Is it possible to take a child as godparents. Who can be godparents? Christening girls: rules for the godmother

How to baptize a child, what rules to follow.

In the life of every child important people are his parents. After all, parents are the people who give us life, love, care and attention. This fact is undeniable and known to all of us since childhood. However, do not forget about spiritual parents or, as we used to call them, godparents.

The question regarding the choice of godparents and the baptismal procedure itself has always been and remains relevant, since both the godfather and godmother given to the child alone and for life. Moreover, it is the spiritual parents who are faced with the most important task - to educate the baby in accordance with the generally accepted norms of morality and, of course, faith. Well, today we will talk in detail about all the nuances of the baptism procedure and the choice of godparents, so that you no longer have to worry about this.

What are godparents for?

How many people know why a baby needs godparents? How many people think about this issue? Unfortunately no.

Most couples, when choosing godparents for their children, think completely about what it would be worth.
It is customary for us to take people we know well as godfathers. Most often these are friends or relatives. Not the last factor when choosing godparents is their financial condition, while you need to pay attention to completely different things.
I must say that to talk about the question: “What are godparents for?” stands after the answer to the question: “Why baptize a child at all?”. Agree, it is quite logical. This is where we'll start.
According to Orthodox beliefs, every person comes into this world with original sin. We are talking about the violation of the same prohibition by Adam and Eve. So this original sin is a kind of congenital disease, without getting rid of which, the baby will not be able to grow up healthy and happy.
To remove this sin is possible only by accepting faith. Many parents try to christen the baby as soon as possible, but in principle they do not understand why this should be done. Here is the answer for you, children are baptized as soon as possible so that they are with God, and he gave them all sorts of blessings.

Now let's move on to the question of why we need godparents:

As a rule, each person is baptized almost immediately after birth. Due to their age, the baby, and in principle the teenager, cannot objectively assess the importance of this step, as well as cannot follow this faith, because they simply do not know it.
That's why we all need godparents. Godparents perceive babies directly from the font and become full-fledged spiritual parents (godparents, godparents).
Second parents should teach the child to live "by the rules." In this case, we are talking not so much about the rules of life in society, but about the foundations of the Orthodox faith. The godparents should guide the baby on the true path, take care of him and love him like his own child, and if the godson ever stumbles, give him a helping hand. Also, the recipients should always pray for their godson and ask the Lord to be favorable to him.
Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that when choosing godparents for your child, you need to look not at the availability of money and opportunities for them, but at what lifestyle these people lead and whether they are actually believers.

How to choose a godfather and godmother for a child: rules, who can be a godfather, mother and from what age?

When choosing a godfather for a baby, few people think about what it should be like. We are more inclined to evaluate the future recipient according to other criteria: a friend, a relative, responsible or not, lives in this city and will be able to see the child often or not, etc. However, the church puts forward its own rules and they must be followed.

IMPORTANT: Of course, the godfather must be baptized. This condition is mandatory and is not subject to any discussion. After all, how can an unbaptized person who does not believe in God and, accordingly, does not understand the commandments by which everyone who came to this earth should live, teach this to a small child? The answer is obvious.

Moreover, the recipient must be churched. However, in our time, few people even know the meaning of this word. If to speak in simple words, then a person who is not only baptized, but also really believes, lives like a Christian and tries to follow all the foundations of his faith, is considered to be churched.

Regarding age. There are no clear boundaries here, but the church is inclined to believe that the beneficiary must be of age. Why is that? The point here is not in 18 years, but in the fact that adults are considered to be old enough and responsible for such a serious step. By the way, this is not about civil adulthood, but about church. Despite this, one can become a godfather earlier, but this issue must be discussed with the priest, who will give permission for this.

The godmother should be chosen in the same way as the godfather:

The spiritual mother must necessarily be a believing Orthodox Christian, respectively, it must be baptized.
It is also necessary to consider how a woman lives. Does she believe in God, does she go to church, can she raise a baby as a believing Orthodox Christian.
In addition to church restrictions, future parents should pay attention to other things. When choosing a godmother for your baby, you must understand that in fact this woman will be the second mother for your child and, accordingly, you must completely trust her.
You should not take unfamiliar or dubious people as godparents for a baby. Godparents should be responsible and trusted people.

