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[[File:Basil of Caesarea.jpg|thumbnail|right|Icon of St. Basil the Great from the St. Sophia Cathedral of Kiev.]]
[[File:Basil of Caesarea.jpg|thumbnail|right|Icon of St. Basil the Great from the St. Sophia Cathedral of Kiev.]]
'''Basilian monks''' are [[monk]]s who follow the rule of [[Basil of Caesarea|Basil the Great]], [[Caesarea Cappadociae|bishop of Caesarea]] (330–379). The monastic rules and institutes of Basil are important because their reconstruction of [[monasticism|monastic life]] remains the basis for most [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] and some [[Greek Catholic]] monasticism. [[Benedict of Nursia]], who fulfilled much the same function in the West, took his [[Rule of Saint Benedict|''Regula Benedicti'']] from the writings of Basil and other earlier [[church fathers]].
'''Basilian monks''' are those Catholic monks who follow the rule of [[Basil of Caesarea|Basil the Great]], [[Caesarea Cappadociae|bishop of Caesarea]] (330–379). The term ''Basilian'' is typically only used in the [[Catholic Church]] to distinguish Greek Catholic monks from other forms of monastic life in the Catholic Church. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, as all monks follow the Rule of Saint Basil, they do not distinguish themselves as "Basilian".


The monastic rules and institutes of Basil are important because their reconstruction of [[monasticism|monastic life]] remains the basis for most [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] and some [[Greek Catholic]] monasticism. [[Benedict of Nursia]], who fulfilled much the same function in the West, took his [[Rule of Saint Benedict|''Regula Benedicti'']] from the writings of Basil and other earlier [[church fathers]].
The term ''Basilian'' is typically only used in the [[Catholic Church]] to distinguish Greek Catholic monks from other forms of monastic life in the Catholic Church. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, as all monks follow the Rule of Saint Basil, they do not distinguish themselves as "Basilian".


== Rule of St. Basil ==
== Rule of St. Basil ==
Under the name of Basilians are included all the religious that follow the Rule of St. Basil.<ref name=Besse>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02322a.htm Besse, Jean. "Rule of St. Basil." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 9 January 2020{{PD-notice}}</ref> The "Rule" is not intended to be a constitution like various Western [[monastic Rule]]s; rather, it is a collection of his responses to questions about the [[ascetic]] life—hence the more accurate original name: ''Asketikon''.
Under the name of Basilians are included all the religious that follow the Rule of St. Basil.<ref name=Besse>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02322a.htm Besse, Jean. "Rule of St. Basil." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 9 January 2020{{PD-notice}}</ref> The "Rule" is not intended to be a constitution like various Western [[monastic Rule]]s; rather, it is a collection of his responses to questions about the [[ascetic]] life—hence the more accurate original name: ''Asketikon''.

Eastern [[monasticism]] has never possessed the hierarchical organization which ordinarily constitutes the Western [[religious order]]s. Only a few houses were formerly grouped into congregations or are today so combined. Usually each monastery follows its own traditions, and is either under the [[ordinary (Catholic Church)|local bishop]] or is "stavropegial" (directly under the [[Patriarch]] or a [[Synod]] of bishops).


Attribution of the Rule and other ascetical writings that go under his name to Basil has been questioned. But the tendency is to recognize as his at any rate the two sets of Rules, the ''Greater Asketikon'' and the ''Lesser Asketicon''. Probably the truest idea of his monastic system may be derived from a correspondence between him and [[Gregory Nazianzen]] at the beginning of his monastic life.
Attribution of the Rule and other ascetical writings that go under his name to Basil has been questioned. But the tendency is to recognize as his at any rate the two sets of Rules, the ''Greater Asketikon'' and the ''Lesser Asketicon''. Probably the truest idea of his monastic system may be derived from a correspondence between him and [[Gregory Nazianzen]] at the beginning of his monastic life.
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== Monasteries ==
== Monasteries ==
The monasteries of [[Cappadocia]] were the first to accept the Rule of St. Basil; it afterwards spread gradually to all the monasteries of the East. Those of [[Armenia]], [[Chaldea]], and of the [[Syria]]n countries in general preferred instead those observances which were known among them as the Rule of [[Anthony the Great|St. Anthony]]. Neither the ecclesiastical nor the imperial authority attempted to compel universal conformity to the Basilian Rule.<ref name=Besse/>
The monasteries of [[Cappadocia]] were the first to accept the Rule of St. Basil; it afterwards spread gradually to most of the monasteries of the East. Those of [[Armenia]], [[Chaldea]], and of the [[Syria]]n countries in general preferred instead those observances which were known among them as the Rule of [[Anthony the Great|St. Anthony]]. Protected by the emperors and [[patriarch]]s the monasteries increased rapidly in number. The monks took an active part in the ecclesiastical life of their time. Their monasteries were places of refuge for studious men. Many of the bishops and patriarchs were chosen from their ranks. They gave to the preaching of the Gospel its greatest apostles. The position of the monks in the empire was one of great power, and their wealth helped to increase their influence. Thus their development ran a course parallel to that of their Western brethren.<ref name=Besse/>

