Bishop Auxentius of Milan had just died. As a proponent of the Arian heresy, he denied the eternal divinity of Christ. Now crowds surged into the streets, some shouting they wanted an Arian bishop, others demanding an orthodox Trinitarian replacement. If something was not done, there would be a riot. As regional governor, it was Ambrose’s responsibility to oversee the election. A popular nobleman, he pleaded with the crowd to keep the peace.
A child shouted, “Ambrose for bishop!” Others picked up the cry: “Ambrose for bishop! Ambrose for bishop!” In vain he tried to brush off the suggestion. The cry grew more insistent. “Ambrose for bishop!”
“But I haven’t even been baptized!” he argued. It was no use. Emperor Valentinian approved his election.
Today's the feast of St Ambrose, 4C Bishop of Milan. As one of the Latin Doctors he's one of the most frequently found saints in medieval East Anglian church art, on 16 screens and pulpits in Norfolk alone. Here he is hard at work at Burnham Norton.
More: https://t.co/c9QKeCRSPe pic.twitter.com/0YmmVhPKtY
— Simon Knott (@SimoninSuffolk) December 7, 2023