Clement of rome is one of the earliest apostolic fathers of the church. From clement of rome to augustine pope benedict xvi on. Paul praises as a faithful fellow worker, whose name is written in the book of life philippians 4. Pope clement i also known as saint clement of rome, is listed by irenaeus and tertullian as bishop of rome, holding office from 88 to his death in 99.
Following his best selling book, jesus of nazareth, and his talks published in jesus, the apostles, and the early church, pope benedictschurch fathers. There is one acknowledged epistle of this clement whom he has just identified with the friend of st. Decoding nicea, romes audacious claim, apostles gospel, and grace by paul pavao. Clement of rome was a first century convert who had that wonderful privilege. His epistle, the first epistle of clement to the corinthians 96 a. Little is known of this apostolic father beyond a few facts. He was probably born in egypt, perhaps in alexandria, to a christian family. Now that the springtime has lengthened the day, of course the night is shorter. Benedict tells the true story of christianitys againstallodds triumph in the face of fierce. Clement led the church in rome during the late first century. On the internal evidence for the dating of 1 clement, welborn writes the anchor bible dictionary, v. The story also featured in another piece of writing that appeared about the same time. Clement calls on the christians of corinth to maintain harmony and order.
According to the early christian writer tertullian, he was consecrated by peter. After paul and peter were martyred at rome, clement become a leader, in fact, bishop, of the church there. Hope of resurrection clement of rome crossroads initiative. Today in the body of christespecially within evangelical. John lateran, this apse mosaic centers on a cross that relates to a vision of paradise. The letter is important because it indicates that the author was acting as the head of the christian church and that it was centered in rome. But as soon as day began to advance the dawn upon the retiring darkness, peter having gone into the garden to pray. In his first book, church fathers, benedict began with clement of rome and ended with saint augustine. His predecessors are linus and cletus or anacletus, or anencletus, about whom almost nothing is known. The work is attributed to clement i, the bishop of rome. Each of the church fathers described gets a small chapter or more, each chapter derived originally from speeches he gave as pope.
Clement of rome and the didache early christian fathers kenneth howell on. In his day, he was a great theologian and a real scholar. This certainly points to a clement in rome exercising the same functions as the writer of i. The basic idea behind the book is that it covers a brief history of the churchs early fathers. A book by gregjgordon, today in the body of christespecially within evangelicalism and other modern expressions of the churchthere is an increasingly urgent need to reconnect with the foundational precepts of the faith once for all delivered to the saints.
In february 1974, due to deteriorating health, father naes asked cardinal carberry for permission to retire from active ministry. The book begins with st clement of rome 70 107 ad and ends with st augustine of hippo 354 430 ad so were basically dealing with the early patristic fathers. If you look in your new testament at philippians 4. This practice spread to other churches, and christians translated the greek work.
From clement of rome to augustine benedict xvi, pope emeritus on. The first epistle of clement, literally, clement to corinth. Following his best selling book, jesus of nazareth, and his talks published in jesus, the apostles, and the early church, pope benedicts church fathers presents these important figures of early christianity in all their evangelical vitality, spiritual profundity, and uncompromising love of god. In the first sentence of the letter, the author explains that the roman church has. Polycarp was the bishop of the church in smyrna for several decades around the start of the second century.
Loisy maintains that the author of 1 clement was a distinguished roman elder who flourished 140 and that this clement was named in the shepherd of hermas vision, 8. First epistle of clement to the corinthians translated by j. St clement of rome catholic church on facebook watch. But there is great difficulty in admitting this supposition. Paul, great and admirable, which he wrote in the name of the church of rome to the church at corinth, sedition having then arisen in. But san clementes mosaic merges the iconography of paradise with images of the church in the contemporary world.
