Hieromartyr, St. Clement of Rome – Nov 25 I Apostolic Father

Published by Jacob P Varghese on

St. Clement (Mar Clemis) was born in Rome as the son of Phasthinis in the family of Flavia. He is distinguished from Clemis of Alexandria by being referred to as Clemis of Rome or Pope Clemis I. The Hieromartyr Clement, is said to be been born in Rome into a rich and illustrious family. He was separated from his parents from childhood for unknown circumstances. It is said the he was raised by strangers and living in Rome, as a youth received a fine education, surrounded by luxury, and had access to the imperial court. But these comforts brought him no joy, and pagan wisdom failed to attract him. He began to ponder the meaning of life.

The Good News of Jesus Christ and His teaching reached Rome, St Clement left his home and estate and went to the lands where the Apostles were preaching. He met the holy Apostle Barnabas, at Alexandria, listened to his words with deep attention, and perceiving the power and truth of the Word of God. He accepted Christianity following the missionary work of apostles St. Peter and St. Paul. Origen and Irenaeus believed that it is to Clemis, St. Paul refers to in his letters to the Philippians 4: 3 where he speaks of one ‘whose name is in the book of life’. (3 “Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life”). Saint Clement was baptized by the holy Apostle Peter in Palestine and he became a zealous disciple and constant companion, sharing his toil and sufferings with him. Shortly before his own sufferings and death, St Peter consecrated Saint Clement as Bishop of Rome.

He was the third metropolitan of Rome after St. Peter. Tertullian has recorded that Linus (A.D. 68-80), Anicleetus (A.D. 80-92) and Clemis (A.D. 92-101) had been the metropolitans of Rome after St. Peter. According to the early Christian writer Tertullian, he was consecrated by St. Peter. St. Irenaeus lists him as a contemporary of the Apostles and witness of their preaching. 

http://www.thewonderfulname.info/2012/12/holy-fathers-on-name-of-god-st-clement_7.html

Before he died in about the year 96, he wrote an epistle, First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, calling on the Christians of Corinth to maintain harmony and order. He calls on the Corinthians to repent and to reinstate the leaders that they had deposed. This epistle is mainly intended to settle disputes, differences and rifts among Churches. It contains advice to the Churches which have shown disrespect to the traditions and teachings of the apostles as to how to regain by practicing noble qualities like obedience and humility the prestige lost due to envy. It was written after the persecution by Domitian during the period A.D. 96-98. The epistle has sixty-five chapters, of which chapters one to thirty-eight encourage the Church to regain the good testimony and chapters thirty-nine to sixty-five deal with the significance of the hierarchy established by God from Prelates, Priests, Deacons and believers and finally with the necessity of obeying the priests ordained by God.

Clement offers valuable evidence about the state of the ministry in the early Church. He explains that the Apostles had appointed ‘bishops and deacons’, that they had given instructions on how to perpetuate the ministry, and that Christians were to obey their superiors. The author uses the terms ‘bishops’ (overseers, episcopas) and ‘elders’ (presbyters) interchangeably. His letter was copied and widely read in the early Church, and it is the earliest Christian epistle outside the New Testament. He wrote an ‘in about AD 96. In chapter 40 of this Epistle, he says that the Holy Eucharist should be celebrated at the appointed time, in the stipulated manner. It should not be altered according to our liking and should be conducted with extreme sanctity. These truths were emphasised in his epistle. It lays stress on the apostolic succession (Douglas, 101 Constantine I 1978). This epistle was read in Churches even after seventy years as espoused by Dionysius of Corinth.

This Apostolic Father, St Clement, has left to us two Epistles to the Corinthians, the first one to be written examples of Christian teaching after the writings of the holy Apostles. He composed a Qurbana Thaksa and has also written standardised special prayers to be used during the accession of the Patriarchs. During the rule of emperor Trajan, St  Clement was banished to Pontus & imprisoned. He was forced to work in the marble quarries under harsh conditions. Many around him accepted Christ due to his preaching. The emperor enraged at his constant preaching even under imprisonment, ordered him to be drowned in the Black Sea. Thus St. Clement attained the crown of martyrdom.  St. Clemis is regarded as a martyr, commemorated in the 5th Thubden (Diptychs) and his feast is celebrated on November 25 by the Orthodox Syrian Church.


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