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His Holiness Abune Basilios (1891 - 1970)

His Holiness Abune Basilios (23 April 1891–13 October 1970), Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, was born on 23 April 1891, in Mida Michael, Merha Bete District, North Shewa Zone, to his father Merigeta Wolde Tsadik Solomon (a respected ecclesiastical official) and his mother Weizero Welete Mariam Bayu (later known as Emahoy Welete Mariam). He was baptized at the age of forty days in the Kosso Maryam Church, near his family's home, and was given the Christian name Gebre Giyorgis. When he reached the age for education, he received elementary education in his birthplace at the Kosso Maryam Church and was ordained as a deacon on 24 August 1905 at the age of 14 by the Egyptian Ethiopian Archbishop Mathews, continuing to serve the church. He then went to the great monastery of Debre Libanos, where he studied chanting (Zema), poetry (Qene), and interpretation of books under Memehr Gebre Yesus, and completed his studies in the Divine Liturgy under Aba Gebre Hiwot. After completing his studies, His Holiness remained at Debre Libanos, where he served in the monastic order and deepened his understanding of monastic life. On August 29, 1913, at the age of 21, he was ordained as a monk. In 1914, he was ordained as a priest by the Egyptian Archbishop of Ethiopia, Abune Matewos. For the next 12 years, he served in the same monastery.