In his work Pædagogus or Instructor, St. Clement of Alexandria (150-216) allows absolutely no excuses for “filthy speaking.” This was in the second century when the Fathers of the Church were fighting the pagan Greek customs and immoralities that had invaded their culture. Today in the 21^st century, after having conquered those pagan vices through Catholic Civilization, we have abandoned those virtuous customs to adhere to a neo-pagan “filthy” language, peppered with obscene words.

Clement of Alexandria tells his readers: “May the young Christian who reads this passage learn to abhor all freedom of speech of this kind. This is a very precious chapter.” This is, indeed, very sound advice for the young and old of our days as well.

From filthy speaking we ourselves must entirely abstain, and stop the mouths of those who practice it by stern looks and averting the face, and by what we call showing a scorn for the offender. Often also we might rebuke with a harsher mode of speech. “For what proceedeth out of the mouth defileth a man,” (Mt 15:11), and thus it shows him to be unclean and heathenish, and untrained and licentious, and not select and proper, and honorable and temperate.

And a similar rule holds with regard to hearing and seeing what is obscene. Thus, the Divine Instructor, following the same course with both, arrays those children who are engaged in the struggle of words of modesty with ear-guards, so that the pulsation of fornication may not penetrate to the bruising of the soul. And He directs the eyes to the sight of what is honorable, saying that it is better to make a slip with the feet than with the eyes.

This filthy speaking the Apostle beats off, saying, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good.” (Eph 4:29) And again, “As becometh saints, let not filthiness be named among you, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which things are not seemly, but rather giving of thanks.” (Eph 5:3-4) And, if “he that calls his brother a fool be in danger of the judgment,” what shall we say about one who speaks what is foolish?

It is written respecting such offenders: “Whosoever shall speak an idle word, shall give an account to the Lord in the day of judgment?” And again, “By thy speech thou shalt be justified and by thy speech thou shalt be condemned.” (Mt 12:36-37)

What, then, are the salutary ear-guards and the regulations for slippery eyes? Conversations with the righteous, preoccupying and forearming the ears against those that would lead one away from the truth.

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Clement of Alexandria, Paedagogus,
book II, chap. 5, On Filthy Lanuage

Posted on February 22, 2025

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