Clement of Rome, St

Clement of Rome, St (fl. c.96), Bp. of Rome. He appears in the early succession lists as the second or third bishop after St Peter, but as there is no evidence for monarchical episcopacy in Rome so early, the meaning of this evidence is not clear. Besides the spurious ‘Clementine Literature’ (q.v.), two ‘Epistles to the Corinthians’ have been ascribed to him. The former ( I Clement) is genuine. It was written c.96 in the name of the Roman Church to deal with strife in the Church at Corinth, where certain presbyters had been deposed; it insisted that the deposed presbyters must be reinstated and legitimate superiors obeyed. It affords valuable evidence on the state of the ministry at the time. The so-called ‘Second Epistle of Clement’ is really a homily, assigned on stylistic grounds to another author. The earliest surviving Christian sermon, it sets out in general terms the character of the Christian life. According to one tradition, Clement was banished to the Crimea and forced to work in the mines; he was bound to an anchor and thrown into the Black Sea. Feast day in the W., 23 Nov.; in the E., 24 or 25 Nov.