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Basil the Great
Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia
Saint, Doctor, Archbishop
Born	ca. 329-333, Caesarea Mazaca, Cappadocia
Died	379, Caesarea Mazaca, Cappadocia
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodoxy Oriental Orthodoxy Eastern Catholic Churches Anglicanism Lutheran Church
Canonized	pre-congregation
Feast	January 1 (East), January 2 (West) June 14 -- pre-Vatican II calendar
Attributes	Episcopal insignia
Patronage	Cappadocia, Hospital administrators, Reformers, Monks

Basil of Caesarea (between 329 and 333 - January 1, 379) (Latin: Basilius), also called Saint Basil the Great (Greek: Άγιος Βασίλειος ο Μέγας), was Bishop of Caesarea, a leading churchman in the 4th century. The Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches consider him a saint and one of the Three Holy Hierarchs, together with Gregory Nazianzus and John Chrysostom. Basil, Gregory Nazianzus, and Basil's brother Gregory of Nyssa are called the Cappadocian Fathers. The Roman Catholic Church considers him a saint and a Doctor of the Church.

The Basilian Fathers, also known as The Congregation of St. Basil, is an international order of Roman Catholic priests and students studying for the priesthood.

In Greek tradition, his name was given to Father Christmas and is supposed to visit children and give presents every January 1 (when Basil's memory is celebrated), unlike other traditions where this person is Saint Nicholas and comes every Christmas.

Life

Basil was born between 329 and 333 at Caesarea Mazaca in Cappadocia. One of 10 children, he came from a wealthy and pious family that produced a number of saints, including his father, also named Basil, his mother Emelia, grandmother Macrina the Elder, sister Macrina the Younger and brothers Gregory of Nyssa and Peter, who became Bishop of Sebaste. His younger brother Naucratius was known for his dedication to Christ and his influence on Basil was rather dramatic. Some church historian presumed Theosebia was his youngest sister, who is also a saint among the Eastern Orthodox.

While still a child, the family moved to Capernaum; but he soon returned to Cappadocia to live with his mother's relations and seems to have been brought up by his grandmother Macrina. Eager to learn, he went to Constantinople and spent four or five years there and at Athens, where he had Gregory Nazianzus for a fellow student and became friends with the future emperor Julian. Both men were deeply influenced by Origen and both are said to have later written an Anthology of Origen called Philokalia.

It was at Athens that he seriously began to think of religion, and resolved to seek out the most famous hermit saints in Syria and Arabia in order to learn from them how to attain enthusiastic piety and how to keep his body under submission by asceticism, what he called "philosophical life." Prior to his decision to become a monk, he opened an oratory and practiced law in Ceasarea. ^[1] He also taught rhetoric, which at the time was a very respectable place in university curricula.<ref name="Butler's">Burns, Paul, ed. Butler's Lives of the Saints:New Full Edition January. Collegeville, MN:The Liturgical Press. ISBN 0-8146-2377-8.

Arnesi

After this, we find him at the head of a convent near Arnesi in Pontus, in which his mother Emelia, then widowed, his sister Macrina and several other women, gave themselves to a pious life of prayer and charitable works. Eustathius of Sebaste had already labored in Pontus in behalf of the anchoretic life, and Basil revered him on that account, although they differed over dogmatic points, which gradually separated these two men. Basil himself gathered several disciples around him, including his own brother Peter, and these men gathered together to found the first monastery in Asia Minor.

He remained there for only five years. It was here, however, that Basil wrote his documents regarding communal living, which are accounted as being pivotal in the development of the monastic tradition of the Eastern church and have led to his being called the "father of Eastern communal monasticism".^[2]<ref name="Butler's"/>

In 358, he left the monastery with Gregory and they became hermits, dividing their time between prayer, writing, and contemplation. It was at this time that he wrote his Philocalia, a colelction of texts drawn from Origen.<ref name="Butler's"/>

Siding from the beginning and at the Council of Constantinople in 360 with the Homoousians, Basil went especially with those who overcame the aversion to the homoousios in common opposition to Arianism, thus drawing nearer to Athanasius of Alexandria. Like Athanasius, he was also opposed to the Macedonianism.

He also became a stranger to his bishop, Dianius of Caesarea, who had subscribed only to the Nicene form of agreement, and became reconciled to him only when the latter was about to die.