Protected by the emperors and [[patriarch]]s the monasteries increased rapidly in number. The monks took an active part in the ecclesiastical life of their time. Their monasteries were places of refuge for studious men. Many of the bishops and patriarchs were chosen from their ranks. They gave to the preaching of the Gospel its greatest apostles. The position of the monks in the empire was one of great power, and their wealth helped to increase their influence. Thus their development ran a course parallel to that of their Western brethren.


The monks, as a rule, followed the theological vicissitudes of the emperors and patriarchs, and they showed no notable independence except during the [[Iconoclasm|iconoclastic]] persecution; the stand they took in this aroused the anger of the imperial controversialists. The Faith had its martyrs among them; many of them were condemned to exile, and some took advantage of this condemnation to reorganize their religious life in [[Italy]].
The monks, as a rule, followed the theological vicissitudes of the emperors and patriarchs, and they showed no notable independence except during the [[Iconoclasm|iconoclastic]] persecution; the stand they took in this aroused the anger of the imperial controversialists. The Faith had its martyrs among them; many of them were condemned to exile, and some took advantage of this condemnation to reorganize their religious life in [[Italy]].
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Monks from Athos participated at the seventh Ecumenical Council of Nicaea of 787. In 885, a decree of emperor Basil I proclaimed the Holy Mountain a place of monks, and no laymen or farmers or cattle-breeders are allowed to be settled there. The monastery of St. Catherine on [[Mount Sinai]], built in 548, goes back to the early days of monasticism, and is still occupied by monks.<ref>Din, Mursi Saad El et al.. Sinai: The Site & The History: Essays. New York: [[New York University Press]], 1998. 80. {{ISBN|0814722032}}</ref>
Monks from Athos participated at the seventh Ecumenical Council of Nicaea of 787. In 885, a decree of emperor Basil I proclaimed the Holy Mountain a place of monks, and no laymen or farmers or cattle-breeders are allowed to be settled there. The monastery of St. Catherine on [[Mount Sinai]], built in 548, goes back to the early days of monasticism, and is still occupied by monks.<ref>Din, Mursi Saad El et al.. Sinai: The Site & The History: Essays. New York: [[New York University Press]], 1998. 80. {{ISBN|0814722032}}</ref>

Fine penmanship and the copying of manuscripts were held in honor among the Basilians. Among the monasteries which excelled in the art of copying were the Studium, Mount Athos, the monastery of the Isle of [[Patmos]] and that of Rossano in Sicily; the tradition was continued later by the monastery of [[Grottaferrata]] near [[Rome]]. These monasteries, and others as well, were studios of religious art where the monks toiled to produce miniatures in the manuscripts, paintings, and goldsmith work. The triumph of orthodoxy over the iconoclastic heresy infused an extraordinary enthusiasm into this branch of their labors.


==Notable monks==
==Notable monks==
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There were, besides, a large number of monks, [[hagiographer]]s, [[hymnologist]]s, and poets who had a large share in the development of the Greek Liturgy. Among the authors of hymns may be mentioned: [[Romanus the Melodist]];<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13154a.htm Phillimore, John. "St. Romanos." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 10 January 2020{{PD-notice}}</ref> [[Andrew of Crete]]; [[Cosmas of Jerusalem]], and [[Joseph the Hymnographer]].
There were, besides, a large number of monks, [[hagiographer]]s, [[hymnologist]]s, and poets who had a large share in the development of the Greek Liturgy. Among the authors of hymns may be mentioned: [[Romanus the Melodist]];<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13154a.htm Phillimore, John. "St. Romanos." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 10 January 2020{{PD-notice}}</ref> [[Andrew of Crete]]; [[Cosmas of Jerusalem]], and [[Joseph the Hymnographer]].


