Clement of Metz

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Saint Clement of Metz
Bishop
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Feast	November 23
Saints Portal

Saint Clement of Metz (French: Clément de Metz) is venerated as the first Bishop of Metz. According to tradition, he was sent by Saint Peter to Metz during the 1st century, with two disciples: Celestius (Céleste de Metz) and Felix (Felix de Metz), who are listed as his successors in that see. However, this legend may have been constructed much later to lend more antiquity to the episcopal see, and to make the diocese of Metz appear to be more ancient than it actually was.^[1] As Hippolyte Delehaye writes, "To have lived amongst the Saviour's immediate following was...honorable...and accordingly old patrons of churches were identified with certain persons in the gospels or who were supposed to have had some part of Christ's life on earth."^[2] Elaboration of this legend states that Clement was the uncle of Pope Clement I.^[3]^[4]

Clement may have actually arrived at Metz at the end of the 3rd century^[5], though the first fully authenticated bishop, however, is Sperus or Hesperus, who was bishop in 535.^[6]

1 Legend of the stag
2 Legend of the Graoully
3 Veneration
4 References

[edit] Legend of the stag

Another legend associated with Clement states that a stag took refuge under the saint’s knees on two occasions, thereby convincing the local king, Orius, whose dogs were in pursuit of the dog, of Clement's sanctity.^[7],

[edit] Legend of the Graoully

Clement of Metz, like many other saints^[8], is the hero of a legend in which he is the vanquisher of a local dragon. In the legend of Saint Clement it is called the Graoully or Graouilly.^[9] The legend states that the Graoully, along with countless other snakes, inhabited the local amphitheater. The snakes’ breath had so poisoned the area that the inhabitants of the town were effectively trapped in the town. After converting the local inhabitants to Christianity after they agreed to do so in return for ridding them of the dragon, Clement went into the amphitheater and quickly made the sign of the cross after the snakes attacked him. They immediately were tamed by this. Clement led the Graoully to the edge of the Seille, and ordered him to disappear into a place where there were no men or beasts. Orius did not convert to Christianity after Clement tamed the dragon. However, when the king’s daughter died, Clement brought her back from the dead, thereby resulting in the king’s conversion.^[10]

In the Middle Ages, a large effigy of the Graoully was carried during processions in the town. By the 18th century, the Graoully was a large canvas figure stuffed with hay and twelve feet high.^[11] Various traditions were associated with the effigy. During the 18th century, bakers gave the dragon a small loaf of white bread, while on the last day of Rogation days, children whipped the effigy in the courtyard of the abbey of Saint Arnould, which was the last stage of the procession.^[12]