N and on April 26 we honor the memory of the holy martyr Basil, bishop of Amasia.
Saint Basil lived during the time of the eastern emperor Licinius (307-323) and was bishop of the city of Amasia in the northern Asia Minor region of Pontus.
He was distinguished by deep faith and great zeal in the performance of his office. Christianity spread more and more, but the persecutions often became the reason for the destruction of the church organization, since the clerics were killed first of all. Therefore, the responsibility and duties of the bishops became enormous.
Saint Basil sought to calm the life of the Christian communities, hurried to go everywhere, preached, advised, comforted, supported, encouraged the faithful.
Raised them to be spiritually strong against the teachings and practices of the pagan world. However, this became the reason for the hatred of the pagan spiritual and secular authorities against him.
The emperor Licinius himself had converted to the Christian faith and initially adhered to the religious tolerance established by the western co-emperor Constantine the Great. However, after the rift between the two, Licinius returned to pagan beliefs and from 322 began to restore the state cult of Jupiter (Zeus in Greek mythology).
Against those who disobeyed, mostly Christians, Licinius ordered cruel persecutions.
Then complaints came to him from priests and rulers in Amasia against Bishop Basil. He was captured and brought to trial before Licinius in the eastern capital of Nicomedia (today the city of Izmit in Turkey). Another thing was added to the accusation that he did not honor the pagan deities: the bishop protected and hid a young Christian woman who fled from the palace because Licinius himself wanted to seduce her.
Officially, however, the persecution was because of the faith and because of Basil’s refusal to accept the pagan faith. Thus the emperor personally pronounced the sentence, and on the same day the holy bishop was beheaded.
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Source: BTA/Prof. Ivan Zhelev