Who can not be taken as godparents to your child?

If you are already very concerned about this issue, then we recommend that you consult with a priest, he, like no one else, knows the answers to all your questions. However, speaking in general, the church forbids taking such people as godparents:

Monk or nun. Despite this, the father can become the child's godfather.
Native parents. It would seem, well, who, if not the parents themselves, can give the child the best education and help? But no, parents are strictly forbidden to baptize their babies.
A woman and a man who are married. The Church not only disapproves, but strictly forbids ignoring this rule. Because people who baptize a baby become relatives on a spiritual level and, accordingly, they will not be able to lead a worldly life after that. It is also forbidden to marry already established godfathers - this is considered a huge sin.
It is clear that it is impossible to take as recipients people who suffer from mental disorders and are seriously ill.
And one more rule, which we talked about briefly earlier. The age of the godparents. In addition to coming of age, there are two more age thresholds: a girl must reach 14 years old, and a guy - 15. In principle, you shouldn’t talk much about this condition, because it’s clear that a child cannot raise a child, and therefore take people of such an age as godmothers. category is not possible.

How many times can you be a godfather, godmother? Is it possible to refuse to be a godmother, a godmother?

The Church does not give a clear answer to the question of how many times a child can be baptized, and this is quite logical:

Adoption is a very big responsibility, and the more children you baptize, the greater this responsibility becomes. That is why a person must answer such a question for himself. Ask yourself the question: “Will I be able to give this godchild as much attention as he needs?”, “Will I have enough spiritual and physical strength to raise another child?”, “Will I have to be “torn” between all the godchildren?” . When you honestly give yourself answers to such questions, then you will understand whether you can christen another baby or whether you will have to refuse.
By the way, many people ask the question: “Is it possible to refuse to be a godmother, a godmother?”. The answer is that it is possible, moreover, even necessary, if you do not want to do this or cannot for some reason of your own.

The person who was offered to baptize the baby must clearly understand that after the Sacrament of baptism he will become a close person for the child, his second parent, and this implies a huge responsibility. It’s not just to come to a birthday party, to congratulate the New Year or St. Nicholas, no, it means to constantly participate in the life of the baby, develop him, help him in all his endeavors. Are you ready for such a responsibility? Refuse right away, because this is not considered a sin and something shameful, but to become a godfather and not fulfill your direct duties is a church sin, for which God will definitely ask.

Is it possible to baptize a child without godparents, godmother, godfather, with one godfather?

In ancient times, only one godparent baptized a child. Boys - a man, girls - a woman. This is due to the fact that once upon a time everyone was baptized already as adults and, accordingly, in order not to be embarrassed, they took a person of the same sex with them as godparents.

Now, when baptism takes place at that stage, while the baby is still completely unintelligent, two recipients of different sexes can baptize him at once.
At the request of the parents, only a man or only a woman can baptize a newborn. For boys it's a man, for girls it's a woman. The Church does not forbid such a practice, moreover, initially everything was done that way.
There are situations when parents want to conduct the Sacrament of Baptism without any recipients at all, and this is quite possible. In this case, they baptize without godparents at all. However, initially this nuance you need to discuss with the priest, so that later you do not have any surprises.

Is it possible to be a godmother, godmother to two or more children in the same family?

The Church gives a very succinct answer to this question. It is possible and necessary, if it is offered to you, and you want it. There are no prohibitions on being a godmother / godmother at once for two children in a family, and this phenomenon is quite common. The main thing, when making such a decision, is to objectively assess your capabilities, and if you are ready for such a responsibility, go ahead.

Can a pregnant, unmarried woman be godmother to someone else's child?

