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Icon of St. Basil the Great from the St.
Sophia Cathedral of Kiev.
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She who has deliberately destroyed a fetus has to pay the penalty of murder...here it is not only the child to be born that is vindicated, but also the woman herself who made an attempt against her own life, because usually the women die in such attempts. Furthermore, added to this is the destruction of the child, another murder... Moreover, those, too, who give drugs causing abortion are deliberate murderers themselves, as well as those receiving the poison which kills the fetus. [Letter 188:2, circa 370.]
AUTHOR: Basil
of Caesarea, also called Saint
Basil the Great, (329 or 330 – January 1, 379) (Greek: Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας) was the Greek bishop of Caesarea Mazaca in
Cappadocia, Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He was an influential theologian
who supported the Nicene Creed and opposed the heresies of the early Christian
church, fighting against both Arianism and the followers of Apollinaris of
Laodicea. His ability to balance his theological convictions with his political
connections made Basil a powerful advocate for the Nicene position.
In addition to his work as a theologian,
Basil was known for his care of the poor and underprivileged. Basil established
guidelines for monastic life which focus on community life, liturgical prayer,
and manual labour. Together with Pachomius he is remembered as a father of
communal monasticism in Eastern Christianity. He is considered a saint by the
traditions of both Eastern and Western Christianity.
Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Gregory of
Nyssa are collectively referred to as the Cappadocian Fathers. The Eastern
Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches have given him, together with
Gregory of Nazianzus and John Chrysostom, the title of Great Hierarch. His is
recognised as a Doctor of the Church in both Eastern Orthodoxy and in the Roman
Catholic Church. He is sometimes referred to by the epithet
"Ουρανοφαντωρ", "revealer of heavenly mysteries".
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