Pope St. Clement I on the threefold order



 Saint Clement taught the mono-episcopate. 


The Epistle of Saint Clement explicitly teaches that each area is ruled by a single bishop, surrounded by priests and his deacons. 






Here we find Clement describing the structure of the Church. We have a archiereus (Greek term for bishop) to whom Christ’s “own peculiar services are assigned.” We have a plurality of priests. We have the deacons, who are often called “Levites” in the early church. Last of all, we have the laymen. We called it the “threefold order” of the bishop, priests, and deacons.


Archiereus: A Greek word for bishop





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