundy Thursday eclipse
The Liber Pontificalis reports that in the time of Leo II, on 16 April, in indiction XI (the eleventh year of the fifteen-year fiscal cycle), the moon suffered an eclipse after the Lord's Supper; almost all night it had a bloody aspect, then began to grow clear again after cockcrow.[72]
Calendrical check to be confirmed: according to the Julian computus, Easter 683 falls on 19 April, which makes 16 April a Thursday — Maundy Thursday.[73] This alignment is not an astronomical proof: the Liber delivers here only a pontifical memory, and the Roman notices record celestial signs, ordinations and works as so many markers of the pontificate.[74]
The last ordinations
On 27 June 683, Leo II performs an ordination: nine priests, three deacons and twenty-three bishops according to the Liber Pontificalis.[75] Treccani gives twenty-two bishops, which signals a small divergence of tradition or reading.[76] The Liber (XXIII) stands as the primary source; Treccani's reading is noted as a variant.
The exact figure must therefore be reported with its source. What matters above all is the closeness of the event to his death. Leo II continues to provide for the Church until the very last days.
Death and burial at Saint Peter's
Leo II dies on 28 June 683, the date given by the Catholic Encyclopedia.[77] The Liber Pontificalis records only his burial: he was buried beside the blessed apostle Peter on the fifth day before the Nones of July, that is 3 July.[78] The Holy See closes the entry of the pontificate on this date of 3 July 683.[79]
Treccani notes that 3 July would become the day associated with his feast, whereas 28 June, sometimes attributed to Leo II in the Middle Ages, actually concerned the translation to Saint Peter's of the relics of Leo the Great under Sergius I. This feast of 3 July, later taken up by the Martyrology, disappeared — according to Treccani (2005: "nelle recentissime riforme") — from the calendar of the universal Church and from the Roman Proper; it no longer appears in the current universal calendar since the 1969 reform (3 July being the feast of Saint Thomas), while Leo II remains listed in the Roman Martyrology on 28 June.[80][81]
Chronology
| Date | Event | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| 10 January 681 | Death of Agatho | Opening of the succession |
| January 681 | Election of Leo II according to Treccani | The pope-elect awaits imperial ratification |
| 10 March 681 | News of the election received in Constantinople | The council is in its decisive phase |
| 16 September 681 | Definition of Constantinople III | Two wills and two natural operations of Christ |
| May-June 682 | Return of the legates with the acts and imperial recognition | Preparation of the consecration |
| 17 August 682 | Consecration of Leo II | Effective beginning of the pontificate |
| September-December 682 | Letters toward Spain and the West | Dissemination of the conciliar acts |
| 6 January 683 | Anastasius and Leontius subscribe the conciliar faith[82] | Reception of two former associates of the camp of Macarius |
| 22 February 683 | Dedication of the church of Saint Paul near Saint Bibiana | Translation of relics of martyrs |
| 16 April 683 | Lunar eclipse reported by the Liber Pontificalis | Cosmic marker in the Roman notice |
| May 683 | Letter to Constantine IV according to Treccani | Approval of the council and eased relations with the emperor |
| 27 June 683 | Last ordinations | Priests, deacons and bishops for various places |
| 28 June 683 | Death of Leo II | Catholic Encyclopedia; Treccani: a few days after the ordinations of 27 June |
| 3 July 683 | Burial at Saint Peter's | Liber (V non. iul.); closing date of the Holy See's entry — government ends at death |
| 14-20 November 684 | XIV Council of Toledo | Spanish reception of Constantinople III |
Spiritual and doctrinal heritage
The translated faith
Leo II recalls that a defined truth must be translated in order to be received. It is not enough for Constantinople III to be right in Greek; the West must understand, sign, preach and transmit the definition. The Latin translation of the acts thus becomes an apostolic service.
This lesson holds far beyond the seventh century. In the Church, doctrine is not a dead formula. It must pass into the real language of the faithful, into letters to bishops, into local councils, into the liturgy and into formation.
