BENEDICT XVI: NEWS, PAPAL TEXTS, PHOTOS AND COMMENTARY

Monday, December 7

Panel shows 2nd, 3rd and 4th from left, St. Ambrose, by Zurbaran; Ambrose and Emperor Theodosius, Van Dyck; and the saint's tomb in the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, Milan.
ST. AMBROSE (AMBROGIO) [b Trier, Germany 340, d Milan 397), Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church
One of the first four Doctors of the Church named by Boniface VIII in 1295 (along with Jerome, Augustine and Gregory the Great), this great influential figure if the 4th century was not even a priest. Born in Germany (his father had been Praetorian Prefect of Gaul), he was educated in Rome for the civil service, distinguishing himself in law. At age 32, he was named governor of Emilia-Liguria, with headquarters in Milan. Two years later, while trying to settle a dispute over who would succeed the Bishop of Milan who just died, he was chosen Bishop by popular acclaim, though he was not even baptized. He accepted only after the emperor said he should. He was baptized, ordained and installed as Bishop in short order. He gave away all his lands and goods to the poor, adopted an ascetic lifestyle, and set about to learn Scriptures and theology, using his knowledge of classic Greek and Hebrew to good use. He was soon plunged into defending the Church against Arianism, the great heresy of the day, and became a great preacher, arousing the admiration of a young Augustine of Hippo whom he mentored and eventually baptized. He successfully pitted his will against emperors of his time, who exalted either Arianism or paganism, telling one of them: "The emperor is in the Church, not against the Church" and refusing to give up two basilicas that the Emperor wished to hand over to Arians. Besides his writings, he also composed hymns (the 'Te Deum' is attributed to him). He championed liturgy as the locals practise it ["When in Rome, do as the Romans do"]. The Ambrosian Rite used to this day by the Archdiocese of Milan is named after him although it came to be established only in the 8th century.



No OR today.



THE POPE'S DAY

The Holy Father met with

- Cardinal Joachim Meisner, Archbishop of Cologne