From the beginning the Oriental Churches often took their patriarchs and bishops from the monasteries. Later, when the secular clergy was recruited largely from among married men, this custom became almost universal, for, as the episcopal office could not be conferred upon men who were married, it developed, in a way, into a privilege of the religious who had taken the vow of [[celibacy]]. Owing to this the monks formed a class apart, corresponding to the upper clergy of the Western Churches; this gave and still gives a preponderating influence to the monasteries themselves. In some of them theological instruction is given both to clerics and to laymen. In the East the convents for women adopted the Rule of St. Basil and had constitutions copied from those of the Basilian monks.
Fine penmanship and the copying of manuscripts were held in honor among the Basilians. Among the monasteries which excelled in the art of copying were the Studium, Mount Athos, the monastery of the Isle of [[Patmos]] and that of Rossano in Sicily; the tradition was continued later by the monastery of [[Grottaferrata]] near [[Rome]]. These monasteries, and others as well, were studios of religious art where the monks toiled to produce miniatures in the manuscripts, paintings, and goldsmith work. The triumph of orthodoxy over the iconoclastic heresy infused an extraordinary enthusiasm into this branch of their labors.


[[St. Cyril and St. Methodius]], the Apostles of the Slavs were noted missionaries. In 1980, Pope John Paul II declared them co-patron saints of Europe, together with Benedict of Nursia.
From the beginning the Oriental Churches often took their patriarchs and bishops from the monasteries. Later, when the secular clergy was recruited largely from among married men, this custom became almost universal, for, as the episcopal office could not be conferred upon men who were married, it developed, in a way, into a privilege of the religious who had taken the vow of [[celibacy]]. Owing to this the monks formed a class apart, corresponding to the upper clergy of the Western Churches; this gave and still gives a preponderating influence to the monasteries themselves. In some of them theological instruction is given both to clerics and to laymen. As long as the spirit of proselytism existed in the East the monasteries furnished the Church with all its missionaries. The names of two have been inscribed by Rome in its calendar of annual feasts, namely, [[St. Cyril and St. Methodius]], the Apostles of the Slavs. The Byzantine schism did not change sensibly the position of the Basilian monks and monasteries. Their sufferings arose through the [[Muslim]] conquest. To a large number of them this conquest brought complete ruin, especially to those monasteries in what is now [[Turkey]] in Asia and the region around Constantinople. In the East the convents for women adopted the Rule of St. Basil and had constitutions copied from those of the Basilian monks.

During the [[Muslim]] conquest, a large number of monasteries were destroyed, especially those monasteries in [[Anatolia]] and the region around Constantinople.


== Catholic Basilians ==
== Catholic Basilians ==
After the [[East–West Schism|Great Schism]] most Basilian monasteries became a part of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], however some Basilian monasteries which were in [[Italy]] remained in communion with the Western Church.
After the [[East–West Schism|Great Schism]] most Basilian monasteries became a part of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], however some Basilian monasteries which were in [[Italy]] remained in communion with the Western Church.


[[St. Nilus the Younger]] was a monk and a propagator of the rule of [[Saint Basil]] in Italy.<ref name=Fortescue>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11080a.htm Fortescue, Adrian. "Nilus the Younger." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 7 November 2017</ref> The [[Oratory of Saint Mark]] in [[Rossano]], was founded by Nilus, as a place of retirement for nearby eremite monks It retained the Greek Rite over the Latin Rite long after the town came under Norman rule. The [[Rossano Gospels]], is a 6th-century illuminated manuscript Gospel Book written following the reconquest of the Italian peninsula by the Byzantine Empire.
The monastery of [[Rossano]], founded by [[St. Nilus the Younger]], remained for a long time faithful to the best literary traditions of [[Constantinople]]. The monasteries of [[San Salvatore of Messina]] and [[San Salvatore of Otranto]] may be mentioned; the monastery of [[Grottaferrata]] was also celebrated. The emigration of the Greeks to the West after the [[fall of Constantinople]] and the union with Rome, concluded at the [[Council of Florence]], gave a certain prestige to these communities. [[Cardinal Bessarion]], who was Abbot of Grottaferrata, sought to stimulate the intellectual life of the Basilians by means of the literary treasures which their libraries contained.