The charity of precision
Leo II's precision on Honorius is a form of charity. It does not minimise the fault; it also refuses to exaggerate it. It names the exact point: not guarding the apostolic Church by the teaching of tradition.
A Church that no longer knows how to distinguish personal fault, pastoral ambiguity, formal heresy and doctrinal definition becomes incapable of judging justly. Leo II gives a model of judgment: firm, documented, proportionate.
The pope of chant and of Peter
The portrait of the Liber Pontificalis unites two traits rarely put together: chant and primacy. Leo II is excellent in psalmody, but he also confirms the council by the authority of Peter.[83][84]
This union is beautiful. The Catholic faith is not only a doctrinal tribunal; it is a sung word, a prayed Scripture, a received communion, a charity toward the poor, a memory of the martyrs laid in the churches of Rome. Leo II is one of those brief popes whose density lies in the unity of these gestures.
To go further
- Pope Saint Agatho — predecessor of Leo II, pope of the Roman synod of 680 and of the dogmatic letter to Constantinople III.
- Council of Constantinople III (680-681) — definition of the two wills and two operations of Christ.
- Pope Honorius I — dossier of the posthumous condemnation and its use in debates on pontifical infallibility.
- Pope Saint Martin I — Roman martyr of resistance to the imperial Typos.
- Pope Donus — immediate threshold before Agatho and the imperial request of 678.
- Pope Saint Vitalian — context of Ravenna, Constantinople and Byzantine Italy.
- The old Saint Peter's Basilica — place of pontifical burial and centre of Roman memory.
Notes and sources
Notes and References
Holy See, official "Leo II" entry (very brief entry, list data): 80th pope of the Catholic Church, beginning of the pontificate I.681, 17.VIII.682 (election then consecration), end 3.VII.683, birth in Sicily. Rank, dates and place checked on the entry on 4 October 2026. URL: https://www.vatican.va/content/vatican/en/holy-father/leone-ii.html.
1 16 17 25 79Leo II, letter Regi regum to Emperor Constantine IV, circa August 682, Denzinger, DS numbering (Hünermann ed.), §561: agreement of the universal council with the Roman synod of 680 and confession of Christ in two natures (Migne, PL 96, letter 3, col. 404B-408B according to Denzinger).
2 22Leo II, Regi regum, Denzinger, DS numbering (Hünermann ed.), §562: assent of the Apostolic See to the definition of Constantinople III and confirmation by the authority of blessed Peter (Migne, PL 96, letter 3, according to Denzinger): "his, quae definita sunt ab ea, consentit, et beati Petri auctoritate confirmat" (hence "by it": the holy synod).
3 9 23 43 44 84Leo II, Regi regum, Denzinger, DS numbering (Hünermann ed.), §563: anathema against the inventors of the error, including Honorius, who did not purify the apostolic Church by the teaching of the apostolic tradition and let the immaculate faith be defiled (Migne, PL 96, letter 3, according to Denzinger; formula corroborated in session by McClintock & Strong, Cyclopedia, art. "Monothelism", after Mansi): "et Honorium, qui hanc apostolicam Ecclesiam non apostolicae traditionis doctrina lustravit, sed profana proditione immaculatam fidem subvertere conatus est".
4 15 24 52 53 54Horace Mann, "Pope St. Leo II", The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 9, Robert Appleton Company, New York, 1910; New Advent transcription re-read on 4 October 2026: election a few days after Agatho then consecration after one year and seven months (17 August 682), confirmation of the council, letters preserved to the king, bishops and nobles of Spain, condemnation of Honorius "not because he taught heresy, but because he was not active enough in opposing it", revocation of the edict of Constans and pallium regime, relics transferred for fear of the Lombards, memory in the Martyrology on 28 June. New Advent dates the death to 28 June (Martyrology day); the article distinguishes here the death (28 June) from the burial (3 July according to the Liber), the date on which the Holy See closes its entry. URL: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09157a.htm.
