Basilian Salvatorian Order

The Basilian the Most Holy Redeemer (Latin: Ordo Basilianus Sanctissimi Salvatoris Melkitarum, religious symbol: BS) are a religious community of Basilian in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. Under the provisions of the Roman Catholic Church, the priest and monk community is an institute of consecrated life. They live and work in the Byzantine rite and have their roots in Lebanon.

History

The Congregation was founded in 1683 by Bishop Euthymius Saifi. As Bishop of Sidon archeparchy he had collected several Basilian around them and give them a pastoral and missionary task. The first permanent hostel for the monks was in the small village Joun, near Sidon, erected: In 1701, Bishop Saifi bought a farm there and let this converted into a monastery. 1711 was the first monastery of the Basilian are dedicated to the Most Holy Redeemer. In 1737, the female branch of the Basilian Sisters was founded by the Most Holy Redeemer. The Pontifical approbation received the male congregation until the year 1937 by Pope Pius XI. ( 1922-1939 ). The Basilian the Most Holy Redeemer spread mainly in Lebanon and had their local priorities in Damascus and South Lebanon. The only monastery outside of Lebanon was founded in 1953 as St. Basil Convent in Methuen (Massachusetts ). The educational center of the Basilian the Most Holy Redeemer is located in Sion, in 1828 the monks built a university and the orden own seminary. Since 2001, Archimandrite Sleiman Abou Zeid leads as Superior General of the Congregation with 88 priests and 95 monks in 12 monasteries. Work focuses on the pastoral service in parishes, social services, ecumenical work and the dialogue between the different religious communities in Lebanon.

Celibacy

In the first half of the 19th century, the congregation lost its importance. The Melkite Patriarch of Antioch Maximos III. Mazloum (1833-1855) celibacy had also introduced for the diocesan priest. As a result of occurring lack of respect and disregard the vow of poverty was an opposition to other Basilianerorden. It was not until the reforms of the 20th century solved this problem.

Melkite Greek Catholic bishops

Similar to the Basilian of Aleppo also the Basilian the Holy Saviour, a significant number of bishops and patriarchs of the Melkite Greek - within the Catholic Church. Currently, the Order provides a patriarch, two archbishops ( Issam Darwich BS John and Elie Bechara Haddad BS) and a bishop ( Ibrahim Michael Ibrahim ).