St. AMBROSE

Charles P. Poole, Jr.

October 10, 2007

1. Early Life

2. Milan

3. Consecration as Bishop

4. Activities as Bishop

5. Problematical Situations

6 . Writings

7. Augustine

8. Ambrosian Rite

9. Ambrosian Chant

10. Concluding Comments

Acknowledgment

Bibliography

1. EARLY LIFE

St. Ambrose was born into a distinguished Catholic family at Treves, Gaul, probably in the year 339 (or 340). Much of what we know about his life is from the biography (Vita Ambrosii) written by his secretary Deacon Paulinus at the request of St. Augustine twenty five years after his death. His father, also named Ambrose, was prefect of the region of the Empire called the Gauls, with jurisdiction over an extended territory including Cis- and Trans-Alpine Gaul, Britain, and Spain. He had an older brother Satyrus and an older sister Marcellina. After his father’s death when Ambrose was 4 or 5 years old his mother took the family to Rome where Ambrose was brought up and educated. He had a classical education, learned Greek, attended a school of rhetoric, and studied law. In 354 his sister Marcellina received the veil from Pope Liberius as a consecrated virgin. Ambrose wrote three books entitled De Virginibus extolling the merits of the religious state of virginity. In 365 Satyrus and Ambrose went to Sirmium to embark on legal careers. Five years later Ambrose was appointed the consular of Aemelia-Liguria, a Roman province with its administrative headquarters in Milan. At his appointment the Praetorian Prefect gave him the prophetic admonition: “Go and act not as a judge, but as a bishop.” As consular he spent four years acquiring invaluable administrative experience⁸.

2. MILAN

During the second half of the fourth century Milan was an administrative capitol in the Western Roman Empire. It had a circumference of about two and a half miles and a population of about a quarter of a million people. It was a thriving center of trade and commerce, an imperial center ranking about number seven in prestige in the empire. At that time the real power was in the hands of the emperor, but law enforcement and administration were carried out by the governor who had the title of consular. There were 116 provinces in the empire, with 37 of them governed by consulars. .

3. CONSECRATION AS BISHOP

The Alexandrian priest Arius (c250 -336) had claimed that Jesus was a created being, and hence not divine. The First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325) condemned this proposition, the Second at Constantinople (381) reaffirmed the decision, and these Councils proclaimed creeds summarizing the orthodox doctrines concerning the divinity of Christ and the Trinity of three divine persons. However the Church still remained divided on the issue, and during the latter part of the fourth century belief in this heresy was widespread. In the year 374 the Arian bishop of Milan Auxentius died, and a dispute arose between the Orthodox and the Arian Christians concerning the selection of the next bishop. Ambrose, a catechumen, in his role as consular, went to the assembly and tried to persuade them to make a decision peacefully. While he was speaking a child cried out “Ambrose Bishop”, and he was proclaimed as the new bishop by acclamation!. Soon thereafter he was baptized. Since Ambrose was an imperial officer the emperor Valentinian had to consent to the election, and he was contacted. Ambrose sent the emperor a request that he not be accepted as the bishop, but the emperor did confirm him, and a week later he was consecrated Bishop of Milan.

4. ACTIVITIES AS BISHOP

The first thing that Ambrose did after becoming bishop was to divest himself of his worldly goods. He gave his liquid assets such as silver and gold to the poor and to the Church, and an endowment for life to his sister. His brother Satyrus gave up his law practice and came to manage Ambrose’ estates and worldly affairs until his untimely death five years later. This gave Ambrose time to acquire much needed background in religion, and to perform the duties of the office of bishop. The emphases of his studies were on Holy Scripture and ecclesiastical writers such as Basil the Great and Didymus the Blind of Alexandria. In his three volume work on the Duties of the Clergy (De Officiis Ministrorum, Vol. 1) he mentions that he had to learn and teach at the same time. His excellent scholastic background had prepared him well for this. Thus he spent much of his time during the day in prayer and study, in addition to carrying out the duties of his office. He emphasized simplicity in dress, and was very generous to the poor.

5. PROBLEMATICAL SITUATIONS

Much of Ambrose’ concerns involved problems with the secular rulers. In the beginning the Emperor Gratian was very favorable to Ambrose for nine years. Ambrose wrote his main dogmatic work De Fide (Concerning Faith) so the emperor would know how to instruct the faithful to counteract the false preaching of the Arians. The first two of the five books that comprise this work, written at the request of Gratian, explain the divinity of Christ and how three divine persons comprise the Trinity.

In 380 the emperor pleased Ambrose by issuing an edict against the Arians, and again two years later by removing the Altar of Victory dedicated to pagan gods from the Senate House at the forum in Rome. The next year Gratian was murdered and his twelve year old much younger brother Valentinian II, who ascended to the throne, was very much under the influence of his Arian mother Justina. He insisted that the Arians be allowed to use a Catholic basilica for their worship, but Ambrose managed to prevent this. Then they wanted to return the Altar of Victory to the Senate House, and Ambrose wrote two epistles opposing the move, and it was prevented. However the Altar did return to the Forum, and pagan temples were reopened, a short time later. Later in the year 390 Theodosius massacred 7,000 people in retaliation for a revolt in Thessalonica, and at the insistence of Ambrose he did public penance to atone for this disgraceful deed. The overall attitude of Ambrose is, perhaps, best summarized by his famous claim: “The emperor is within the Church, not above the Church¹.”