5 34 47 48 55 63 68 77Liber Pontificalis, notice "Leo iunior", Louis Duchesne ed., Le Liber pontificalis, vol. I, Paris, 1886, p. 359 (brief notice opening on this page; Treccani cites in bibliography Duchesne, vol. I, pp. 359-369). Latin text re-read word for word in session on 4 October 2026 on https://fontistoriche.org/papa-leone-ii/ (page "Voce dal Liber Pontificalis (ed. Duchesne)", letters confirmed one by one): "LEO iunior, natione Sicula, de patre Paulo, sedit mens. X dies XVII. Vir eloquentissimus, in divinis Scripturis sufficienter instructus, greca latinaque lingua eruditus, cantelena ac psalmodia praecipuus [...] paupertatis amator et erga inopem provisione [...] sollicitus." URL: https://fontistoriche.org/papa-leone-ii/.
6 18 19 20 26 27 65 83Liber Pontificalis, notice "Leo iunior", Duchesne ed., vol. I, p. 359. Latin checked on 4 October 2026 via Fontistoriche: "Huius temporibus percurrente divale iussione clementissimi principis restituta est ecclesia Ravennas sub ordinatione sedis apostolicae, ut defenctus archiepiscopo, qui electus fuerit, iuxta antiquam consuetudinem in civitate Romana veniat ordinandus"; "typum autocephaliae [...] ad amputanda scandala sedis apostolice restituerunt".
7 60 61Liber Pontificalis, notice "Leo iunior", Duchesne ed., vol. I, p. 359. Latin checked on 4 October 2026 via Fontistoriche: "Hic fecit ecclesiam in urbe Roma iuxta sancta Viviana, ubi et corpora sanctorum Simplici, Faustini, Beatricis atque aliorum martyrum recondidit, et ad nomen beati Pauli apostoli dedicavit sub die XXII mens. februar."
8 67See the Ignispedia article Pope Saint Agatho (678-681), predecessor of Leo II: Roman synod of 680, dogmatic letter, legates to the council and death before the final definition.
10 28 33See the Ignispedia article Pope Saint Martin I (649-655), pope of the Lateran council of 649 and martyr of resistance to the imperial Typos.
11See the Ignispedia article Pope Donus (676-678), initial recipient of the imperial request of 678 and immediate threshold before Agatho.
12 58Constantinople III, 13th session (28 March 681), Denzinger, Enchiridion Symbolorum, DS numbering (Hünermann ed.), §§550-552: rejection of the letters of Sergius, Cyrus and Honorius as contrary to the apostolic teachings and harmful to souls (DS numbering of the Hünermann ed.).
13 50Constantinople III, Denzinger, DS numbering (Hünermann ed.), §552 (13th session, block §§550-552 "Condanna dei monoteliti e del papa Onorio I"): anathema against Honorius, formerly pope of ancient Rome, for his letter to Sergius (DS numbering of the Hünermann ed.).
14 51Eugenio Susi, "LEONE II", Treccani, 2005, 2nd paragraph, re-read on 4 October 2026: Sicilian origin like Agatho, probable long-standing residence in Rome, quotations from the Liber ("vir eloquentissimus...", "cantelena ac psalmodia praecipuus...", p. 359), hence the hypothesis — presented as such — of a link with the Lateran schola cantorum, perhaps even at its head.
21 29 30Liber Pontificalis, notice "Leo iunior", Duchesne ed., vol. I, p. 359. Latin checked on 4 October 2026 via Fontistoriche: "Hic suscepit sanctam sextam synodum [...] in qua et condemnati sunt Cyrus, Sergius, Honorius, Pyrros, Paulus et Petrus [...] quam et studiosissime in latino translatavit."
31 45Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Saint Leo II": pope from 682 to 683, Sicilian, reception of Constantinople III, condemnation of Monothelitism and Honorius, return of Ravenna under papal jurisdiction, promoter of church music. Direct page still blocked by an anti-robot check on 4 October 2026 ("Just a moment" page, no possible reading); only the officially indexed excerpt ("born, Sicily — died July 3, 683 [...] pope from 682 to 683. He promoted church music (he was an accomplished singer)") and this single fact — chant — are used in the body. Note that Britannica dates the death to 3 July (day of the burial according to the Liber) whereas the Catholic Encyclopedia and Treccani place the death around 28 June. URL: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Leo-II.
