[TheForge] St. Clement patron saint of blacksmiths

[CGRAF]

If you send me a fax number off list I will see what I have in my library.
 From what I remember he was one of the early popes and considered one 
of the Fathers of the Church.

Like all such leaders from that long ago what is known is a mixture of 
fact accurately or inaccurately recalled and outright myth.

It is certain he existed and that he was one of the first popes to 
exercise  Apostolic authority over a local church not within his own 
geographic area ( today we Catholics would say diocese. As bishop of 
Rome his authority clearly extended over Rome and its immediate area.)

The url below is to a letter of instruction sent,by Clement, from Rome, 
to the church in Corinth, much in the tradition of St Paul. It might 
give you some insight into Clements character and world view.

http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1010.htm

Patron saints were often assigned for little or no truly significant 
reason. A description of tenuous might even be overstating the logic in 
this matter.

A iron anchor as a means of execution according to legend would probably 
be a sufficient connection to smithing to have him considered one of the 
saints claimed as patron saint of blacksmithing. ( The logical flaw is 
that many if not most anchors of this period were stone not precious iron)

Mike Graf