Superiors general
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| Latin: Ordo Basilianus Sanctissimi Salvatoris Melkitarum | |
| Abbreviation | BS |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Salvatorian Fathers |
| Formation | 1684 |
| Founder | Archbishop Euthymios Michael Saifi |
| Founded at | Saida, Lebanon |
| Type | Monastic order of pontifical right for men |
| Headquarters | Saida, Lebanon |
Membership | 94 members (includes 74 priests) as of 2020 |
| Antoine Dib, BS | |
| Affiliations | Greek-Melkite Catholic Church |
The Basilian Order of the Most Holy Saviour (Latin : Ordo Basilianus Sanctissimi Salvatoris) abbreviated BS, [1] also known as the Basilian Salvatorian Order, is an Eastern Catholic monastic order of Pontifical Right for men of the Greek-Melkite Catholic Church. The name derives from its motherhouse, the Holy Saviour Monastery, at Joun in Chouf near Sidon, Lebanon.
The order was founded in 1683 [2] by Euthymios Saifi, bishop of Saida, with the aim of supporting pastoral and missionary activities by well-educated Melkite clergy, choosing for them the rule of Saint Basil. Saifi started to gather some monks in his episcopal residence, but it soon became too small for the community. In 1685 a miracle was reported during a pastoral visit of Euthymios Saifi to the village of Joun [3] and thus some monks were sent to live in a farm near Joun. In 1710 Saifi succeeded in buying the farm and in 1711 the first building of the Holy Saviour monastery was erected. [4]
The order was cited by Pope Benedict XIV in 1743 in the encyclical Demandatam , and on 20 April 1751 the Pope sent them a letter urging them to fully follow the Byzantine rite rejecting the Latinizations introduced by Cyril Tanas against the wishes of Rome. Their specific rules (constitutions) were formally drafted and approved only in 1934. [5]
The Basilian Salvatorian Order soon became one of the two main religious orders of the Melkite Catholic Church. The other order was the Basilian Chouerite Order. According to their tradition, the Basilian Salvatorian Order had a more missionary aim, while the Basilian Chouerite Order was more contemplative. The Basilian Salvatorian Order recruited in the areas of Damascus and South Lebanon, while the Basilian Chouerite Order recruited in the areas of Aleppo, Homs, North Lebanon and Galilee. Attempts to unite these two orders in the 18th century failed: the opposition between them and between the different communities from which they recruit members is an important aspect to understand in the early history of the Melkite Catholic Church.
Up to the first half of the 19th century, these two religious orders ran a large number of parishes and provided most of the bishops of the Church. With the increasing importance of the celibate diocesan priests since the patriarchate of Maximos III Mazloum, the religious orders lost some of their importance. The 19th century saw moments of difficulty in the life of the Basilian Salvatorian Order: the main problems were the lack of respect for the vow of poverty by some monks and the antagonism between the Damascene wing and the Lebanese wing. Reforms in the early years of the 20th century solved the issues.
As of 31 December 2020, the Basilian Salvatorian Order had 27 monasteries and 94 monks, of which 74 are priests. [6] In 2012, it had 11 houses and 92 members (including 87 priests).
In the United States it maintains a center in Methuen, Massachusetts. The Order serves the Church in four main areas: pastoral service in parishes, social service, ecumenical activity and dialog among different religious communities in Lebanon. [2]
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The Basilian Salvatorian Order has given more than sixty bishops and eight Patriarchs to the Melkite Church: Cyril VI Tanas, Athanasius IV Jawhar, Cyril VII Siaj, Agapius II Matar, Athanasius V Matar, Macarius IV Tawil, Clement Bahouth, and Gregory II Youssef; Patriarch emeritus Gregory III Laham is also a member of this Order.
Basilian may refer to a number of groups who are followers of Saint Basil the Great and specifically to:
Basilian monks are Roman Catholic monks who follow the rule of Basil the Great, bishop of Caesarea (330–379). The term 'Basilian' is typically used only 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 Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch is the only actual residential Patriarchate of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. It was formed in 1724 when a portion of the Orthodox Church of Antioch went into communion with Rome, becoming an Eastern Catholic Church, while the rest of the ancient Patriarchate continues in full communion with the rest of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
The Catholic Church in Lebanon is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.
The Baladites, formally known as the Lebanese Maronite Order, is a monastic order among the Levant-based, Catholic Maronite Church, which from the beginning has been specifically a monastic Church. The order was founded in 1694 in the Monastery of Mart Moura, Ehden, Lebanon, by three Maronite young men from Aleppo, Syria, under the patronage of Patriarch Estephan El Douaihy (1670–1704).
Patriarch Cyril VI Tanas, also known as Cyril VI of Antioch, became the first Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and Alexandria and Jerusalem of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church following the schism of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch in 1724. Cyril re-established full communion with the Catholic Church.
Euthymios Michael Saifi was the Melkite Catholic bishop of Tyre and Sidon during the early 18th century. A leading proponent of re-establishing communion between the Orthodox Church of Antioch and the Catholic Church, he is often described as the architect of the Melkite Catholic Church.
The Basilian Chouerite Order of Saint John the Baptist is a Melkite Greek Catholic monastic order of Pontifical Right for Men. The members of the Order add the nominal B.C after their names to indicate their membership in the Order.
Ignatius IV (Youssef) Sarrouf was Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in 1812. He is remembered for both his patriarchate, and for having been, as metropolitan of Beirut, a leading figure in the early history of the Melkite Church.
Agapius II Matar, was Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 1796 to 1812.
Maximos II Hakim, was Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 1760 to 1761.
Theodosius V Dahan (1698–1788) was Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 1761 to 1788.
Athanasius V Gabriel Matar was Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church for a few months in 1813.
Athanasius IV Ignace Michael Jawhar was Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 1788 to 1794. He previously claimed to be patriarch from 1759 to 1764 and from 1765 to 1768.
Demandatam coelitus humilitati nostrae is an apostolic constitution promulgated by Pope Benedict XIV on December 24, 1743, about the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. It is addressed to the Patriarch of Antioch Cyril VI Tanas and to all Melkite bishops under his jurisdiction, and is generally not considered ex cathedra. The subject of this apostolic constitution is the full preservation of the Byzantine Rite in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.
Euthymius Fadel of Ma’loula was bishop of Zahle and Forzol of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and took a preeminent part in the 1724 split of the Melkite Church.
The Archeparchy of Beirut and Byblos is a metropolitan eparchy of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church since 1881, an Eastern Catholic church in communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Located in Lebanon, it includes the cities of Beirut and Byblos, and in terms of population, it is the largest Melkite eparchy in the Middle East. Its current Eparch, Georges Wadih Bacouni, S.M.S.P., was elected in November 2018.
The Basilian Aleppian Order is a religious order of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.
Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Sidon is a diocese of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church suffragan of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Tyre. In 2010 there were 32,000 baptized. It is currently governed by Archeparch Elie Bechara Haddad, BS.
Béchara Abou Mrad, B.S.O., was a Melkite priest and monk He is venerated by the Catholic Church especially in Melkite Greek Catholic Church, having been declared Venerable by Pope Benedict XVI.
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