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How did St. Ambrose go from an unbaptized layman to bishop in only eight days?
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St. Ambrose
Image of St. Ambrose, detail from a stained-glass window in a Roman Catholic church in Antwerp, Belgium.
In 374, St. Ambrose was serving as the governor of Aemilia-Liguria, residing in Milan. During a time of significant religious tension, he was unexpectedly acclaimed as the city's bishop by the local populace. He was chosen as a compromise candidate specifically to prevent a disputed election between opposing factions.1
Although he was an unbaptized layman at the time of his acclamation, he underwent the necessary ecclesiastical rites and was consecrated as bishop within eight days.1