How many disputes this question causes, and superstitions, by the way, too:

For some reason, it is customary for us to believe that a pregnant woman does not have the right to baptize a baby. However, this claim is completely unfounded. The Church does not forbid expectant mother to become a newborn's host, moreover, it is generally accepted that it is even useful for a pregnant woman. Therefore, you should not believe in prejudice, if you are faced with such a situation and do not know how to do the right thing, just contact the church, they will explain everything to you in detail.
The same applies to unmarried women. The fact that a woman is not married does not mean that she cannot be a good mate for a baby.

Can a grandfather, grandmother of a grandson, granddaughter be a godfather and godmother? Can a native, cousin, native, cousin be a godfather, godmother of a sister, brother?

Most often, we choose our friends and acquaintances as godparents, however, some people express a desire for their relatives to baptize their children.

The Orthodox faith does not forbid grandparents to become godparents for their grandchildren. Moreover, purely from the point of view of education, this is very good. Grandparents lived a life, have a rich life experience, and grandchildren are sacred for them, so someone who, and they will definitely be able to raise a newborn in accordance with all the rules and foundations of Christianity.
The prohibitions on baptism did not affect the brothers / sisters of a newborn baby. The Church permits and approves the baptism of children by their siblings and cousins.

Everyone knows that younger children always want to be like their older brothers and sisters and imitate them in every possible way. In this case, the subject of imitation will have to help his godson in every possible way and show only a positive example.
The only thing to think about is the age of possible godparents. After all, the recipients must be responsible and relatively experienced people.

Can a husband and wife be godparents with the same child? Can godparents get married?

Regarding this issue, the church is very strict. It is strictly forbidden for a married couple to baptize a child. Moreover, future godfathers are also forbidden to marry in the future. In simple words, between people who baptize the same baby there should be only a spiritual connection (godparents), but not an “earthly” one (marriage). It cannot be otherwise in this case.

Conversation before baptism for godparents: what does the priest ask before baptism?

Few people know, but before the Sacrament of Baptism itself, future recipients should go to special conversations. In practice, we can see that sometimes such conversations are not held at all, or they are held, but not the number of times that is necessary.

As a rule, during such conversations, the priest explains to the future godparents the foundations of the Orthodox faith, talks about what duties they will have in relation to the godson.
Those who do not know the basics of Christianity are advised to read Holy Bible. This will help future spiritual parents to better understand the faith and, accordingly, understand what is required of them in raising a child.
The priest also tells that the recipients must endure a 3-day fast, and after that confess their sins and take communion.
Directly at the Sacrament of Baptism itself, the priest asks future godparents about whether they believe in God, whether they renounce the unclean and whether they are ready to be godparents.

Baptism of a boy and a girl: requirements, rules, responsibilities and what you need to know for a godmother?

If you were offered to become the godmother of a child, it is a great honor and responsibility. Therefore, you must know the following rules and requirements for you:

Of course, the main requirement for a woman who will baptize a child is to be baptized and sincerely believe in God.
Further, a few days before the celebration itself, you need to confess and take communion. It is also worth refraining from any carnal pleasures. And besides all this, you should know the prayer "Creed". You will read this prayer at baptism only if you baptize a girl.

Your duties to the baby as a godmother:

The godmother takes responsibility for the upbringing of the child
Must teach him to live in accordance with Christian rules and principles
Must pray for him before God and help the baby in everything
Also, the godmother should take the child to church, do not forget about the day of his birth and baptism
And, of course, he must be good example

What else does a godmother need to know besides this? You can add, perhaps, only responsibilities regarding organizational issues:

It is generally accepted that it is the spiritual mother who should bring the child a kryzhma (a special baptismal towel) and a baptismal set, which, as a rule, consists of a shirt, hat and socks, or panties, sweater, hat and socks.
It is important to know that the kryzhma must be new, it is in this towel that the priest will put the newly baptized child. This attribute is a kind of protection for the child and can later be used as a talisman.

Baptism of a boy and a girl: requirements, rules, responsibilities and what you need to know for a godfather?

