09.06.2026, ITI News
While many theologians are familiar with the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas, and his preeminent predecessor, the Doctor of Grace, St. Augustine of Hippo, far fewer are acquainted with the predecessor to them both: the Honey-Tongued Doctor, St. Ambrose of Milan. This lack of familiarity is a great misfortune for the Church, not only because Ambrose was a profound and powerful thinker in his own right, but also because of how directly he influenced St. Augustine, the other great pillar of the Latin tradition. Nevertheless, St. Ambrose is often relegated to a tertiary position among the Western Church Fathers and is seldom engaged as the formidable theologian he is.
In part to provide a counterweight to this unfortunate diminution of St. Ambrose in contemporary Catholic scholarship, the ITI hosted the conference St. Ambrose of Milan—Person and Work from May 8–9, 2026. In doing so, the event also directly lived out one of the ITI’s founding mission statements, given by St. John Paul II himself, to "return to the sources" (ad fontes).
Scholars of philosophy, theology, and ecclesial history—alongside students ranging from the undergraduate to the doctoral level—gathered at the ITI to participate in this worthwhile endeavor. The organizer and moderator of the conference, Dean Professor Michael Wladika, opened the event with a brief introduction emphasizing the enduring relevance of St. Ambrose. Far from being a mere historical curiosity, Ambrose speaks to the modern Church with the same charismatic eloquence that first attracted the ear of Augustine, and with an intellectual force that ultimately convicted Augustine of the truth of the faith—a force that deserves continued study today.
Rev. Dr. Martin Mayerhofer, FSO, delivered the conference’s first lecture, opening the morning’s theme of history and politics with his presentation, "Ambrose of Milan, Teacher and Spiritual Leader.” Fr. Mayerhofer grounded St. Ambrose in his late fourth-century context and offered an insightful overview of the spiritual and political horizon against which Ambrose lived. His lecture detailed everything from a prophetic vision Ambrose's mother had of him as a child, to his final words as recorded by Paulinus: “I have not lived among you in such a way that I am ashamed to live, nor do I fear death, for we have a good Lord.”
Following Fr. Mayerhofer, P. Dr. Ephräm Lomidze’s lecture, “A Profile of St. Ambrose: Between Spiritual Authority and Secular Power,” was presented by his licentiate student, Mag. Henry Hunter. The presentation described the precarious political position of St. Ambrose and his stance toward the burgeoning power of the Roman emperors. While the Constantinopolitan tradition grew to tacitly accept the emperor’s exercise of spiritual authority, Ambrose remained steadfast, clinging to Christ’s words: “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” Most poignantly, Fr. Lomidze quoted Ambrose’s response to the emperor after receiving a command to relinquish control of his churches to the Arians: “Divine law forbids me to hand them over, and it is not for you, Emperor, to possess them. You have no authority whatsoever to lay a hand on even the house of the humblest private citizen; how then can you imagine that you might take away a house of God?” Thus, while never ostracizing the secular rulers placed over him—especially those who were orthodox Christians themselves—Ambrose remained faithful to his understanding of a clear, unconfused distinction between the realms of Church and State.
Later in the afternoon, Prof. Dr. Michael Wladika opened the second thematic session—dogmatics and philosophy—with his lecture, “Cum interrogatus in carne: Tu quis es? responderit: Principium quod et loquor vobis: Fundamentals of the Doctrine of the Trinity and the Incarnation in St. Ambrose.” Mirroring the character of the Patristic era itself, Prof. Wladika’s presentation integrated elements of both philosophy and theology in his exposition of Ambrosian thought. Regarding the former, he presented the triadic principle theory of the Platonic tradition; moreover, Professor Wladika explained that, rather than being the anti-philosophical thinker some have cast him as, Ambrose provided his own philosophically informed theological contribution to the Christian tradition. Indeed, Ambrose went beyond pagan Platonic theory by proposing the Incarnation as not only a soteriological but also an ontological principle for the relation of the one God to creation. Prof. Wladika concluded his lecture by quoting Ambrose in this regard: “Through the Good itself, all things are reconciled with Him [God]; It is life, because It endures forever and gives life and being to all things. Christ is the source of life for all things.”