In 1004, Nilus founded the Basilian Monastery of Santa Maria, in [[Grottaferrata]]; it was completed by his disciple [[Bartholomew of Grottaferrata]], who was also of Greek heritage.<ref>[https://www.abbaziagreca.it/en/index.asp Exarchic Greek Abbey of St. Mary of Grottaferrata - Basilian Monks]</ref> The emigration of the Greeks to the West after the [[fall of Constantinople]] gave a certain prestige to these communities. [[Cardinal Bessarion]], who was Abbot of Grottaferrata, sought to stimulate the intellectual life of the Basilians by means of the literary treasures which their libraries contained.


===Religious orders===
A number of Catholic communities continued to exist in the East. The Holy See caused them to be united into [[Religious congregation|congregations]], namely: the [[Congregation of St. Savior]] founded in 1715, which includes 8 monasteries and 21 hospices with about 250 monks; the [[Congregation of Aleppo]] with 4 monasteries and 2 hospices; the [[Congregation of the Baladites]] (Valadites) with 4 monasteries and 3 hospices. These last two congregations have their houses in the district of [[Mount Lebanon]]. [[Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych]] and Father Rutski, who labored to bring back the [[Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|Ruthenian]] Churches into Catholic unity, reformed the Ruthenian Basilians forming the [[Order of Saint Basil the Great]].
* [[Order of Saint Basil the Great]]: a Ukrainian/Belarusian monastic religious order of the Greek Catholic Churches founded in 1631, and which has its Mother House in Rome at [[Santi Sergio e Bacco|Santi Sergio e Bacco degli Ucraini]].
* [[Ukrainian Studite Monks]]: ancient order absorbed into the Order of Saint Basil the Great in the 17th century, and reintroduced in 1919.
* [[Basilian Salvatorian Order]] of the [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church]] founded in 1683. The motherhouse is Monastery Saint Savior in [[Joun]], Lebanon.
* [[Basilian Chouerite Order of Saint John the Baptist]] of the [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church]] founded in 1696. The motherhouse is the Church of Saint John the Baptist in [[Dhour El Choueir]] in Lebanon.
* [[Basilian Aleppian Order]] of the [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church]] founded in 1697. The headquarters of the order are located in Sarba, Jounieh, Lebanon.
* [[Basilian Chouerite Sisters]] of the [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church]] founded in 1737.
* [[Basilian Aleppian Sisters]] of the [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church]] founded in 1740.


== Latin Basilians ==
== Latin Basilians ==

Revision as of 07:15, 10 January 2020

Icon of St. Basil the Great from the St. Sophia Cathedral of Kiev.

Basilian monks are those Catholic monks who follow the rule of Basil the Great, bishop of Caesarea (330–379). The term Basilian is typically only used in the Catholic Church to distinguish Greek Catholic monks from other forms of monastic life in the Catholic Church. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, as all monks follow the Rule of Saint Basil, they do not distinguish themselves as "Basilian".

The monastic rules and institutes of Basil are important because their reconstruction of monastic life remains the basis for most Eastern Orthodox and some Greek Catholic monasticism. Benedict of Nursia, who fulfilled much the same function in the West, took his Regula Benedicti from the writings of Basil and other earlier church fathers.

Rule of St. Basil

Under the name of Basilians are included all the religious that follow the Rule of St. Basil.[1] The "Rule" is not intended to be a constitution like various Western monastic Rules; rather, it is a collection of his responses to questions about the ascetic life—hence the more accurate original name: Asketikon.

Attribution of the Rule and other ascetical writings that go under his name to Basil has been questioned. But the tendency is to recognize as his at any rate the two sets of Rules, the Greater Asketikon and the Lesser Asketicon. Probably the truest idea of his monastic system may be derived from a correspondence between him and Gregory Nazianzen at the beginning of his monastic life.