It is also important for future godfathers to know certain rules and obligations associated with the rite of baptism of a baby:

Just like with mom, the godfather must be an Orthodox Christian and be baptized.
The main duty of the spiritual father is to be a worthy example, this is most important if the child who is being baptized is a boy. He must see before him a worthy example of male behavior. Also, the godfather should take the godson to church and teach him to live in peace with all the people around him.
It is accepted that the future recipient should buy the baby a cross and a chain or a thread on which the cross can be worn. Also, it will not be superfluous to purchase a baptismal icon. It is the godfather who must pay all the expenses for baptism, if any.
It is better to solve all these worries and troubles in advance, so that later you do not have to do everything at the last moment.

Baptism of a boy and a girl: what should a godmother do at christening?

It is immediately necessary to clarify that the future godmother must be present at the christening of the girl, but the godfather may be present in absentia.

Directly at the christening itself, it is the godmother who will perceive the goddaughter after immersion in the font. To keep the baby initially, most likely, will be the godfather.
After the child is given to the godmother, she must dress the girl in a new outfit.
Further, the recipient holds the baby while the priest reads prayers, and then when he performs chrismation.
Sometimes priests ask to read a prayer, but most often they do it themselves.

Everything will be the same with the boy, however, after dipping him into the font, he will be handed over to the godfather. Also, when a boy is baptized, he must be brought down the altar (after 40 days from birth).

Christening of a boy and a girl: what should the godfather do at the christening?

The duties of a godfather are not much different from those of a godmother:

A spiritual dad can also hold a baby.
After the priest receives answers to all the traditionally asked questions, the recipient may be asked to say a special prayer. But again, most likely it will be done by the priest himself.
The godfather helps to undress the child before immersing in water, and then to dress. If the child who is being baptized is a girl, then after this ceremony she will be handed over to the godmother, if it is a boy, then the godfather will hold it.

Is it possible to change godparents, godfather, godmother to a child, boy, girl ?

All people come into this world only once, exactly the same number of times it is allowed to be baptized.

The Church forbids changing godparents, moreover, in fact there is no such possibility, because there is no such rite.
That is why attention has been repeatedly drawn to the fact that baptizing a child is a huge responsibility, which after that you cannot simply take and refuse.
Godparents do not change under any circumstances. Even if over time you stopped communicating with godfathers, even if they left and cannot often see the baby, they still remain his godparents and are responsible for him.

How many godparents should a child have, can there be two godmothers and two godfathers?

We have already discussed this issue a little earlier:

Nowadays, two people are most often taken as godparents: the godfather and the godmother. However, you can do it differently.
You can only take godfather or godmother as godmother. At the same time, it is worth remembering that for a newborn baby, the presence of a successor is more important, but for a boy, it is still a successor.
If for some reason you don’t want to take godparents at all, well, or you just don’t have anyone to take, then you can baptize a child without godparents at all.

Moreover, you can ask the priest to become your baby's godfather, but you must take into account the fact that it is unlikely that a person distant from your family will be able to pay due attention to the child.
Can there be 2 godmothers or 2 godfathers - a rhetorical question. This must be clarified directly in the church in which you want to baptize the child and with the priest who will conduct the ceremony. Such cases are known, but different churches, no matter how strange it may sound, may give you a different answer.

Can a Muslim be a godfather to an Orthodox Christian?

The answer to this question is very obvious. Of course not. After all, how can a Muslim teach a child the Orthodox faith? No way. The only thing a Muslim can do is to stand in the church during the sacrament of baptism, if it is performed on his relative.

As you can see, the issue of baptism and the choice of godparents is very relevant and is being actively discussed. There are many rules and prejudices that in our time, for some reason, are on the same level as church customs, which is why if you don’t know what to do in this or that situation, contact the church, they will explain in detail all the points you are interested in.

Video: About infant baptism and modern lifestyle

A responsible step for parents is the baptism of their baby. The sacrament that brings the child to God, converting him to Christianity. It is very important to let him into a righteous life, but how? The answer is simple - with good believing mentors, who are the godparents. Even when the baby is in the womb, a woman ponders such questions. How to baptize your child? How to find worthy spiritual recipients for your baby? How to choose the right godparents for your child? We'll talk about this today.

