Listed 3 sub titles with search on: Religious figures biography for destination: "CHIOS Town NORTH AEGEAN".
d.c. 251, feastday: July 13
Born at an uncertain date on the Island of Chios, then under Genoese
domination; died in Chios or in Italy,
1842. He himself says he was of humble parents.
He entered the Dominican Order in Chios, and after profession was
sent to Padua for his philosophical
and theological studies. After ordination he taught at both Padua
and Genoa, then returned
to his native island, and was made Bishop of Mytilene
on the island of Lesbos by
Eugene IV.
Emperor Constantine Palaelogus had sent a request to the pope, asking
that efforts be made to effect a union between the Latin and Greek Churches: for
this purpose Leonard was selected to accompany Isidore, Cardinal-Bishop of Sabine,
to Constantinople. Some degree
of success was attained through their efforts, and a treaty was ratified in December,
1452. However, the Greeks refused the aid of the Latin troops, and in the following
year Leonard was a witness to the devastation of the city by Mohammed II. From
Chios he wrote to the pope a detailed account of the fall of Constantinople
in a letter.
He governed his diocese for the next three years, until Lesbos
also fell and he was taken captive to Constantinople.
He obtained his freedom the following year, and immediately wrote the pope a description
of the sack of his diocese. His best-known writings are the two letters mentioned
above and an apologetical tract in answer to the humanist Poggio. There is reason
to believe that many of his letters remain unedited in the Vatican
Library.
Ignatius Smith, ed.
Transcribed by: Michael T. Barrett
This extract is cited June 2003 from The Catholic Encyclopedia, New Advent online edition URL below.
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