32Eugenio Susi, "LEONE II, papa, santo", Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, vol. 64, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana Treccani, 2005, 1st paragraph, re-read on 4 October 2026: "Eletto nel gennaio del 681 [...], fu consacrato pontefice soltanto diciotto mesi più tardi, quando l'imperatore [...] Costantino IV Pogonato inviò a Roma la iussio necessaria alla ratifica dell'elezione." URL: https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/leone-ii-papa-santo_%28Dizionario-Biografico%29/.
35Eugenio Susi, "LEONE II", Treccani, 2005, 3rd paragraph, re-read on 4 October 2026: arrival in Constantinople on 10 March 681 of the news of Agatho's death and Leo II's election, in the midst of the crucial phase of the council opened on 7 November 680; adherence of Patriarch George then of the majority; condemnation of the writings of Honorius imposed during the Roman vacancy, the legates being unable to defend the prestige of Rome.
36 37 38Eugenio Susi, "LEONE II", Treccani, 2005, 4th paragraph, re-read on 4 October 2026: council closed on 16 September 681, acts addressed to Agatho transmitted to Leo II by the delegation that left after 13 December 681 and arrived in Rome between May and June 682, with imperial letters and recognition of the election; consecration on 17 August 682.
39Constantinople III, 18th session, 16 September 681, Denzinger, DS numbering (Hünermann ed.), §553 (block §§553-559 "Definitio de duabus in Christo voluntatibus et operationibus"): reception of Agatho's report and of the Roman synod of 125 bishops, in conformity with Chalcedon, the Tome of Leo and the Fathers (DS numbering of the Hünermann ed.).
40Constantinople III, Denzinger, DS numbering (Hünermann ed.), §556 (18th session, block §§553-559): two natural wills or volitions and two natural activities in Christ, without division, change, partition or confusion (DS numbering of the Hünermann ed.).
41 42Eugenio Susi, "LEONE II", Treccani, 2005, 5th paragraph, re-read on 4 October 2026: revision and Latin translation of the acts, transmitted and made to be subscribed by the bishops and sovereigns of the West — according to the papal letters sent between September and December 682 to the episcopal sees and to the leaders of the Visigothic kingdom of Spain.
46XIV Council of Toledo, 14-20 November 684, Denzinger, DS numbering (Hünermann ed.), §564 (De proprietatibus utriusque in Christo naturae): Western reception of Constantinople III and confession of the properties of the two natures in Christ (DS numbering of the Hünermann ed., which places this council under Benedict II, 26 June 684 – 8 May 685).
49Eugenio Susi, "LEONE II", Treccani, 2005, 5th-6th paragraphs, re-read on 4 October 2026: to Honorius is imputed only non-opposition to Monothelitism, not adherence to its theses; firm reminder of the centrality of Rome and of the vicar of Peter as guarantor of orthodoxy; same concepts in the letter to Constantine IV of May 683.
56See the Ignispedia article Pope Honorius I (625-638), which treats the letters to Sergius, the condemnation of Constantinople III and the debates on pontifical infallibility.
57Judith Herrin and Jinty Nelson eds., Ravenna: Its Role in Earlier Medieval Change and Exchange, Institute of Historical Research / University of London Press, 2016, pp. 205-209: privilege of autocephaly of Ravenna under Constans II, gradual retreat under Donus, Agatho and Leo II, role of Constantine IV and Archbishop Theodore. Download still blocked by an anti-robot protection on 4 October 2026 ("Making sure you're not a bot" page, pages not re-read one by one); the only fact carried by this note — the privilege of 666 — is corroborated that day by Treccani, re-read in full (privilege of Constans II of 1 March 666 in favour of Archbishop Maurus). URL: https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/39388/9781909646728.pdf.
59Eugenio Susi, "LEONE II", Treccani, 2005, 7th paragraph, re-read on 4 October 2026: end of the autocephaly of Ravenna — privilege of Constans II of 1 March 666 in favour of Archbishop Maurus, revoked by Constantine IV between 682 and 683; agreement with Archbishop Theodore (restoration of the decree, future consecrations in Rome, abolition of payments for the pallium, annual visit by delegate).