About the sacrament of baptism...

How is the sacrament? The rite of baptism is a sacrament in the process of which the Lord's reverence (grace) descends to the baptized, giving him Eternal Life. Many perceive this rite as commonplace or as a tribute to the past, as a tradition that has come down to us through the centuries, while not understanding the full depth of the second spiritual rebirth.

Baptized, no matter how old he is, during the ceremony receives orthodox name. You can find out the meaning of this name from the articles and. Also, a person receives his guardian angel. How does this happen? According to Holy Scripture, a guardian angel appears behind the right shoulder after the sacrament Orthodox baptism. This guardian angel accompanies, protects, protects a person throughout his life. It is this fact that for many is the impetus to perform a ceremony on their offspring in infancy.

An interesting fact is that godparents must be with a child who is under 18 years old. After this age, a person independently decides on the need for recipients for himself. The Church does not forbid to undergo the rite of Orthodox baptism without spiritual parents after 18 years.

The role of godparents in the sacrament

Spiritual mentors are those people who are entrusted with the responsible mission of spiritually guiding a child to the true path. Coming to Orthodoxy, the church, God, a person makes a vow to keep the commandments, church canons. But how can a baby do it? How else could he swear an oath? How can this be, because he does not yet realize the depth of the ongoing mystery. Therefore, it is the duty of godparents to make such vows for the baby. These vows throughout life oblige spiritual mentors to be responsible for the actions of their godson before God, as well as their own conscience. Accordingly, it is not easy to choose people who can be entrusted with such responsibility.

What should the godfather do during the ceremony?

How to stand? How to say? How to hold a baby? There are many more questions from people who have been chosen as spiritual mentors.

The recipients hold candles, renounce the devil three times. During the sacrament, the spiritual mother initially holds the baptized in her arms, and then (after the font) the godfather. They should recite the Creed Prayer. Usually the priest gives it to read, but it is written in Old Church Slavonic, so it is rather difficult to read. Better prepare ahead of time. How? Learn it or at least read it a few times.
Undressing, dressing the baby is also their responsibility. As for the nuances of the ceremony, the holy father always tells what and how to do, say. It is imperative that people who come to the church to baptize a child must have pectoral cross.

Responsibilities of Spirit Guides

The assigned "position" of a godparent obliges a person to replenish the spiritual life of the godson, and not just give gifts for the holidays.

The role of godparents is very great, because they are entrusted with:

prays every day for the salvation of the soul of his godson
tell the godson about the Kingdom of God, teach to pray
teach him, by your own example, virtue, mercy
teach the godson to love God, to go to church

How to choose godparents for your child?

Now, understanding what the role of godparents is, let's try to figure out how to choose godparents? How not to make a mistake? How to trust a child to other people?

It is better to choose deeply religious people as godparents for the baby. After all, their main duty is to guide the child for whom they have taken responsibility in life, as well as to teach spirituality, accustom them to the church. Therefore, for relatives of mom and dad, these people should not be strangers. They must fully trust them, because after the ceremony they will become the second spiritual parents of the baby.

Who is the right person to choose for the role of godparents? How to do it?

There is a lot of conflicting information on the Internet, who can be a successor, how to choose him. We turned to the holy scripture, here is what it says:

1. There is no record in the Bible that relatives (brothers, sisters, uncles or aunts) do not have the right to baptize an infant. Accordingly, they can be safely chosen for the role of godparents.

2. Since God is one, then godparents should be chosen from Orthodox deeply religious people who do not profess other religions.

3. According to church laws, up to 18 years of age, godparents are responsible for a person’s spirituality; accordingly, before this age, he cannot yet become a mentor for another baby. Therefore, godparents must be chosen as adults. But right there, by decree of the Holy Synod, such requirements are crossed out. It says that a male representative who has reached the age of 15 can become a godfather, and a female child who has reached 13 years of age can become a godmother. The question is debatable, the answer to it is best obtained from the church, from the holy father, who will conduct the sacrament over your baby.

