Pope Saint Cletus (sometimes Anacletus), the third Pope, governed the Roman Church from about 76 to about 88 during the reigns of the Emperor Vespasian and of Domitian.

St. Cletus has given earlier historians some trouble because of his name. Two of the early lists of the popes, the so-called “Liberian Catalogue” and the “Poem Against Marcion” list an Anacletus as well as a Cletus. Most ancient lists, however, give the papal succession as Peter, Linus, Cletus, Clement; and modern scholars agree that this is the correct listing. Anacletus is a variant of Cletus, and this seems to have caused the difficulty.

The “Liber Pontificalis” says that his father was Emelianus and that Cletus was a Roman by birth, and belonged to the quarter known as the Vicus Patrici. It also tells us that he ordained twenty-five priests, and was buried in Vaticano near the body of St. Peter. St. Cletus’ feast is celebrated along with that of St. Marcellinus on the twenty-sixth of April.

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16 COMMENTS

  1. April 26 is also the feast of Saint Rafael Arnaiz Baron, a twentieth century spanish Trappist monk canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. A vivid example for the youth of today!

  2. Pope St.Cletus,,,,your service to your people in a time of great turmoil,,,,must have been extremely DIFFICULT!!!
    You were the third Pope at that time with such a BURDEN to carry!!! We must BELIEVE that there is a TRUE loving
    God,,,,because you MUST have PRAYED,,,most deeply,,,most of the time!!!!!!And we know PRAYERS do work !!!!!!
    Thank you for reminding us,,,,,,when you NEED help,,,,,,Jesus Christ is ALWAYS ,,,,NEAR!!!!!!!

  3. Father Gabriel Amorth rest in peace.

    And thank you for your written words (on page 15) reminding me of our Lord’s “sufficient grace”.

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