Shifting toward a primarily dogmatic perspective, Rev. Prof. Dr. Michael Stickelbroeck then presented his lecture, “The Reception of Nicaea in Ambrose of Milan—with Special Consideration of Soteriology.” Father Stickelbroeck explained how Ambrose championed the orthodox position against the various Arian sects of his day, developing a Latin neo-Nicene Trinitarian theology. He then expounded upon the significance of the Incarnation for humanity's transformation into the similitudo Dei, before concluding with an examination of the typology of Christ as the New Adam in the understanding of St. Ambrose.
Rev. Prof. Dr. Manfred Hauke continued the session with a presentation on the Mother of God, titled “The Mariology of St. Ambrose: Virginal Mother of God and Type of the Church.” Father Hauke noted that no other Latin Father wrote as extensively, or with as much affection, on the Blessed Virgin as Ambrose. Ambrose’s writings highlight not only a profound appreciation for virginity as embodied by Mary, but also her exceptional personal virtue—describing her as "a light cloud, unburdened by earthly imperfections"—thereby establishing her as a model for all Christians and the Church herself.
Opening the exegetical portion of the conference on May 9, Prof. Dr. Michaela Hastetter presented “Hydriam habens: The Interpretations of Rebecca in Selected Commentaries on the Old Testament by St. Ambrose.” Professor Hastetter opened her lecture by analyzing Jewish and Christian artistic depictions of Rebecca to introduce the pertinent symbolic aspects of her personhood within both traditions. She then analyzed the biblical account of Rebecca in Genesis 24 before offering a comparative analysis of the allegories surrounding her in the writings of St. Ambrose. Ultimately, the lecture demonstrated how Ambrose drew from the Alexandrian tradition—particularly Origen—to locate the beauty and vocation of the Christian Church as being typified by Rebeccah, the water-carrying matriarch.
Rector Prof. DDr. Bernhard Dolna further examined Ambrose’s allegorical interpretation in his lecture, “St. Ambrosius: Expositio Evangelii secundum Lucam (On Luke 1:25–2:20).” Professor Dolna evaluated the Annunciation, connecting the event back to Zechariah and looking forward to both the Visitation and the Acts of the Apostles. Following Ambrose’s own hermeneutical methodology, the presentation outlined the literal and mystical meanings of these texts before concluding with a reflection on how this fourth-century bishop's insights might be received by the Church today.
Concluding the exegetical series, Dr. Vincent DeMeo delivered his lecture, “St. Ambrose on Wealth and Poverty: Helping the Poor and Redeeming the Wealthy.” Dr. DeMeo showcased how St. Ambrose synthesized earlier Patristic thought while developing his own articulation of the "rights" due to the human person and the "measure of justice"—both natural and divine. As a former practitioner of Roman law, Ambrose was presented as having definitively moved beyond mere secular precepts. Indeed, rather than maintaining a proto-communistic rationale, Ambrose was shown to have rooted the wealthy’s obligation to the poor in the insight that all creation first belongs to God; consequently, the wealthy are obligated to share their earthly riches so that they may receive heavenly riches in the eternal kingdom.
P. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Buchmüller, OCist, delivered a lecture emphasizing the spiritual theology of St. Ambrose, titled “Aurelius Ambrosius as Mystagogue: The Wedding Parallel as a Cipher for an Existential and Spiritual Experience of God.” Father Buchmüller argued against those who seek to denigrate Ambrose’s intellectual capacity and creative insight, averring that the saint deserves “a place of honor among the founders of Western mysticism.” Closely engaging several of Ambrose’s mystagogical writings, Father Buchmüller outlined the contours of the bishop's mystical experiences and exposition of spiritual ascent, thereby demonstrating how Ambrose might be regarded as one of the first contemplative, systematic Doctors of the Church.
Closing the conference, two early-career researchers presented their scholarship on St. Ambrose. Mag. Bernadett Kühner examined the liturgical dimension of Ambrosian thought in her presentation, “Osculum gratiae: Considering Liturgical Life and Nuptial Imagery in St. Ambrose of Milan.” Following Mag. Kühner, Mr. Bogdan Mićić, BA MA, presented a close textual comparison between Ambrose and Basil the Great in his lecture, “Hexaemera as Works of Christian Philosophy of Nature in Ambrose of Milan and Basil of Caesarea as His Source.”
Dean Professor Michael Wladika then concluded the event with a brief summary, recapitulating the various aspects of Ambrose covered over the two-day conference and offering words of gratitude to all the participants.
Henry M. Hunter