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 Saint Ambrose: 1600th Anniversary of Death Scott 1051 (1997) December 7 marks the Feast of Saint Ambrose, the fourth century theologian, statesman and Bishop of Milan. One of the four original Doctors of the Church, he known for his powerful preaching and writings on Christian doctrine. He famously influenced and later baptized another Doctor of the Church, Saint Augustine. A zealous opponent of the heresy of Arianism, he promoted Nicene Christianity and established the principle that the emperor was not above the Church. He also introduced the use of the "lectio divina", or "divine reading", into the Latin Church. Ambrose (ca. 334/340-397) was the son of the praetorian prefect of Gaul, born in Trier, who was appointed governor of the province of Aemilia and Liguria, the capital of which is Milan. In 374 the see of Milan was vacant and Ambrose was chosen by acclamation of the people as bishop although at that time he was only an unbaptized catechumen. He tried to refuse the honor but eventually accepted it. Milan was a very important see and an administrative center for the western part of the Roman Empire. As bishop, Ambrose faced many problems, including dealing with the heresy of Arianism and a Roman society in which Christianity was still a minority faith. He refused to hand over a building to Arians for worship as ordered by the empress-regent. When rioters killed a Roman governor at Salonika and Emperor Theodosius I ordered a savage massacre, Ambrose then ordered public penance by the emperor. He persuaded emperor Valentinian II to not restore the goddess of victory to the Senate House in Rome. Therefore, as bishop, Ambrose’s influence spread far beyond Milan and his archiepiscopal duties.  Mosaic of Saint Ambrose (circa 1140) Cappella Palatina in Palermo From Wikimedia Commons, in the Public Domain Dawn Marie Beutner writes that Ambrose lived a simple life, celebrated Mass daily, avoided being caught up in controversy or daily politics, and made himself available to anyone in his Christian flock who wanted to talk to him. Ambrose is likely remembered as instrumental in converting Augustine of Hippo, who journeyed to Milan from Africa (Numidia), in 386. Suggestions that the Ambrosian Creed, Rite, and Chant can be directly traced to St. Ambrose are disputed. However, Ambrose was one of the first to make use of hymns both to praise and to foster belief, such as the Te Deum. His primary writings are as a catechist, such as instructions on baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist. He espoused the practice of the "lectio divina" ("divine reading"), a traditional method of prayer and spiritual reading of scripture with a focus on a personal conversation with God rather than academic study. Ambrose is one of the four early Doctors of the Church, along with Jerome, Gregory the Great, and Augustine. His relics were transferred to the Cathedral of Milan in 835 (Duomo di Milano dedicated to the Nativity of Mary). His symbols are vestments with the emblem of a scourge, representing the penance imposed on the emperor, suggesting the emperor is within the church and not above it. Another symbol is a beehive said to represent his eloquence as a speaker. The stamp issued by Vatican City in 1997 to commemorate the 1600th anniversary of the death of Saint Ambrose has a depiction of the Saint above an image of the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio in Milan. Here is a photo of the Basilica as it appears today:  Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, Milan, Italy Atrium and Entrance Portico Photo by Ludvig14 From Wikimedia Commons, used under terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license For trivia buffs, Saint Ambrose is also believed to have coined the proverb which lead to the phrase: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do", meaning that it is best to follow the traditions or customs where one is located. REFERENCES: |
