September 18, 2022 - "Saint Basil the Great & Passing of Queen Elizabeth II"

On Thursday, September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.  Shortly after the Queen’s death, Pope Francis sent a telegram to King Charles III to express his condolences for the death of Queen Elizabeth.  It is worthwhile to see what Pope Francis said to the new King of England:
“Deeply saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  I offer heartfelt condolences to Your Majesty, the Members of the Royal Family, the People of the United Kingdom, the Members of the Royal Family, the People of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.”
 
The Pope mentioned to King Charles that he joined with everyone who was mourning the loss of the Queen and praying for her eternal rest.  The Pope also wanted to pay tribute to the Queen’s life of unstinting service to the good of the British nation and the Commonwealth, to her example of devotion to duty, her steadfast witness of faith in Jesus Christ, and her firm hope in his promises.  The Pope also commended “her noble soul” to the mercy of God the Father.  The Holy Father concluded his remarks of condolence to King Charles with these words:
 
“I assure Your Majesty of my prayers that Almighty God will sustain you with his unfailing grace as you now take up your high responsibilities as King.  Upon you and all who cherish the memory of your later mother, I invoke an abundance of divine blessings as a pledge of comfort and strength in the Lord.”
 
I wanted to mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth in my column today as her state funeral will take place tomorrow.  May she rest in peace!
 
I want to devote the rest of this column to the next Doctor of the Church in chronological order, Saint Basil the Great (329-379).  Basil was born in an aristocratic Christian family that is particularly noteworthy for the number of saints in his family.  Basil’s grandmother, parents, and several siblings are all recognized as saints today.  Basil was on his way to becoming a famous teacher when he decided to begin a life of gospel poverty.  This change of direction came largely through the influence of his elder sister Saint Macrina.  After he had studied various expressions of religious life, he established what was probably the first monastery in Asia Minor.  Saint Basil is to the monks of the East what Saint Benedict is to the West.  Basil’s great influence upon Eastern monasticism remains to this day.
 
Basil was ordained a priest, aided the archbishop of Caesarea (located in southeastern Turkey) and in time became the archbishop of that see.  He was opposed by a number of neighboring bishops—possibly because they saw reforms coming with Basil as the new archbishop.

Arianism, a heresy which denied the divinity of Christ, was at its height when Basil became the archbishop.  Emperor Valens was a firm supporter of the Arian position.  He put great pressure on Basil to remain silent and admit heretics to communion.  Basil remained firm, and Valens backed down.  When Saint Athanasius of Alexandria died, Basil became the defender of the faith.  He worked very hard to unite and rally his fellow Catholics who were crushed by tyranny and torn by internal dissension.  Basil was misunderstood and misrepresented.  He was accused of heresy by some and of ambition by others.  About these experiences, Basil once remarked, “For my sins I seem to be unsuccessful in everything.”
 
Basil was very dedicated to providing good pastoral care for his flock.  He preached twice a day to large crowds and built a hospital that was well-regarded in his time.  His concern for the poor and hungry might have begun when he worked in a soup kitchen as a teenager.  He also came to the assistance of those women who wanted to escape from a life of prostitution.  Above all, Basil was best known as an orator.  Even though his writings were not generally recognized in his day, Basil is recognized today as an outstanding teacher of the faith.  Seventy-two years after his death the Council of Chalcedon described him as “the great Basil, minister of grace who has expounded the truth to the whole earth.”  He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Saint Pius V in 1568.
 
Until next week,
Fr. John