Caesarea

He was summoned by Eusebius of Caesarea to his city, and was ordained presbyter of the Church there in 365. His ordination was probably the result of the entreaties of his ecclesiastical superiors, who wished to use his talents against the Arians, who were numerous in that part of the country and were favoured by the Arian emperor, Valens, who then reigned in Constantinople. Basil at this time took on functional administration of the Diocese of Caesarea,^[2]Eusebius is reported as becoming jealous of the reputation and influence which Basil quickly developed, and allowed Basil to return to his earlier solitude. Later, however, Gregory persuaded Basil to return. Basil did so, and became the effective manager of the diocese for several years, while giving all the credit to Eusebius.<ref name="Butler's"/>

In 370, Eusebius died, and Basil was chosen to succeed him. His new post as bishop of Caesarea also gave him the powers of exarch of Pontus and metropolitan of fifth suffragan bishops, many of whom had opposed him in the election for Eusebius's successor. It was then that his great powers were called into action. Hot-blooded and somewhat imperious, Basil was also generous and sympathetic. He personally organized a soup kitchen and distributed food to the poor during a famine following a drought. He gave away his personal family inheritance to benefit the poor of his diocese. <ref name="Butler's"/>

His letters show that he actively worked to reform thieves and prostitutes. They also show him encouraging his clergy not to be tempted by wealth or the comparatively easy life of a priest, that he personally took care in selecting candidates for holy orders. He also had the courage to criticize public officials who failed in their duty of administering justice. At the same time, he preached every morning and evening in his own church to large congregations. In addition to all the above, he built a large complex just outside Caesarea. Called the Basiliad, this complex, which included a poorhouse, hospice, and hospital, was regarded at the time as one of the wonders of the world.<ref name="Butler's"/>

His zeal for orthodoxy did not blind him to what was good in an opponent; and for the sake of peace and charity he was content to waive the use of orthodox terminology when it could be surrendered without a sacrifice of truth. The Emperor Valens, who was an adherent of the Arian philosophy, sent his prefect Modestus to at least agree to a compromise with the Arian faction. Basil's adamant response in the negative prompted Modestus to say that no one had ever spoken to him in that way before. Basil replied, "Perhaps you have never yet had to deal with a bishop." Modestus reported back to Valens that he believed nothing short of violence would avail against Basil. Valens was apparently unwilling to engage in violence. He did however issue orders of banishment of Basil repeatedly, none of which succeeded. Valens came himself to hear Basil celebrated Mass on the Feast of the Epiphany, and at that time was so impressed by Basil that he donated to him some land for the building of the Basiliad. This interaction helped to define the limits of governmental power over the church. <ref name="Butler's"/>

Basil then had to face the growing spread of Arianism. This belief system, which denied that Christ was consubstantial with the Father, was quickly gaining adherents and was seen by many, particularly those in Alexandria most familiar with it, as posing a threat to the unity of the church. ^[3] Basil entered into connections with the West, and with the help of Athanasius, he tried to overcome its distrustful attitude toward the Homoiousians. The difficulties had been enhanced by bringing in the question as to the essence of the Holy Spirit. Although Basil advocated objectively the consubstantiality of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son, he belonged to those, who, faithful to Eastern tradition, would not allow the predicate homoousios to the former; for this he was reproached as early as 371 by the Orthodox zealots among the monks, and Athanasius defended him. His relations also with Eustathius were maintained in spite of dogmatic differences and caused suspicion. On the other hand, Basil was grievously offended by the extreme adherents of Homoousianism, who seemed to him to be reviving the Sabellian heresy.

Basil is known to have exchanged letters with Pope Damasus in the hope of having the Roman bishop condemn heresy wherever found, both East and West. The Pope's apparent indifference upset Basil's zeal and he turned around in distress and sadness. It is still a point of controversy over how much he believed the Roman See could do for the Churches in the East, as many Catholic theologians^[4]claim the primacy of the Roman bishopric over the rest of the Churches, both in doctrine and in authoritative strength.

He did not live to see the end of the unhappy factional disturbances and the complete success of his continued exertions in behalf of Rome and the East. He suffered from liver illness and his excessive asceticism seems to have hastened him to an early death. A lasting monument of his episcopal care for the poor was the great institute before the gates of Caesarea, which was used as poorhouse, hospital, and hospice.

Writings

The principal theological writings of Basil are his De Spiritu Sancto, a lucid and edifying appeal to Scripture and early Christian tradition (to prove the divinity of the Holy Spirit), and his Refutation of the Apology of the Impious Eunomius, written in 363 or 364, three books against Eunomius of Cyzicus, the chief exponent of Anomoian Arianism. The first three books of the Refutation are his work; the fourth and fifth books that are usually included do not belong to Basil, or to Apollinaris of Laodicea, but probably to Didymus of Alexandria.

