Today is the feast day of St. Clement, third Pope after Peter. Origen tells us he was a disciple of the apostles. Peter was martyred in 65 A.D. He was followed by Linus (martyred 80 A.D.), Anacetus (80-92 A.D., martyred), Clement (92-101 A.D.). He had been ordained by Peter.
One famous epistle of Clement was a letter to the Church in Corinth to put down serious squabbles. Yes, they happened from the very beginnings of Christianity. Besides asserting the authority of the Bishop of Rome, it also gives us a picture of theology and liturgy. He placed into his writing Old Testament exhortations to demonstrate the evil effects of envy and hate in the history of man and the benefits of humility and peace.
"For God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. (Prov. 3:34, Jas 4:6; 1 Pet 5:5)."
Under Emperor Trajan, Clement was cast into the Crimean Sea with an anchor around his neck. His body was retrieved and interred in Rome. The Basilica of San Clemente stands on that spot.
The Church is a marvel of ancient history. Deep under the Basilica is a long corridor. Rushing water can be heard. In the time of Nero it was a tunnel to drain a lake. Charred remains of houses can be identified that went up in smoke during Nero's great fire.
There are two buildings at this level, one of which was a residence and the other an apartment house, the two separated by a courtyard. These were built after the fire. The one building, by historical records, belonged to a Roman consul named Titus Flavius Clemens. His wife, a fervent Christian, offered the house as a meeting place in which other Christians could come to pray. Clemens himself was martyred and Flavia, his wife, continued her work.
Opposite the home was the apartment complex. Fragments of Roman life are everywhere. It turns out to hold also a pagan mithraic temple for rituals and a school for children. It is established that the small mithraic temple was built around 2nd or 3rd century A.D. The remains of an altar, a banquet hall and a bas-relief of the god, Mithra, are extant.
The second level of the church, built in the fourth century, lay buried until an archaeologist in the 1800s dug through hundreds of years of rubble. The frescoed walls show Byzantine style figures. Constantine's Edict of Milan, making Christianity legal, permitted churches to be built. Fourth century architects filled in the previous structures to make foundations. This happened all over Rome. St. Jerome mentioned this particular church, first named for the consul, Clemens, then for Pope St. Clement.
San Clemente and many other churches were burned to the ground by the Normans in 1084, as they chased German Emperor Henry IV from Rome. Several years later, the rubble again was filled in for foundations and the new church was built.
The present level is an 18th century restoration of the medieval church built in 1108. It is closely modeled on the 4th century church destroyed by the Normans. The ravages of time have been evident; but, since 1667, the church has been under the care of Irish Dominicans. The Irish Catholic clergy were expelled from England during the Reformation and the Order was given refuge at San Clemente. They have cared for and repaired the edifice, and today maintain a study house for priests. Restoring Masolino's early 15th century frescoes is an ongoing, prime work of love. The present Basilica is beautifully adorned with marble and mosaics. The sun-lit medieval atrium, the only example remaining in Rome, welcomes pilgrims returning from the tour of the dark depths below.
The many churches of Rome have their own peculiar histories. San Clemente happens to be one of the most interesting. In Rome, excavations are normal. Something is always being discovered deep beneath the streets and modern buildings. The centuries come in layers. Each layer is unique.
Drive down a broad, main avenue and note the barriers surrounding a current "dig" in the middle of the street. Buses, taxis, smart cars and Vespas zoom around and past the obstacles with not a glance of curiosity. It's a fact of life in the "Eternal City."
11/23/11
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