St. Basil drew up his Asketikon for the members of the monastery he founded about 356 on the banks of the Iris River in Cappadocia. Before forming this community St. Basil visited Egypt, Coele-Syria, Mesopotamia, and Palestine in order to see for himself the manner of life led by the monks in these countries. In the latter country and in Syria the monastic life tended to become more and more eremitical and to run to great extravagances in the matter of bodily austerities. When Basil formed his monastery in the neighborhood of Neocaesarea in Pontus, he deliberately set himself against these tendencies. He declared that the cenobitical life is superior to the eremitical; that fasting and austerities should not interfere with prayer or work; that work should form an integral part of the monastic life, not merely as an occupation, but for its own sake and in order to do good to others; and therefore that monasteries should be near towns. Gregory of Nazianzus, who shared the retreat, aided Basil by his advice and experience. All this was a new departure in monachism.[2]

In his Rule, Basil follows a catechetical method; the disciple asks a question to which the master replies. As he visited early ascetic communities, the members would have questions. His responses were written down and formed the "Small Asketikon", published in 366.[3]

He limits himself to laying down indisputable principles which will guide the superiors and monks in their conduct. He sends his monks to the Sacred Scriptures; in his eyes the Bible is the basis of all monastic legislation, the true Rule. The questions refer generally to the virtues which the monks should practice and the vices they should avoid. The greater number of the replies contain a verse or several verses of the Bible accompanied by a comment which defines the meaning. The most striking qualities of the Basilian Rule are its prudence and its wisdom. It leaves to the superiors the care of settling the many details of local, individual, and daily life; it does not determine the material exercise of the observance or the administrative regulations of the monastery. Poverty, obedience, renunciation, and self-abnegation are the virtues which St. Basil makes the foundation of the monastic life.[1]

The Rule of Basil is divided into two parts: the "Greater Monastic Rules" and the "Lesser Rules". In 397, Rufinus who translated them into Latin united the two into a single Rule under the name of Regulae sancti Basilii episcopi Cappadociae ad monachos. Basil's influence ensured the propagation of Basilian monachism; and Sozomen says that in Cappadocia and the neighboring provinces there were no hermits but only cenobites. This Rule was followed by some Western monasteries, and was a major source for the Rule of St. Benedict.[3]

Monasteries

The monasteries of Cappadocia were the first to accept the Rule of St. Basil; it afterwards spread gradually to most of the monasteries of the East. Those of Armenia, Chaldea, and of the Syrian countries in general preferred instead those observances which were known among them as the Rule of St. Anthony. Protected by the emperors and patriarchs the monasteries increased rapidly in number. The monks took an active part in the ecclesiastical life of their time. Their monasteries were places of refuge for studious men. Many of the bishops and patriarchs were chosen from their ranks. They gave to the preaching of the Gospel its greatest apostles. The position of the monks in the empire was one of great power, and their wealth helped to increase their influence. Thus their development ran a course parallel to that of their Western brethren.[1]

The monks, as a rule, followed the theological vicissitudes of the emperors and patriarchs, and they showed no notable independence except during the iconoclastic persecution; the stand they took in this aroused the anger of the imperial controversialists. The Faith had its martyrs among them; many of them were condemned to exile, and some took advantage of this condemnation to reorganize their religious life in Italy.

Of all the monasteries of this period the most celebrated was that of St. John the Baptist of Studium, founded at Constantinople in the fifth century. It acquired its fame in the time of the iconoclastic persecution while it was under the government of the saintly Hegumenos (abbot) Theodore, called the Studite. In 781, Platon, a monk in the Symbola Monastery in Bithynia, and the uncle of Theodore the Studite, converted the family estate into the Sakkudion Monastery. Platon served as abbot, with Theodore as his assistant. In 794, Theodore was ordained by Tarasios of Constantinople and became abbot. Around 797 Empress Irene made Theodore leader of the ancient Stoudios Monastery in Constantinople. He set himself to reform his monastery and restore St. Basil's spirit in its primitive vigour. But to effect this, and to give permanence to the reformation, he saw that there was need of a more practical code of laws to regulate the details of the daily life, as a supplement to St Basil's Rules. He therefore drew up constitutions, afterwards codified, which became the norm of the life at the Studium monastery, and gradually spread thence to the monasteries of the rest of the Greek empire. Thus to this day the Rules of Basil and the Constitutions of Theodore the Studite, along with the canons of the Councils, constitute the chief part of Greek and Russian monastic law.[2]

The monastery was an active center of intellectual and artistic life and a model which exercised considerable influence on monastic observances in the East. Theodore attributed the observances followed by his monks to his uncle, the saintly Abbot Plato, who first introduced them in his monastery of Sakkudion. The other monasteries, one after another adopted them, and they are still followed by the monks of Mount Athos.

