Clement Weather

You can tell that we've been at Lent for two weeks now, because the dawn is rising as we walk across Rome to each Station Church now. It was also easier for me to find today's church than last time, walking with a group that knew the way . . .

Saint Clement was was the third successor to Peter, and like both the men who had come before him, followed Saint Peter in testifying with his life for the faith. Trajan apparently exiled him to Crimea ('Crimea has its own punishment,' is that what he said?), where he then had an anchor tied to his neck before being thrown into the sea. Before you get a sinking feeling that I'm going to anchor some pun to that scenario, I want to note that in Christian imagery, Christ himself is represented as an anchor, and water is always an image of baptism, so in fact maybe Clement's wasn't such a bad way to go.








The crucifix in the mosaic interestingly has 12 doves on it. From the base of the cross a large vine sprouts, illustrating John 15:5--"I am the vine, you are the branches."



From Clement we have the First Letter to the Corinthians (indicating he wrote another, now lost, one?). He urgently warns the community there against schism, division, and as the antidote urges those who are splitting off to 'submit yourselves to the presbyters', reconfirming with Ignatius of Antioch (also buried in this church) that being subject to the presbyters and bishops is fundamental to Christian unity and life.

Saint Clement's has some very impressive excavations of the earlier church dating back to Constantine's time, when a basilica replaced the oratory where Clement had gathered with the community for the liturgy. The excavations were begun in 1857 by the prior of the Dominicans, who had begun to care for the church in 1677 when it became illegal for them to live in their native Ireland.