His father died in the persecution of 202, and he himself narrowly escaped the same fate. This book is a wonderful way to get to know the church fathers and the tremendous. He is considered to be the first apostolic father of the church, one of the three chief ones together with polycarp and ignatius of antioch. Outside of the canon of the new testament, it is the earliest extant epistle from a church father ignatius of antioch. Featuring the church fathers, catholic encyclopedia, summa theologica and more. His father educated him and taught him greek literature. Today in the body of christespecially within evangelicalism and other modern expressions of the church there is an increasingly urgent need to reconnect with the foundational precepts of the faith once for all delivered to the saints. From clement of rome to augustine reprint by benedict xvi, pope emeritus isbn. Clement of rome bishop 23 nov 100 clement is counted as the third bishop of rome after the apostles. Home fathers of the church recognitions clement of rome book v. In the first sentence of the letter, the author explains that the roman church has been delayed.
Many are asking questions such as, what did the original, early disciples of the lord jesus believe. A brief description of clement of rome, who wrote a letter to the church at rome in a. Home fathers of the church recognitions clement of rome book x. Clement of rome was an early church father who lived and ministered at the close of the apostolic era near the end of the first century. After meditating on the apostles and then on the fathers of the early church, as seen in his earlier works jesus, the apostles and the early church and church fathers, pope benedict xvi devoted his attention to the most influential christian men from the fifth through the twelfth centuries.
Clement of rome clement of rome was the bishop of the christian church at rome from a. On this principle, if any ones father was a robber or a base fellow, he ought not to change the manner of life handed down to him by his fathers. Clement, and the reference may be merely a literary device based on knowledge of the earlier book. This document is the earliest christian writing besides the new testament documents. It is the earliest christian epistle outside the new testament. The epistle is customarily dated to the end of the reign of domitian 95 or 96 c. Clement was a student of the apostle peter and later a bishop of rome. Clement of rome and the didache early christian fathers. But as soon as day began to advance the dawn upon the retiring darkness, peter having gone into the garden to pray, and returning thence and coming to us, by way of excuse for awaking and coming to us a little later than usual, said this. He was a bishop of the church in rome and is primarily known for a. Titus flavius clemens, also known as clement of alexandria greek.
The stromata or miscellanies book ii by saint clement of. For this is the manner in which the apostolic churches transmit their registers. Clement of rome was an elderbishop in rome during the last half of the first century. The first epistle of clement is a letter addressed to the christians in the city of corinth. Join us as we learn about the life of the early roman christians and the teachings of this very early pope. Clement was allegedly put to death under emperor domitian. These things we did hear in the days of our fathers also, and behold we have.
Clement was the bishop of rome and third in succession from st. The chapters are surveys, and provide only a small dose of each patristic father s dogma, but theyre a good starting point for anyone interested in reading more. He is considered to be the first apostolic father of the church, one of the. Today in the body of christespecially within evangelicalism and other modern expressions of the churchthere is an increasingly urgent need to reconnect with the foundational precepts of the faith once for all delivered to the saints. Irenaeus of lyon lists him as a contemporary of the apostles. On june 5, 1974, father john freiberger assumed the pastorate of saint clement of rome parish. The epistle is dated customarily to the end of the reign of emperor domitian, that is 95 or 96 ad. From clement of rome to augustine following his best selling book, jesus of nazareth, and his talks published on jesus, the apostle. During his eighteen year tenure, the parish continued to prosper. A century after clement wrote, tertullian an early latin church father again used the example of the phoenix in connection with resurrection. Paul mentions clement in his epistle to the philippians in. This saint was born in rome to an honorable father whose name was fostinus. The deceased farmer pastors and associates of saint clement of rome, for whom this holy mass is offered father luke navys father john fry burger father james downey father william therma monsignor cornelius flavin monsignor richard gallagher father exhibit albert father james julius father. He lived during the time immediately after the apostles of the new testament and was actually a contemporary of the apostle john.
We do not know a lot about him except that he wrote a letter on behalf of the church of rome to the church of corinth, probably very close to a. Around the year 95 ad, a letter was written by the church of rome to the church at corinth that is attributed to saint clement. Church fathers and teachers by pope benedict xvi formed. Origen whom well read later this year speculated that he may have been the clement named by paul in philippians 4. Following his best selling book, jesus of nazareth, and his talks published in jesus, the apostles, and the early church, pope benedictschurch fathers presents these important figures of early christianity in all their evangelical vitality, spiritual profundity, and uncompromising love of god. The identity of clement is a matter of some speculation.