Clement was a disciple of the Apostles; he saw them and heard their instructions.
In his writings, he himself declares:
The First Epistle of the Blessed Clement (Apocryphal New Testament)
"...Disciple of Peter the Apostle."
Clement is mentioned by Paul in:
Philippians 4:3 (Canonical New Testament)
"...Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life."
Clement of Rome, is listed by Irenaeus and Tertullian as Bishop of the church in Rome, appointed by Peter the Apostle and holding office from the year 88 to the year 99. This is the same Clement who succeeded Paul, after Linus and Anaclet, in the government of the church of Rome.
This (true church of Christ in Rome) is not to be confused with the formation of the Catholic church over 200 years later:
At first, Christianity was banned by the Roman Empire, and Christians were persecuted terribly. This changed after the apparent “conversion” of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Constantine provided religious toleration with the Edict of Milan in AD 313, effectively lifting the ban on Christianity. Later, in AD 325, Constantine called the Council of Nicea in an attempt to unify Christianity. Constantine envisioned Christianity as a religion that could unite the Roman Empire, which at that time was beginning to fragment and divide. While this may have seemed to be a positive development for the Christian church, the results were anything but positive. Just as Constantine refused to fully embrace the Christian faith, but continued many of his pagan beliefs and practices, so the Christian church that Constantine promoted was a mixture of true Christianity and Roman paganism.
Therefore the theory that Clement was a Pope of the Catholic Church is implausible, no matter how much Vatican attempts to link their roots with the true early church of Christ.
The best way to know what mysteries (about the way to eternal life) Clement learnt from the Apostles, is to read his writings for yourself.
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