4. During the baptism of Christ in the Jordan River, Godparents are not mentioned in Holy Scripture. But it is said that Jesus asked for baptism from John the Baptist, although he insisted "I need to be baptized by you." Based on this, an Orthodox minister who conducts the rite of baptism can be taken as a godfather to the baptized.

5. The future mentor must be baptized, have an Orthodox name "by which God recognizes him." Therefore, before choosing godparents, ask if the "candidates" are baptized.

Who should not be chosen as spiritual guides?

Like everywhere else, the church has its own unspoken rules. Before choosing godparents, you need to familiarize yourself with them.

1. Holy Scripture says that a couple who baptizes one child becomes spiritual relatives between whom there can be no intimacy, therefore a married couple or people about to get married do not have the right to baptize one baby.

2. Atheists or people professing other religions cannot be chosen as godparents.

3. People with an unworthy lifestyle, as well as the mentally ill (who do not know what they are doing) cannot be chosen as spiritual mentors for the baby.

4. Blood father, mother cannot be re-enlisted as mentors of the child. They cannot baptize their child.

How many godparents are allowed?

Holy Scripture says that the baby should have his own godfather of the same sex as the one being baptized. In other words, Orthodox Church allows only one spiritual guide:

for a girl - a woman
for a boy - a man

As an exception, death baptism can be carried out when a baby is baptized with one godfather of a different sex.

It is customary to take a couple, father, mother (godparents) for an infant. It is also not forbidden to involve several couples in the sacrament, here is the choice of the parents.
In addition to the question of how to choose godparents, they often ask how, when and why to baptize a child? Answers can be found in articles and. Having received maximum amount information, parents are able to take a different look at the sacrament itself, change their attitude towards it.

On worldly superstitions: breaking age-old myths

Our ancestors, and we ourselves, are quite superstitious. Even with such a pure, holy deed as the sacrament of baptism, we have our own myths. Here is some of them:

1. A woman must necessarily baptize the first boy, since the first goddaughter girl will become an obstacle to marriage. There is no Orthodox ground for this assertion. Perhaps, in the old days, such a "go-ahead" worked to beautifully refuse the assigned spiritual role.

2. It is impossible for the name of the baby to coincide with the name of one of the godparents, since fate is moving. The church has no such thing as fate. Each person lives according to conscience, according to the commandments of the Lord, and the expression "such a fate" is not accepted, since everyone builds his life on his own.

4. Be sure one of the godparents must be a family, also have children, so as not to doom the child to loneliness. Again, a tradition from the past, based on the fact that family godparents have already taken place, and if necessary, they will always help the godson.

Revealing the essence of the problem - how to choose godparents? We can say the following: listen to your heart, pray, go to church. God help you make right choice.

Author of the publication: Victoria Teterina

Who are godparents? Who can and who should not baptize your child, the holy father will tell.

At Baptism, a child becomes a Christian, a member of the Church, receives God's grace, and must be with her all his life. She also gets godparents for life. What you need to know about godparents and take into account at every stage of life, Father Orest Demko knows.

Who are godparents? What are they for in spiritual and everyday life?

For people, the outward manifestations of godfatherhood are usually obvious. Like, there is someone to visit, there is someone to treat the child well ... This, of course, is not bad at all, but Baptism is a spiritual event, and not just an external ritual.

And although this is a one-time, unique event, godfatherhood is not a one-day event. Just as Baptism remains an indelible seal for a person, so, one might say, godfatherhood is not a worn out sign for life.

What is godfatherhood?

In constant spiritual connection with the godson (goddaughter). Godparents are once and for all inscribed in this significant event in the life of a child.

Among Christians one can often hear the request: "Pray for me." So godparents are those who always pray for a child, who will keep him constantly in his spiritual guardianship before God. The child should always know that there is someone who supports him spiritually.

So, godparents can sometimes be quite far from godchildren, it is not often to see them. But their role is not to see each other periodically with a specific frequency, these are not gifts at least once a year. Their role is daily.

