Saint Clement I was the third successor of Saint Peter as bishop of Rome. It is uncertain whether Saint Paul, in his Letter to the Philippians (4:3), was speaking about him when he mentioned a man named Clement as his co-worker. Still, the first Christians considered this Roman Clement—our Clement—to be a direct disciple of the apostles.
What is certain, however, is that he was not the noble martyr Titus Flavius Clemens. In fact, the most trustworthy ancient historians (Irenaeus, Eusebius, Jerome) make no mention of Clement’s martyrdom. Interestingly, even the Roman Mass assigned to him is not really written as if for a martyr.
What makes Clement especially important is the letter he wrote to the Church in Corinth between the years 93 and 97. It is the very first papal document we possess. While the apostle John was still alive, the bishop of Rome stepped in with real authority to resolve the problems of the Corinthian Christians. This letter, more than the legends about him, deserves to be remembered in the liturgy.
The Eastern Churches also celebrate the feast of Pope Saint Clement, on the following day.