6. WRITINGS

We have already mentioned the dogmatic work De Fide which proclaimed the divinity of Christ, and which emphasized the Real Presence in the Eucharist by the use of the Latin word transfigurantur. This was followed a year later by the three volume work De Spiritu Sancto which showed that the Holy Spirit is true God with the same nature and substance as the Father and the Son. We already mentioned his works extolling the merits if virginity. He also supported a celibate clergy. He addressed his three books on The Duties of the Clergy (De Officiis Ministrorum, c391) to the priests of Milan. The first book, which concerns what is becoming, differentiates the “ordinary” wayof obeying the commandments, and the “perfect” way of following the counsels, with an emphasis on subjecting the appetites to reason. The second book emphasizes what is expedient, and it consists in having knowledge of God and living uprightly. The third book passes on to Christian Perfection. The desire of Ambrose to have the clergy of his diocese live worthy lives, and serve as examples for the laity, motivated the writing of this work. Some call this the first synthesis of Christian Morality. He wrote his most widely quoted work on the Mysteries entitled De Mysteriis which expounded for catechumens the sacraments of initiation, namely Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. He believed in baptism of desire. An additional book De Paenitentia maintains that the Church has the power to remit sins, and explains the conditions required for pardon. Ninety one of his letters are extant.

Ambrose also wrote many exegetical works commenting on individual sections of and books of Scripture. He was most interested in the Old Testament, and his only New testament commentry was on the Gospel of Luke. In his commentaries and sermons he made use of the threefold mode of interpretation that originated from Origen, namely literal or historical, moral or mystical, and allegorical, His sermons were modeled on the style of Cicero. .

Ambrose was a trinitarian and christological teacher. He always supported the faith proclaimed at the Ecumenical Councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381), especially on issues that were contested by the Arians. He talked about a cleansing fire after death so he had the concept of Purgatory, although he did not use that terminology. He acknowledged the Bishop of Rome as the head of the Church. He believed that the Virgin Mary was free of personal sin, and he accepted angels as mediators of divine aid. He mentioned public penance being preceded by private confession. The use of the Latin word Missa for the Mass is believed to have originated from him.

7. AUGUSTINE

Bishop Ambrose was influential in the life of Monica, the mother who prayed for 30 years for the conversion of her son Augustine. Augustine is said to have been converted by coming to Milan, listening to the homilies of Ambrose, and being instructed by him. St. Augustine and his son Adeodatus were baptized by Ambrose at Easter 387. Augustine refers to and quotes from a number of the writings of Ambrose.

8. AMBROSIAN RITE

There is a particular rite or manner of celebrating Mass and saying the Divine Office which prevailed in Milan from the Fourth or Fifth century onward, and which had been attributed to Ambrose. There are significant, but nonessential, differences between the Ambrosian rite Mass and the traditional Latin Rite Mass that prevailed throughout the remainder of the Western Church. During the reform of the liturgy in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council the ancient Ambrosian Rite was brought closer to the Roman Rite in a manner that respected its traditions, so some of its ancient characteristic features have survived.

9. AMBROSIAN CHANT

Ambrosian chant comprises melodies ascribed to the authorship or influence of St. Ambrose for use in the Ambrosian Rite. There are differences between this chant and the Latin Rite Gregorian Chant attributed to Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) which later came into use elsewhere in the Church. Ambrosian and Gregorian chants are both monophonic or unison, and are designed to accompany the Latin Mass and the Divine Office of the Ambrosian and Roman rites, respectively. The Kyrie is appended to the Gloria in the Ambrosian, whereas it precedes the Gloria in the Gregorian. They both have a Credo (Creed) which is called a Symbolum by the Ambrosians. In place of the unvarying Gregorian Agnus Dei the Ambrosian chant has a Confractorium (breaking of the bread) melody which varies with the liturgical season. A particular Gregorian melody is always sung in one of the eight church modes (keys?), whereas an Ambrosian melody does not have a particular mode. Ambrose himself wrote some of the hymns.

10. CONCLUDING COMMENTS

Ambrose played an important role in the development of the Church, in establishing it as an independent entity in the Empire, and in creating an atmosphere so Orthodoxy of Faith would prevail. Augustine, who followed Ambrose as a leader in the Church, was influenced by him. Ambrose is remembered more for what he did than for what he said, or for what he wrote.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The author wishes to thank Doris Chrisley for her helpful comments and suggestions.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Berthold Altaner, Patrology, Herder and Herder, New York, 1960, pp 443 to 457.

2. Butlers lives of the Saints, Liturgical Press, Collegeville MN, 1999; Feast Day Dec. 7

3. Angelo Di Bernardino, Patrology, Christian Classics, Maryland, 1992, Vol. 4,

pp 144 to 184.

4. Aloys Dirksen, Elementary Patrology, B, Herder Book Co., 1969, pp 147 to 152.

5. John J, Fink, The Doctors of the Church, Alba House, New York, 2000, Vol. 1,

pp 95 to 110.

6. Enzo Lodi and Jordan Amann, Saints of the Roman Calendar, Alba House, 1992;

Feast Day Dec. 7.

7. Craig A. Satterlee. Ambrose of Milan’s Method of Mystagogical Preaching,

Liturgical Press, Collegeville MN, 2002.

8. Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 10,

              St. Ambrose, T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1997, esp. pp xi to xxii.

9. J. Tixeront, A Handbook of Patrology, B, Herder Book Co., 1957, pp 235 to 241.