He was a famous preacher, and many of his homilies, including a series of Lenten lectures on the Hexaëmeron, and an exposition of the psalter, have been preserved. Some, like that against usury and that on the famine in 368, are valuable for the history of morals; others illustrate the honor paid to martyrs and relics; the address to young men on the study of classical literature shows that Basil was lastingly influenced by his own education, which taught him to appreciate the propaedeutic importance of the classics.

His ascetic tendencies are exhibited in the Moralia and Asketika (sometimes mistranslated as Regulae), ethical manuals for use in the world and the cloister, respectively. Of the two works known as the Greater Asketikon and the ''Lesser Asketikon", the shorter is the one most probably his work.

It is in the ethical manuals and moral sermons that the practical aspects of his theoretical theology are illustrated. So, for example, it is in his Sermon to the Lazicans that we find St. Basil explaining how it is our common nature that obliges us to treat our neighbor's natural needs (e.g., hunger, thirst) as our own, even though he is a separate individual. Later theologians explicitly explain this as an example of how the saints become an image of the one common nature of the persons of the Trinity.

His three hundred letters reveal a rich and observant nature, which, despite the troubles of ill-health and ecclesiastical unrest, remained optimistic, tender and even playful. His principal efforts as a reformer were directed towards the improvement of the liturgy, and the reformation of the monastic orders of the East.

Most of the liturgies bearing the name of Basil, in their present form, are not his work, but they nevertheless preserve a recollection of Basil's activity in this field in formularizing liturgical prayers and promoting church-song. One liturgy that can be attributed to him is The Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, a liturgy that is somewhat longer than the more commonly used Divine Liturgy of John Chrysostom; it is still used on certain feast days in most of the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches and the Eastern Orthodox Church, such as every Sunday of Great Lent.

All his works, and a few spuriously attributed to him, are available in the Patrologia Graeca, which includes Latin translations of varying quality. No critical edition is yet available.

Several of St. Basil's works have appeared in the late twentieth century in the Sources Chrétiennes collection.

Veneration

He was given the title Doctor of the Church for his contributions to the debate initiated by the Arian controversy regarding the nature of the trinity, and especially the question of the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Basil was responsible for defining the terms ousia (nature) and hypostasis (being or person), and for defining the classic formulation of three Persons in one Nature. His single greatest contribution was his insistence on the divinity and consubstantiality of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son.<ref name="Butler's"/>

Notes

See also

• Cappadocian Fathers
• Gregory of Nyssa
• Gregory Nazianzus
• Basilian monk
• Basilopita
• Christian mystics
• St. Basil's Cathedral

References

• Hildebrand, Stephen M. 2007. The trinitarian theology of Basil of Caesarea: a synthesis of Greek thought and biblical truth. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press http://worldcat.org/oclc/64442839

External links

• Christian Classics Ethereal Library, Early Church Fathers, Series II, Vol. VIII contains the treatise on the Holy Spirit, the Hexaemeron, some of the homilies and the letters
• St Basil the Great in English and Greek, Select Resources
• has a slightly longer article on St. Basil
• The Heritage of the Holy Fathers has a more complete collection of his homilies (and some other works, but only a few of his letters) is available in Russian
• Excerpts from Basil the Great
• St. Basil the Great at Catholic Online
• St. Basil the Great at New Advent
• St. Basil the Great at American Catholic
• Basil of Caesarea and His Influence on Monastic Mission benedictines.org.uk
• Preface to the Asketikon English translation by Oxford University Press

•  • [ e] Doctors of the Church

St. Gregory the Great St.Ambrose St. Augustine St. Jerome St. John Chrysostom St. Basil St. Gregory Nazianzus St. Athanasius St. Thomas Aquinas St. Bonaventure St. Anselm St. Isidore St. Peter Chrysologus St. Leo the Great St. Peter Damian St. Bernard St. Hilary of Poitiers St. Alphonsus Liguori St. Francis de Sales St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Cyril of Jerusalem St. John Damascene St. Bede the Venerable St. Ephrem St. Peter Canisius St. John of the Cross St. Robert Bellarmine St. Albertus Magnus St. Anthony of Padua St. Lawrence of Brindisi St. Teresa of Avila St. Catherine of Siena St. Thrse of Lisieux

Persondata
NAME	Basil of Caesarea
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Basil the Great (honorific); Basilius (Latin); Μέγας Βασίλειος (Greek)
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Christian Saint
DATE OF BIRTH	ca. 330
PLACE OF BIRTH	Caesarea Mazaca, Cappadocia (now Kayseri, Turkey)
DATE OF DEATH	January 1, 379
PLACE OF DEATH	Caesarea Mazaca, Cappadocia