LEONE III, POPE, saint. — Elected on 26 December 795, died on 12 June 816. On the very day of Adriano I’s death, L. was elected; he held the high office of pontifical oestararius and had the presbyteral title of S. Susanna. The choice had been made by the clergy in opposition to the secular nobility, which, predominant under Adriano, felt threatened and openly manifested its opposition to L.; the latter, by natural reaction, turned to Carlo, king of the Franks, sending him a copy of the act of election, the keys to the Confession of S. Pietro, and the standard of Rome, in-
