"Ambrose for Bishop!" ~ The elevation by popular acclamation of Aurelius Ambrosius, AD 374

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Aurelius Ambrosius is one of the towering figures of Late Antiquity. A voluminous writer and homilist, and a spiritual father to other great saints including Augustine of Hippo, Ambrose was deeply involved in the theological and political controversies of his day. He is most famous, perhaps, for blocking the entrance to the cathedral of Milan so that Theodosius the Great might not enter before repenting of a grave sin as depicted in the image at right. It is no coincidence that this scene is shown on the cover of a new edition of the Vita Sancti Ambrosii that has just been published. Entitled in English The Life of Saint Ambrose, this ancient biography was written by Paulinus, a deacon of Milan, and was translated into English in 1928 by Sr. Mary Kaniecka.

This work is an important for three reasons. First, Paulinus was Saint Ambrose’s secretary and was therefore an eye-witness to much of what he reports. For those events which he didn’t witness himself, Paulinus makes it clear that he consulted with others who were close to Ambrose, including his sister, Saint Marcellina. Second, many of the anecdotes related in this Vita may be corroborated in the surviving letters of Saint Ambrose, the writings of Saint Augustine, or the 5th century ecclesiastical histories of Socrates and Sozomen. And third, Paulinus’s work contains details about Ambrose’s life which recorded nowhere else.

One of the most important and fascinating anecdotes in Paulinus’s Vita is the tale of how Ambrose came to be appointed bishop of Milan. Given his pedigree and his state in life at the time, he seemed an unlikely candidate for this position. While still a young man, Ambrose served as a lawyer in the court of the Praetorian Prefect of the West, who was at that time an illustrious man named Petronius Probus. Paulinus tells us that Ambrose spoke so brilliantly before Probus that the Prefect took him on as an advisor. Sometime later, Ambrose was advanced to become governor of the provinces of Liguria and Aemilia and took his office in Milan.

While he was serving in that capacity, Auxentius, the bishop of Milan, died. As Auxentius was an Arian, there was tremendous turmoil in the Milanese church as to who his successor should be. The factions, Arian and Catholic, gathered in the church and debated the question with tempers running hot. Fearing a riot, Ambrose proceeded to the scene to prevent any outbreak of violence. I’ll let Paulinus tell the rest of the story:

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And there while he was addressing the populace, a voice of a child is said to have suddenly cried out among the people: “Ambrose bishop!” At the sound of this voice the mouths of all the people were changed, all crying: “Ambrose bishop!” Thus those who disagreed most violently before, because both the Arians and the Catholics wished the other party to be defeated and a bishop of their own to be appointed, suddenly insisted on this one man with miraculous and incredible harmony.

When [Ambrose] noticed this, leaving the church, he had a tribunal prepared for himself—naturally about to become a bishop he mounted higher things. Then contrary to his custom he ordered tortures to be applied to certain persons. Although he was doing this, the people nevertheless kept shouting: “Your sin be upon us” … knowing that he was a catechumen, with the voice of faith assured him the forgiveness of all sins through the grace of baptism.

Then returning home disturbed, he wished to declare himself a philosopher. But he was to be a true philosopher of Christ, because despising worldly pomp he was about to follow the footsteps of the Fisherman, who united the people to Christ not by the ornaments of expression but by artless speech and by the doctrine of the true faith—being sent without wallet, without staff, they converted even the philosophers themselves.

When he was prevented from doing this, he had common women come publicly to him for this purpose only—that when they were seen, the purpose of the people might be changed. But the people kept shouting more and more: “Your sin be upon us.”

But when he saw that he could not carry out his resolution, he prepared himself for flight, leaving the city at midnight. Since he intended to proceed to Ticinum, in the morning he was found at the gate of the city of Milan which is called Roman. For God, Who was preparing a bulwark for his Catholic Church against its enemies and erecting a tower of David against the face of Damascus, that is, the faithlessness of the heretics, prevented his flight. After he was found and while he was being guarded by the people, a relation was sent to the most kind emperor then Valentinian, who heard with greatest joy that the judges sent out by him were sought for the episcopacy. Probus the Prefect also rejoiced because his word was being fulfilled in Ambrose, for he had said to him when he was giving him a commission on setting out—as is the custom—“Go, act not as judge but as bishop.”

And so while the relation was pending he again prepared for flight and hid himself for some time on the estate of a certain Honorable Leontius. But when the answer was made to the relation, he was betrayed by the same Leontius. For the lieutenant of the Prætorian Prefect had received orders that he should insist on carrying out the matter, and since he wished to fulfill what he had been enjoined upon him, having published and edict he warned all, saying that if they wished to look to themselves and their welfare, they should give up the man. 

And so when being handed over and brought to Milan, he recognized the will of God toward him and that he could not resist longer, he demanded that he should not be baptized save by a Catholic bishop, for he carefully guarded against the heresy of the Arians. And so on being baptized he is said to have fulfilled all the ecclesiastical offices and on the eighth day was consecrated bishop with the greatest favor and joy of all.

Thus Aurelius Ambrosius, secular official, governor of Liguria, unbaptized catechumen, and profoundly unwilling to serve, became the Bishop of Milan by popular acclamation. Later, he would be recognized as a confidant of emperors, admonisher of usurpers, discoverer of Christian antiquities, miracle-worker, hymnodist, theologian, saint, confessor and Doctor of the Church. His was truly an amazing life and one worth reading about.