Letter 50021: Ambrose, Bishop, to the faithful of Milan.

From: Ambrose, Bishop of Milan To: The Church at Milan Date: ~386 AD Context: A public pastoral letter expounding on the proper conduct of Christian ministers, continuing themes Ambrose developed from Cicero's ethical framework adapted to Christian principles. Ambrose, Bishop, to the faithful of Milan. I have spoken often from the pulpit about the duties of those who serve at the altar. Let me now set down in writing what I have been teaching, so that it may be preserved and consulted. The foundation of all ministerial conduct is this: we serve not ourselves but God, and through God, the people. The minister who forgets this order — who serves himself first, the people second, and God last — has already betrayed his calling. On justice: a minister must be scrupulously fair. Favoritism destroys the church more surely than heresy, because it corrupts from within what persecution could never touch from without. The rich and the poor must receive the same attention, the same respect, and the same truth. On courage: there are times when a minister must speak hard truths to powerful people. This is not a pleasant duty, but it is a necessary one. The minister who tells every patron what they want to hear is a parasite, not a pastor. On temperance: moderation in all things — in food, in drink, in speech, in ambition. The cleric who lives extravagantly while preaching simplicity is a walking contradiction, and the people are not blind to contradictions. On prudence: know when to act and when to wait. Not every problem requires an immediate response. Some wounds heal best when left alone; others fester without intervention. Wisdom is knowing the difference. These are not new principles. Cicero [the great Roman orator and statesman, 106-43 BC] taught most of them to pagan Rome. I teach them to Christian Milan with this addition: our motive is not civic virtue alone but the love of God, which surpasses and completes every natural virtue.

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