Monks from Athos participated at the seventh Ecumenical Council of Nicaea of 787. In 885, a decree of emperor Basil I proclaimed the Holy Mountain a place of monks, and no laymen or farmers or cattle-breeders are allowed to be settled there. The monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai, built in 548, goes back to the early days of monasticism, and is still occupied by monks.[4]

Fine penmanship and the copying of manuscripts were held in honor among the Basilians. Among the monasteries which excelled in the art of copying were the Studium, Mount Athos, the monastery of the Isle of Patmos and that of Rossano in Sicily; the tradition was continued later by the monastery of Grottaferrata near Rome. These monasteries, and others as well, were studios of religious art where the monks toiled to produce miniatures in the manuscripts, paintings, and goldsmith work. The triumph of orthodoxy over the iconoclastic heresy infused an extraordinary enthusiasm into this branch of their labors.

Notable monks

  • Leontius of Byzantium (d. 543), author of an influential series of theological writings on sixth-century Christological controversies.Fortescue, Adrian.[5]
  • Sophronius of Jerusalem, Patriarch of Jerusalem in 634, a monk and theologian who was the chief protagonist for orthodox teaching in the doctrinal controversy on the essential nature of Jesus and his volitional acts.
  • Maximus the Confessor, Abbot of Chrysopolis (d. 662), the most brilliant representative of Byzantine monasticism in the seventh century.[6]
  • St. John Damascene, who wrote works expounding the Christian faith, and composed hymns which are still used both liturgically in Eastern Christian practice throughout the world as well as in western Lutheranism at Easter.[7]

The Byzantine monasteries furnish a long line of historians who were also monks: Georgius Syncellus, who wrote a "Selected Chronographia"; his friend and disciple Theophanes (d. 817), Abbot of the "Great Field" near Cyzicus, the author of another "Chronographia"; the Patriarch Nikephoros, who wrote (815–829) an historical "Breviarium" (a Byzantine history), and an "Abridged Chronographia";[8] George the Monk, whose Chronicle stops at A. D. 842.

There were, besides, a large number of monks, hagiographers, hymnologists, and poets who had a large share in the development of the Greek Liturgy. Among the authors of hymns may be mentioned: Romanus the Melodist;[9] Andrew of Crete; Cosmas of Jerusalem, and Joseph the Hymnographer.

From the beginning the Oriental Churches often took their patriarchs and bishops from the monasteries. Later, when the secular clergy was recruited largely from among married men, this custom became almost universal, for, as the episcopal office could not be conferred upon men who were married, it developed, in a way, into a privilege of the religious who had taken the vow of celibacy. Owing to this the monks formed a class apart, corresponding to the upper clergy of the Western Churches; this gave and still gives a preponderating influence to the monasteries themselves. In some of them theological instruction is given both to clerics and to laymen. In the East the convents for women adopted the Rule of St. Basil and had constitutions copied from those of the Basilian monks.

St. Cyril and St. Methodius, the Apostles of the Slavs were noted missionaries. In 1980, Pope John Paul II declared them co-patron saints of Europe, together with Benedict of Nursia.

During the Muslim conquest, a large number of monasteries were destroyed, especially those monasteries in Anatolia and the region around Constantinople.

Catholic Basilians

After the Great Schism most Basilian monasteries became a part of the Eastern Orthodox Church, however some Basilian monasteries which were in Italy remained in communion with the Western Church.

St. Nilus the Younger was a monk and a propagator of the rule of Saint Basil in Italy.[10] The Oratory of Saint Mark in Rossano, was founded by Nilus, as a place of retirement for nearby eremite monks It retained the Greek Rite over the Latin Rite long after the town came under Norman rule. The Rossano Gospels, is a 6th-century illuminated manuscript Gospel Book written following the reconquest of the Italian peninsula by the Byzantine Empire.