Sometimes the child's parents may complain that the godparents do not fulfill their duties if they do not visit often enough. But, parents, take a closer look at your godfathers: perhaps they just pray to God every day for your child!

Relationships between cousins

Whatever they are, more important is the relationship between the godparents and the child himself. Birth parents are also required to have the right expectations of godparents and their role in the child's life. It doesn't have to be a material interest. And then, perhaps, a huge number of misunderstandings will disappear.

But what to do if relations between godfathers go wrong?

First of all, you need to understand why this happened. Or did the parents choose such godfathers who do not have a correct understanding of their role? Or are these people who already tend to destroy relationships and quarrel? To maintain good friendship with godfathers - such should be the attempts of both relatives and godparents. Relatives should remember that their child is entitled to spiritual support from godparents. Therefore, if the parents do not allow godfathers to visit the child, this will mean stealing from the child, taking away what belongs to him.

Even if the godfathers did not come to the child of 3 or 5 years old, parents should not be forbidden to do this in the future. Or maybe it is for the child that understanding or reconciliation will come.

The only reason to protect a child from godparents is the objectively unworthy behavior of godfathers, not the right way of life.

How to choose godfathers, so as not to regret later?

These should be the people that parents would like their child to be like. After all, a child can adopt their traits, personal qualities. These are people who are not ashamed of in front of the child himself. And they themselves must also understand their role, be conscious Christians.

Godparents usually have less time for this preparation than their own parents. Their preparation will be to comprehend this change in their lives, to realize their responsibilities. Because this event is not just another living room and not even just a manifestation of respect for them from the baby's parents.

Of course, the Church advises to begin confession before this event. Even if this confession does not become a one-time conversion or a noticeable consecration for the godparents, but a pure heart is the first gift of godparents for a child. This is the most proof of their true openness.

What should godparents provide in the process of preparing for the Baptism of a child?

sacrum. This is a simple white canvas that will symbolize the "new clothes" of the child - God's grace.

Cross. It is hardly worth buying gold, such a child will not initially be dressed. And, perhaps, until a sufficiently conscious age.

But what if the godparents do not know by heart the prayer “I believe”?

They say this prayer during the Holy sacrament of Baptism after they renounce evil on behalf of the child and promise to serve God. In it is the whole essence of Christianity, and the godparents in it recognize their faith and seem to outline the path by which to lead the child. Godparents must say it out loud.

But priests are sympathetic to the fact that godparents may not know the prayer by heart too confidently. Firstly, this is a prayer, and prayer books exist just so that you can read a prayer from them. Secondly, godparents may be worried, confused or focused, for example, on the child himself, especially if he cries. Therefore, the same priest deacons always recite this prayer quite loudly.

Can I refuse when invited to be godparents?

Since becoming godparents is a set of new duties, it is even a kind of change in the status of a person, this decision must be approached very responsibly. Conscious refusal will be better than not entirely voluntary acceptance of duties. From the point of view of the Church, there is no such requirement - to unconditionally accept the invitation of nepotism.

The reasons for refusal may be different: those invited feel that their friendship with the child's parents is not completely sincere and deep; or they already have enough godchildren. If the relationship with the parents is not perfect, this can cause misunderstandings in the future. Therefore, invitees need to give time for reflection.

Approach with wisdom the choice of godparents for your child - and she will be good mentors and friends for the next stages of her spiritual life: accustoming to attend church, the first Confession in life, communion.

It seems to many that choosing godparents for your baby is very simple, but it seems so only at first glance. In fact, everything is not so.

You need to understand that godparents must be responsible for their godson before God. They are responsible for his morality and spiritual education. Godparents are not only good friends, relatives or well-to-do acquaintances in material terms - these are the people to whom you entrust the upbringing of your baby, these are the people who can gain authority from the child and can become a good example for him, spiritual parents . Godparents are the people you can always rely on in difficult times.

