LEO II, POPE, ST.

Pontificate: January 681, to July 3, 683. A Sicilian by birth, he was competent in both Greek and Latin. In accord with the decree of Emperor constantine iv Pogonatus that the electoral certificate of Pope agatho's successor be sent to Constantinople for ratification, Leo's election shortly after Agatho's death on Jan. 10, 681, was announced to Constantine by March 681. Confirmation, however, was not received at Rome until July 682, thus delaying Leo's consecration by the bishops of Ostia, Porto, and Velletri to August 682. On Dec. 13, 681, the emperor had forwarded for papal approbation the acts of the Council of constantinople iii that condemned Monothelitism. Leo ratified the synodal decisions sometime after Sept. 1, 682, but explained that Pope honorius i's only fault in regard to Monothelitism lay in his permissive attitude toward the heresy. At the same time papal letters were written to the Spanish hierarchy, to King Ervigio, a Count Simplicius, and Abp. Quiricus of Toledo; they contained a partial Latin translation of the acts of the Council and the request that they be subscribed to and their teaching promulgated. The privilege of Mar. 1, 666, whereby the Church of ravenna had been declared autocephalous by Emperor constans ii was withdrawn by Constantine IV, and the Emperor directed the archbishop–elect of Ravenna to go to Rome for his consecration. In turn Leo exempted the archbishop from the traditional taxes incidental to consecration.

Feast: July 3.

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[h. g. j. beck]