St Clement I

Pope Martyr Apostolic Father of the Church (- c. 100)

Saint of the day November 23

Tadition has it that St Clement was a Jewish convert, a disciple of Sts Peter and Paul, and that he was the Clement mentioned in St Paul’s letterto the Philippians 4:3, as his “fellow labourer” in his missions. St Irenaeus of Lyons writing toward the end of the 2nd century, said of St Clement that “he saw the blessed Apostles and conversed with them. He had their preaching still ringing in his ears.” He succeeded St Anacletus and was Pope from c.88 to c.100, when the persecuting Emperor Trajan exiled him to the Crimea. There he became the consolation of some 2,000 fellow Christians”God has granted me a grace of which I was not worthy, by sending me amongst you to share your crown.” According to legend he was cast into the sea and drowned.

Clement’s writings were universally held in great admiration and were read on Sundays in the churches of both the East and the West. His famous letter to the Corinthians, written in 96, forms one of the most valuable and important documents which have come down to us from early Christian times. When a violent faction in the Corinthian Church had defied and expelled the clergy, Pope Clement appealed to their charity and sense of discipline to overcome the jealousy which had been the cause of much internal strife. “Observe order, as all creation does! Arrogance is absurd, for man is nothing! Without love nothing is acceptable to God. Christ showed us that nothing is more beautiful than charity, when he gave his own flesh for our flesh and his soul for our souls. Whoever disobeys the words spoken by him through us, involves himself in no light transgression and danger!”This is the earliest known Papal decree, and by its tone of authority already clearly shows the supremacy of Rome.

St Clement is named 3rd in the Canon of the Mass, after the Apostles. He is the patron of mariners and stone cutters.