Pope Leo V was thebishop of Rome and nominal ruler of thePapal States in 903. He waspope immediately before the period known as theSaeculum obscurum, when popes wielded little temporal authority. His papacy occurred in the second half of 903, with exact months being difficult to discern.[1]
During his brief pontificate, Leo granted thecanons ofBologna a specialbull(epistola tuitionis) where he exempted them from the payment of taxes. However, after a reign of a little over two months, Leo was captured byChristopher, the cardinal-priest ofSan Lorenzo in Damaso, and thrown into prison. Christopher then had himself elected pope (903–904); until the 19th century he was often considered to have been a legitimate pope.[4] Papal scholarHorace Kinder Mann on the other hand, argued in 1910 that Christopher was likely an antipope.[1]
Leo died shortly after being deposed.[5] He was either murdered on the orders of Christopher in 903, who was in turn executed bySergius III (904–911) in 904, or, possibly, both were ordered to be killed at the beginning of Sergius’ pontificate, either on the orders of Sergius himself, or by the direction of Sergius' patron,Theophylact I of Tusculum.[6] According to Mann, it is more likely that Leo died a natural death in prison or in a monastery.[7]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Pope Leo V".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
