Homily on St Clement of Rome

Saint Clement of Rome, the holy Hieromartyr and third successor of the holy Apostle Peter. His life shines as a living witness that the faith we hold is not an invention of later centuries, but the same apostolic proclamation handed down unchanged.

Saint Clement lived in the first century, roughly AD 30-100, during a time when many still walked the earth who had seen Christ Himself or had been taught directly by His Apostles. Tradition tells us that he was a disciple of Saints Peter and Paul, and that he heard their preaching in Rome. Clement lived during:

the last decades of the Apostles,

the first generation of Christians after Pentecost,

the earliest formation of Church structure.

During his youth, people still lived who had:

seen Christ,

heard Peter or Paul preach,

suffered the earliest persecutions in Judea.

The Church was already united in doctrine, but not yet spread into the full Roman world. Clement represents the transition from the Apostolic Age to the age of the Fathers.

For this reason, the Church calls him an Apostolic Father—one whose voice echoes the very teaching of the Apostles.

He became the Bishop of Rome, not according to any worldly ambition, but as a humble servant whose only desire was to shepherd the flock entrusted to him. His epistle to the Corinthians, still preserved today, reveals a soul filled with gentleness, clarity, and deep spiritual wisdom.

St. Clement’s famous First Epistle to the Corinthians was written because the community in Corinth had fallen into division—some members had risen against their appointed presbyters. Clement wrote not with harshness, but with the steady, fatherly tone of one who loves his children.

He pointed them to the order established by God:

Christ sent the Apostles,

the Apostles appointed bishops and presbyters,

and these in turn appointed successors.

In this letter, we see the early Church living exactly as Holy Orthodoxy still teaches today—a Church of apostolic succession, conciliarity, humility, and obedience. Saint Clement reminds the Corinthians that peace comes when we lay aside pride and embrace  harmony.

One of the most striking features of Clement’s letter is how saturated it is with Scripture. More than any other early Christian writer, he weaves the Old Testament into his appeals—showing that the God of Israel and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is one and the same.

He calls believers to:

imitate the humility of Christ,

practice repentance,

preserve unity,

pray for the world, its leaders, and even its persecutors.

His great prayer near the end of the letter—still used in Orthodox liturgical life—is a profound intercession for the whole human family, showing that the Church’s heart embraces all creation.

Although details of his final years are told in various traditions, the most ancient memory of the Church is that Clement suffered martyrdom during persecution under Emperor Trajan. According to the tradition preserved in the East, he was exiled to the mines in Cherson (near modern Crimea). There he continued to minister to the prisoners, preaching Christ tirelessly.

Because he would not cease proclaiming the Gospel, he was condemned to death. A heavy anchor was tied around his neck, and he was cast into the sea, giving his soul into the hands of God. The anchor—his symbol—became a sign of his unshakable hope in Christ

Saint Clement offers us several lessons profoundly needed in our own age:

• Fidelity to the Apostolic Faith

He shows that Christian doctrine is not subject to trends, but faithfully preserved from generation to generation.

• Humility and obedience

Like the Corinthians of old, the Church today faces temptations to division and self-will. Clement reminds us that unity is found not in asserting our own rights, but in bowing our hearts before Christ.

• A spirit of peace

His epistle breathes a gentle firmness—truth spoken with love. He teaches us how to correct without condemning and how to restore without destroying.

• Hope anchored in Christ

Saint Clement’s martyrdom testifies that the Christian does not fear death. Anchored in Christ, he cannot be shaken.

And so, let us give thanks for Saint Clement of Rome,

a bishop in the apostolic age,

a peacemaker in times of division,

a teacher of humility,

and a martyr whose anchor rests in heaven.

Through his prayers, may we inherit the same steadfast hope,

the same unity of love,

and the same unwavering confession of Christ our true God,

to Whom be glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.