In 1004, Nilus founded the Basilian Monastery of Santa Maria, in Grottaferrata; it was completed by his disciple Bartholomew of Grottaferrata, who was also of Greek heritage.[11] The emigration of the Greeks to the West after the fall of Constantinople gave a certain prestige to these communities. Cardinal Bessarion, who was Abbot of Grottaferrata, sought to stimulate the intellectual life of the Basilians by means of the literary treasures which their libraries contained.

Religious orders

Latin Basilians

In the sixteenth century the Italian monasteries of the Basilian Order were in the last stages of decay. Urged by Cardinal Sirleto, Pope Gregory XIII ordained (1573) their union in a congregation under the control of a superior general. Use was made of the opportunity to separate the revenues of the abbeys from those of the monasteries. The houses of the Italian Basilians were divided into the three provinces of Sicily, Calabria, and Rome.

Although the monks remained faithful in principle to the Greek Liturgy they showed an inclination towards the use of the Latin Liturgy; some monasteries have adopted the latter altogether. In Spain there was a Basilian congregation which had no traditional connection with Oriental Basilians; the members followed the Latin Liturgy. Father Bernardo de la Cruz and the hermits of Santa Maria de Oviedo in the Diocese of Jaen formed the nucleus of the congregation.

Pope Pius VI added them to the followers of St. Basil and they were affiliated with the monastery of Grottaferrata (1561). The monasteries of Tardón and of San Antonio del Valle de Galleguillos, founded by Father Mateo de la Fuente, were for a time united with this congregation but they withdrew later in order to form a separate congregation (1603) which increased very little, having only four monasteries and a hospice at Seville.

The other Basilians, who followed a less rigorous observance, showed more growth; their monasteries were formed into the two provinces of Castile and Andalusia. They were governed by a vicar general and were under the control, at least nominally, of a superior general of the order. Each of their provinces had its college or scholasticate at Salamanca and Seville.

They did not abstain from wine. Like their brethren in Italy they wore a cowl similar to that of the Benedictines; this led to recriminations and processes, but they were authorized by Rome to continue the use of this attire.

Several writers are to be found among them, as: Alfonso Clavel, the historiographer of the order; Diego Niceno, who has left sermons and ascetic writings; Luis de los Angelos, who issued a work on, "Instructions for Novices" (Seville, 1615), and also translated into Spanish Cardinal Bessarion's exposition of the Rule of St. Basil; Felipe de la Cruz, who wrote a treatise on money loaned at interest, that was published at Madrid in 1637, and one on tithes, published at Madrid in 1634. The Spanish Basilians were suppressed with the other orders in 1835 and have not been re-established.

The Congregation of St. Basil was formed by a group of priest-teachers in Annonay, France in 1822. They later expanded to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where they are currently headquartered.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Besse, Jean. "Rule of St. Basil." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 9 January 2020Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ a b  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Basilian Monks". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 469.
  3. ^ a b Silvas, Anna M. The Rule of St. Basil in Latin and English: A Revised Critical Edition. Liturgical Press, 2013. ISBN 9780814682371
  4. ^ Din, Mursi Saad El et al.. Sinai: The Site & The History: Essays. New York: New York University Press, 1998. 80. ISBN 0814722032
  5. ^ "Leontius Byzantinus." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 10 January 2020Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. ^ Allen, Pauline; Neil, Bronwen (2015). The Oxford Handbook of Maximus the Confessor. Oxford University Press. p. 20.ISBN 978-0-19-967383-4
  7. ^ Lutheran Service Book (Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, 2006), pp. 478, 487.
  8. ^ Alexander, Paul J., The Patriarch Nicephorus of Constantinople. Oxford University Press, 1958.
  9. ^ Phillimore, John. "St. Romanos." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 10 January 2020Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  10. ^ Fortescue, Adrian. "Nilus the Younger." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 7 November 2017
  11. ^ Exarchic Greek Abbey of St. Mary of Grottaferrata - Basilian Monks
  12. ^ "History | Basilian Fathers | Congregation of St. Basil". Retrieved 2019-12-10.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainHerbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Rule of St. Basil". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.