7 history-changing Pope Leos

By Michael Gryboski, Editor Twitter
Charles the Great, more commonly known as Charlemagne, being crowned the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Leo III on Christmas, AD 800.
Charles the Great, more commonly known as Charlemagne, being crowned the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Leo III on Christmas, AD 800. | Public Domain

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, making him the first pontiff to be from the United States. 

Shortly after being elected pope, the 69-year-old native of Chicago, Illinois, and alumnus of Villanova University decided to adopt the papal name of Leo XIV.

Prevost selected a name with a long history associated with the papacy. Previous Pope Leos include those who engaged in crucial diplomatic efforts, served under controversy, and had ties to the prominent Medici family of Renaissance Italy.

Get Our Latest News for FREE

Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.

Here are seven notable past popes also named Leo.

Follow Michael Gryboski on Twitter or Facebook

Was this article helpful?

Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone.

By making a recurring donation or a one-time donation of any amount, you're helping to keep CP's articles free and accessible for everyone.

$25/month$50/quarter$100/yearOne-time

We’re sorry to hear that.

Hope you’ll give us another try and check out some other articles. Return to homepage.

Most Popular

More Articles