St. Ambrose stands athwart coercive power of the state

Ambrose was a man of power and influence. He was governor of Milan, the administrative capital of the Roman Empire. As governor, Ambrose had to keep peace in the city. And this he did exceptionally well, winning the respect of all his people. That said, it wasn’t easy.

Now Ambrose had come from a Catholic family. Nevertheless, he strove to be fair in his dealings with Arians. And when the bishop died, both sides were worried. Would the bishop’s successor be another Arian? Or would he be a Catholic?

The streets near the cathedral soon filled up with anxious people, who began acting more and more like a mob. Ambrose feared that riots would follow. So he took to the streets himself.

He called the people to order, and he pleaded with them to be reasonable. Calm descended on the crowd. And suddenly a voice called out: “AMBROSE for bishop.” Then all the people, both Arians and Catholics, took up the cry: “Ambrose for bishop.”

And that’s exactly what happened. Ambrose became bishop.

He was, as you might expect, a great administrator. He was also an outstanding teacher. He brought about renewal of the liturgy and inspired the conversion of a man who would become one of the greatest Christian thinkers ever: St. Augustine of Hippo.

Ambrose understood the power of the state, and he understood the Church’s authority. A man of strength, he repeatedly managed to keep the emperors from taking what belonged to the Church.

How? He dared to reprimand an emperor, privately, in a letter.

It was Ambrose who set the terms the Church would invoke ever afterward in struggles with the state. And that’s part of the legacy … of the Bible and the Church Fathers.

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[MementoMoriMike]

St. Ambrose, pray for Archbishop Jose Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles & President of U.S.C.C.B., & for Wilton Cardinal Gregory, Archbishop of Washington, D.C., as they deal with the likely Biden Administration as it renews the persecution of the Little Sisters of the Poor & curtails the free exercise of religion through the "Equality Act."