The bishop had problems

His was a rather new diocese (it was only about half a century old and there had been only three bishops before him) but there was no shortage of problems. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of its bishops, the diocese could never get itself organized terribly well.

One of the diocese’s main problems was that its bishops kept getting killed.

Although he had reputedly been reluctant to accept the episcopacy, once entrusted with the flock this bishop threw himself completely into his work, with considerable energy and intelligence.

The problems in his own diocese did not blind him to the problems of the Church in other places. In fact, he was so moved by the plight of one diocese that he wrote them a letter, even though they were many hundreds of miles away and had already received letters and personal visits from the most exalted authorities in the Church.

The bishop's letter turned out to be truly magnificent, wide-ranging and profound. Copies of the letter were made and it would eventually be read throughout the world.

As for the letter writer himself, the good bishop would indeed be killed, as had been the three bishops before him: his friends and mentors Cletus, Linus, and Peter (who had been named by Christ himself).

The letter that St. Clement, martyr and fourth bishop of Rome, had written to the Corinthians remains widely read to this day.