St. Clement Pope of Rome

It may be surprising to many to find in the middle of Moscow a Russian Orthodox Church dedicated to “St Clement Pope of Rome” – but so it is. In fact, the !st Century martyr St. Clement is well known in Russia – after all, didn’t he die in exile in the Crimea? Thus, a Pope became one of the first Christians in what later was Russian territory. He also was cast into the Black Sea – and was therefore invoked by those who journeyed by water such as merchants.

The existing parish has a long history. It was a center of resistance when a Polish regime tried to take over Muscovy in the early 17th century. The current magnificent Baroque church dates from around 1760. It is the work of an unknown master – perhaps an Italian architect retained by the Russian court for its ambitious 18th century building program. Inside are baroque furnishings, carved and painted, including an overwhelming main iconostasis, that represent an enchanting blend of Western Renaissance and Eastern traditions. What horrifies the pedants of Eastern artistic Traditionalism is evidence of the prior creativity of the Russian world in its ongoing dialogue with the West.

All this is well preserved because of the sorrowful history of this church in the 20th century. Under communism, its clergy were dispersed and religious services prohibited. Finally, in the early 1930’s, St. Clement’s was reduced to a storeroom. But that preserved it from either absolute destruction or the gutting of its interior. The church was only restored and returned to divine worship some 8 years ago.

Saints such as St. Clement are a precious heritage we share with the Orthodox world. Recently, the Orthodox acknowledged St. Stephen of Hungary (around 1000) as one of its own saints. Such a common legacy can serve as a foundation of a real “dialogue.” Who knows? Perhaps we will see images of St. Nicholas emperor of Russia and the martyred royal family in the Western Church….