HistoricalChristian.Faith

Leo the Great on the Intermediate State

Dates: c. 447 · Wikipedia
Summary: Pope Leo I (Leo the Great), refuting the Priscillianists and their Manichaean kinsfolk in Letter 15 to Turribius of Astorga (447), treats the descent as plain catholic doctrine — Christ truly descended "to the realms below" in his soul while his real flesh rested and was raised from the tomb. He pairs the descensus with the reality of the body, marshalling both against the docetic denial that Christ took true flesh, truly died, and truly rose.

Claims & evidence

When Christ descended to the realms below, his flesh rested in the tomb — truly buried, truly raised

I am surprised that any intelligent Christian should be in difficulty as to whether when Christ descended to the realms below, his flesh rested in the tomb: for as it truly died and was buried, so it was truly raised the third day. For this the Lord Himself also had announced, saying to the Jews, "destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Where the evangelist adds this comment: "but this He spake of the temple of His body." The truth of which the prophet David also had predicted, speaking in the person of the Lord and Saviour, and saying: "Moreover my flesh also shall rest in hope; because Thou will not leave my soul in Hades, nor give Thy Holy One to see corruption" From these words surely it is clear that the Lord's flesh being buried, both truly rested and did not undergo corruption: because it was quickly revived by the return of the soul, and rose again.

— Letter 15 to Turribius, Bishop of Astorga (Against the Priscillianists), §18, historicalchristian.faith. Leo treats the descent as uncontroversial common ground — he is "surprised" anyone should be "in difficulty" over it — and uses it to anchor the reality of the buried-and-raised body. He grounds the whole on Psalm 16:10 / Acts 2:27 ("Thou will not leave my soul in Hades"): the soul going down to the realms below and the flesh resting incorrupt in the tomb are two sides of one true death and one true resurrection. The descensus describes the locale of the soul during the three days while the body lay buried, and Christ's flesh "was quickly revived by the return of the soul, and rose again."

Notes

• Leo's controlling interest here is christological, not eschatological: against the Priscillianists and Manichaeans (who "pretend to confess Christ, but only in such a way as to destroy the reality of His incarnation, and death, and resurrection"), he insists on the reality of Christ's body. The descent appears as accepted background — the settled catholic premise from which he argues, not the point under dispute.
• The line "Thou will not leave my soul in Hades, nor give Thy Holy One to see corruption" (Ps 16:10 / Acts 2:27) is the same proof-text behind the wider tradition of Christ's descent to the dead: the soul among the dead below, the flesh incorrupt in the tomb, and the reunion of the two at the resurrection "the third day."
• The date is that of Letter 15 itself, given in the closing line as 21 July 447 ("Dated July 21, in the consulship of the illustrious Calipius and Ardaburis"). Quesnel notes the refutation was later adopted almost word for word by the first Council of Braga (563), so Leo's framing here became a standard western statement of the position.