Pope Leo VIII

Born around 915, Leo VIII was a Roman church official whose path to the papacy came not through clerical ambition but imperial decree. In 963, Holy Roman Emperor Otto I appointed him pope in opposition to the sitting John XII, launching a claim that pitted him against both John and his successor Benedict V through 964. The Church today considers that first stretch illegitimate — an antipope's tenure. But on 23 June 964, something shifted: Leo's claim became recognized, and he held the Holy See as legitimate pope until his death on 1 March 965. His pontificate unfolded in the wake of the saecul…