St. Basil the Great is a Doctor of the Church, Bishop of Caesarea and who was noted, with St. Athanasius, as a great defender of Christian orthodoxy against Arianism. With his brother St. Gregory of Nyssa, and St. Gregory Nazianzus, Basil is one of “the Three Cappadocians” who distinguished themselves in Church history.

Basil was the son of St. Basil the Elder and Emmelia, the daughter of a martyr, and was one of ten children, three of whom – Basil, Gregory, and Macrina – became saints. Largely raised by his grandmother, he studied at Caesarea, his native town, and at Constantinople, where he developed his long friendship with St. Gregory Nazianzus. Having obtained a superb education, he returned to Caesarea as a teacher. He soon also underwent a profound spiritual transformation, embarking on a journey in 357 to the monasteries of Egypt, Palestine, and Mesopotamia. Returning, he founded a monastic community near Annesi, where his sister Macrina had already established a religious house. Basil’s innovations within the monastic community, especially his rule, earned him the title Father of Eastern Monasticism. The rule of St. Basil is still followed by the members of the religious life in the lands of the Orthodox Churches.

In 360, he was finally convinced to depart his hermitage and take part in a council at Constantinople. Subsequently ordained with great reluctance, he played a major role in the administration of the diocese of Caesarea under Bishop Eusebius, so much so that the two entered into a dispute. Basil withdrew to his monastic community but was recalled in 365 at the insistence of Gregory Nazianzus. In 370, he was chosen to succeed to the see of Caesarea that had by now acquired the status of metropolitan. His appointment was a great pleasure to St. Athanasius but was greeted with suspicion by the ardent Arian Emperor Valens. Over the next nine years he was noted for his care of the poor, his efforts at the defense of ecclesiastical rights, and most of all, for his steadfast opposition to heresy, especially Arianism. When defending himself before Valens, Basil was so fiery that a courtier questioned his boldness, to which the saint gave his famous reply: “Perhaps you are not familiar with a proper bishop.” Owing to the controversy over Melitius, bishop of Antioch, and the efforts of Valens to reduce Basil’s power, his friendship with Gregory was severely strained. He died on January 1, 379, at a time of terrible upheaval in the Roman Empire both politically (because of the Goths) and religiously (because of the Arians). Because he was so beloved, his funeral was attended by a large weeping crowd, including Christians, Jews, and pagans.

Basil was revered for his spiritual achievements and his vast contributions to Christian culture in the fourth century. His letters reveal a remarkably holy and eloquent person, who, while never strong physically, was utterly fearless in defense of orthodoxy or in the face of imperial threats and pressures to conform to the doctrinal trends of the day. Some three hundred sixty-six letters are extant, most from the time after his elevation to the episcopacy. His other writings included: a treatise, On the Holy Spirit; three books against Enomius, an outspoken Arian bishop of Cyzicus; a compilation with Gregory of Nazianzus from the works of Origen in the Philocalia. He is also the ascribed formulator of the Liturgy of St. Basil, still used on certain days in the liturgy of the Greek Orthodox Church. St. Basil the Great is declared a Doctor of the Church which are certain men and women who are revered by the Church for the special value of their writings and preaching and the sanctity of their lives. They each made important and lasting contributions to the faith and are to be recognized for their great merits.

To be declared a Doctor of the Church, you have to meet three basic requirements:

1. First, you must have lived a life of exemplary holiness, or insignis vitae sanctitas (outstanding sanctity). In short, you have to be a saint.
   

2. Second, to be a Doctor of the Church you must have deepened the whole Church's understanding of the Catholic Faith with emins doctrina (eminent teaching). Which is to say, sanctity isn't enough. There are thousands of saints, but only 37 Doctors of the Church. To be a Doctor one must do more than just live the Faith. Rather, one must significantly and profoundly contribute to our understanding of Divine Revelation, helping us to know more deeply some truth about God and His actions in the World.
   

3. And third, a pope must officially declare you a Doctor. That being said, as the Church understands it, when a pope declares someone a Doctor of the Church, he's not so much making someone a Doctor as he is recognizing what the Holy Spirit has already done - that He has conferred the charism of Doctor upon them.