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date: 16 May 2025

St Ambrose c.339–397
French-born bishop of Milan 

  1. Ubi Petrus, ibi ergo ecclesia.
    Where Peter is, there must be the Church.
    ‘Explanatio psalmi 40’ in Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum (1919) vol. 64
  2. When I go to Rome, I fast on Saturday, but here [Milan] I do not. Do you also follow the custom of whatever church you attend, if you do not want to give or receive scandal.
    usually quoted as ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’
    St Augustine: Letters vol. 1 (tr. Sister W. Parsons, 1951) ‘Letter 54 to Januarius’ (ad 400)
  3. No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.
    attributed