The Example of Saint Ambrose of Milan and the Contemporary Theories of Obligatory Cessation of Communion with those in Communion with Hierarchs Preaching Heresy "Bare-Headed"

By Protopresbyter Peter Heers 

Today, December 7th, we celebrate the memory of our Father Among the Saints Ambrose of Milan. The Life of the Saint, written by his close disciple Paulinus, relays important information on the state of the Church at the time and the way in which the Saint was elected bishop which is quite relevant to our contemporary situation and very instructive for us vis-a-vis how the Fathers of the Church dealt with heresy.

I will state them plainly and then comment again on them below, in the midst of excerpts from the Life of the Saint:

1. 50 years AFTER the First Oecumenical Council, which condemned Arianism, it is clear that there were Arians and Orthodox within the same Church communion.

2. The battle against Arianism raged for many decades WITHIN the Church, so much so that we see Arians succeeding Orthodox hierarchs and vice versa.

3. Elections of bishops were conducted within a local church, even within each parish, by BOTH Arians and Orthodox parishioners, meaning that they were in communion and attending the same parishes, communing of the same Chalice. (This is also apparent in the Life of St. Meletios of Antioch.)