Born in Rome in the region around the Clivus Argentarius, Leo came from an illustrious noble family. He was the son of John, who held the office of protonotary. Although a … See more

Having been crowned by Otto, the remainder of Leo's pontificate was reasonably trouble-free. He issued numerous bulls, many of which detailed granting privileges to Otto and his successors. Some of the bulls were alleged to grant the … See more

By the time Otto entered Rome to depose Pope John XII, Leo had been appointed protonotary to the Apostolic See. A synod convened by the emperor uncanonically deposed John XII … See more

Although Leo was considered an antipope for many years, his current status is still confusing. The Annuario Pontificio makes the following point about the pontificate of Leo VIII:
"At this point, as again in the mid-eleventh century, we come … See more