The Clairvoyant Elder

Father Basil of Kafsokalivia (†2015)

About Elder Basil of Kafsokalivia

Elder Basil (Vasilios) of Kafsokalivia, Mount Athos, was born in Crete in 1922, but grew up in Corinth. At the age of fifteen, he and his family moved to Loutraki, Greece. There, he worked as a wagon maker, with the expertise of making wheels in his father’s workshop. Although not very educated, he had, from a young age, a great desire to know the law of God, and vowed to become a monk one day. This calling was so evident that his relatives and classmates called him “the monk”, even though he was still very young. Standing out from the other children his age, whether he was at school or at home, he preferred to paint icons rather than to play.

Despite his great desire to become a monk, he married at the age of nineteen to a girl the same age - who was also from the town of Loutraki - and in poverty they brought up their four children. While Greece was in a state of war, and at that time a father of two children, he served in the Greek Army. After five years he returned to Loutraki, where he initially worked as a wagon maker and then became a carpenter. The difficulties of life strengthened his faith and he always faced them with prayer. He especially revered our Panagia*.

[* Panagia means All-holy or Most Holy and refers to the Mother of God.]

When his wife departed this life, he decided to leave for Mount Athos; but not before taking care of his four children. His stay on Mount Athos was not long, however, and he soon departed for the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, where he received the small angelic schema. 

After five years of service at the Holy Sepulchre, he returned to Mount Athos, where he was tonsured into the great schema, having Elder Luke as his sponsor. While on the Holy Mountain, he lived for a while in a cave until his hut was ready. While living in the cave, he lived a life of fasting, unceasing prayer and devotion to God, free from the distractions involved with caring for a hut. Nevertheless, when his hut was ready, he left the cave to live in Kafsokalivia.

In 1987 he was sent from Mount Athos to the monastery of Kleisoura in Kastoria. With absolute confidence in the late Metropolitan of that area, Gregory, his service was seen to be exemplary; and even several miracles took place on those grounds. Eventually returning again to his hut in Mount Athos, his health began to deteriorate, in which case he left the Holy Mountain for good in 2007, moving in with a family in Peuka, Thessaloniki.

Finding himself at an advanced age, outside of Mount Athos and living in the world, Elder Basil ministered to the faithful through his constant teaching of the Divine Word. He was distinguished for his humility, patience, ascetic spirit and inexhaustible Christian love. He loved to build churches and, until his death, he built a total of eight.

On the 18th of October 2015, Elder Basil departed in the Lord. He was buried according to his wishes, in Paleokastro of Kozani, at the place where his last church was built. His grave is located in the cemetery grounds of the Church of the Prophet Elias.

The teachings and counsels of Elder Basil have been published in two volumes by the publisher “Good Word” (Athens, 2018 – 2019). Many of his teachings and counsels refer to contemporary ecclesiastical matters (that are dogmatic in nature), Greek national affairs, and in general, other current events in the world and in Greece. We pray that his teachings and counsels will be translated into English soon.

A Prophesy by Elder Basil

“They will legally introduce carnivals* in the Church with a law. Whoever does not participate in these carnivals will be persecuted! You will witness many shameful and absurd things! You will travel miles to find a proper priest. You will travel long distances to find a proper spiritual father.” 

[* By carnivals, the Elder is referring to sinful celebrations in Greece before Great Lent, known as carnivals, where people disguise themselves by wearing costumes and masks so that they can freely sin without anyone knowing who they are.]

Videos and Articles on Masks

Read: On Masks and Other Unacceptable Innovative Practices Introduced into Orthodox Worship as a result of COVID, Concluding with Advice on the COVID Vaccines - Sermon by Father Savas Agiorites given on 25 December 2020. In this sermon, Elder Savas discusses Elder Basil's prophesy concerning masks.]