Clement of Alexandria, Saint, original name Titus Flavius Clemens ?150-?215 A.D. Greek Christian theologian; head of the catechetical school at Alexandria; teacher of Origen. Feast day: Dec 5.
extract from A Vegetarian Sourcebook, 1989, by Keith Akers:
Clement wrote, "It is far better to be happy than to have your bodies act as graveyards for animals. Accordingly, the apostle Matthew partook of seeds, nuts and vegetables, without flesh". One of the earliest Christian documents is the `Clementine Homiles', a second-century work purportedly based on the teachings of St. Peter. Homily XII states, "The unnatural eating of flesh meats is as polluting as the heathen worship of devils, with its sacrifices and its impure feasts, through participation in it a man becomes a fellow eater with devils".