62 64Eugenio Susi, "LEONE II", Treccani, 2005, 8th paragraph, re-read on 4 October 2026: after the "paupertatis amator..." of the Liber (p. 359), probable support for the works of charity of the Roman monastic communities and deaconries.
66Eugenio Susi, "LEONE II", Treccani, 2005, 8th paragraph, re-read on 4 October 2026: oratory of Saint Paul near Saint Bibiana on the Esquiline, dedicated on 22 February 683, translation of the martyrs Simplicio, Faustino and Beatrice from the cemetery of Generosa (6th mile of the Via Portuense), inscription seen and transcribed by Bosio; Saint George in Velabro (dedication perhaps on 23 April 683) by late addition to the Liber, probably from a trustworthy source.
69 71Liber Pontificalis, notice "Leo iunior", addition transmitted after the main notice, Duchesne ed., vol. I, p. 359. Latin checked on 4 October 2026 via Fontistoriche: "Huius almi pontificis iussu aecclesiam iuxta Velum aureum in honore beati Sebastiani edificata est, necnon in honore martiris Georgii."
70Liber Pontificalis, notice "Leo iunior", Duchesne ed., vol. I, p. 359. Latin checked on 4 October 2026 via Fontistoriche: "Huius temporibus, die XVI mens. april. ind. XI. luna eclepse pertulit post Cena Domini; nocte pene tota in sanguineo vultu elaboravit et nisi post gallum cantum coepit paulatim delimpidare".
72 74Julian computus recalculated on 4 October 2026 (Meeus/Jones-Butcher algorithm: Easter 683 = 19 April; 16 April 683 = Thursday; Byzantine indiction of April 683 = XI, i.e. (683+3) mod 15). Calendrical check computed, to be confirmed on a computus table; the Liber attests only the account of the eclipse, not the computus.
73Liber Pontificalis, notice "Leo iunior", Duchesne ed., vol. I, p. 359. Latin checked on 4 October 2026 via Fontistoriche: "Hic fecit ordinationem I per mens. iun. die XXVII, presbiteros VIIII, diaconos III; episcopos per diversa loca XXIII. Qui etiam sepultus est ad beatum Petrum apostolum sub die V non. iul." (the XXIII settles the divergence with Treccani, which gives twenty-two bishops).
75 78Eugenio Susi, "LEONE II", Treccani, 2005, 9th paragraph, re-read on 4 October 2026: "il 27 giugno 683 L. II consacrò nove presbiteri, tre diaconi e ben ventidue vescovi" — twenty-two bishops against XXIII in the Liber (primary reading retained by the article); death a few days later, burial at Saint Peter's on 3 July 683.
76Eugenio Susi, "LEONE II", Treccani, 2005, 9th-10th paragraphs, re-read on 4 October 2026: feast of 3 July later taken up by the Martyrology, made official under Paschal II at the translation of the remains of Popes Leo I, II and IV; 28 June wrongly attributed in the Middle Ages (translation of the relics of Leo I under Sergius I); "Ma nelle recentissime riforme la festa di L. II è scomparsa dal calendario della Chiesa universale e anche dal Proprium romano" (exact Italian text, rechecked in session on 4 October 2026).
80Roman Martyrology: Leo II commemorated on 28 June ("At Rome, Pope St. Leo II" on 28 June; feast on 3 July in calendars prior to 1970). The current universal calendar (1969 reform) gives 3 July to Saint Thomas, apostle.
81Liber Pontificalis, notice "Leo iunior", Duchesne ed., vol. I, p. 359. Latin checked on 4 October 2026 via Fontistoriche: "Macarum, Stephanum, Polychronium et Anastasium, dum nollent a suo recedere proposito, per diversa monasteria sunt retrusi"; "Anastasium presbiterum et Leontium diaconum [...] in die sanctum Theophaniae, exponentus [...] fidem suam iuxta quod et sancta synodus determinavit".
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