The sacrament of baptism occupies a very important place in a person's life, since this is the second birth of a person, his spiritual birth. In godparents, a very great responsibility is assigned, responsibility for the spiritual education of their godchild (grandparent). For this reason, when choosing godparents, one should be guided by the fact that these people are believers and have high moral qualities.

Godparents for a child cannot be:

The parents of the child himself, as well as people who are related to each other by blood;
Nuns and monks;
Unbelieving people;
Gentiles, and not only non-Christians, but also non-Orthodox;
Juveniles (girls under the age of 13, and boys under 15).
Persons who are married or persons who are going to marry, since in the future the godparents of one child cannot have intimate relations with each other, because they are spiritually related.
Mentally ill people and people who have fallen morally.

What are the responsibilities of godparents?

The duties of godparents are not at all what they imagine them to be. Many godparents believe that it is their duty to give the child gifts on Angel Day, birthday and other holidays, visit their godson (goddaughter) from time to time, and maintain good relations with the baby's parents. Of course, all this should also be present, but this is far from the most important. Godparents need to spend time with the baby reading, playing, talking about morality, love, goodness. They must teach their godson moral values that every believer should have. Before choosing godparents for your child, mentally ask yourself the question: “will this person pray for my baby?”. Yes, after all, it is the prayer for the godson that is the main duty of the godparent. It is best to choose godparents among close people or among relatives, these should be people who have been tested for years so that after the christening ceremony they do not disappear for a long time. Godparents should be aware that they place great responsibility on themselves, care and guardianship of the godson should be their desire.

Godparents must be believing Orthodox people, they must take their spiritual life seriously. Their vocation is to make sure that the baby attends church, takes communion, and fasts.

How many pairs of godparents can a child have?

The Christian Church says that a child must have one godfather, but it must be of the same gender as the person being baptized. A girl must have a godmother, and a boy must have a godfather. But most often the child has both godparents. Also, one child can have more than one pair of godparents. But parents should understand that the fewer godparents a baby has, the more responsibly and seriously they will take their duties.

What you need to have a godfather during the rite of baptism

The godmother must have christening clothes and which she buys in advance;
Godfather must have a pectoral cross, he is also supposed to pay for the ceremony;
Godparents must have a pectoral cross on themselves, since without it they will not be allowed to the Sacrament;
Godparents should know the prayer “I believe” (preferably by heart, and if not, then at least be able to read it).

How many times in a lifetime can a person be godfather?

The Orthodox Church does not have a clear definition on this issue. The most important thing is that a person who agrees to be a godparent remembers that he takes on a great responsibility and is responsible for his godson before God. The measure of this responsibility is capable of determining how many times a person can take on such a responsibility in his life. For each person, this measure is individual.

They say that if you can not refuse an offer to become godparents. For this reason, in order to avoid an unpleasant outcome, it is best to first ask the prospective candidate if there is a desire to baptize your baby.

Baptism of a child significant event for parents. Therefore, you need to prepare for it in advance. How exactly, the priest, cleric of the Church of the Annunciation told the readers of "MIR 24" Holy Mother of God in Petrovsky Park in Moscow Dmitry Nikolaev.

- Father Dmitry, please tell us how baptism takes place and what is its main essence?

Baptism is the first church sacrament that a person who intends to live a spiritual life encounters. Its meaning is that a person takes the first step into this life and becomes a member of the Church. This sacrament is performed only once in a lifetime.

Our Lord, Jesus Christ, ascending after his Resurrection to the Father, commanded the apostles to teach people everything that he had taught them. And including, to baptize people in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

In the process of the sacrament, the rite of giving a name is performed on a person, preparatory prayers and prayers are read containing a prohibition for the devil to have power over this person. Because as a result of the fall of one of the very first and most beautiful angels, and the subsequent war in the spiritual world, the bound and far from omnipotent Satan nevertheless constantly rises up against those who strive for God and hinders them with all possible forces and means. Therefore, before uniting with Christ, we drive Satan away from us and renounce him.

The consecration of water is also performed. A person is anointed with consecrated oil, baptized in water in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The grace of God descends on a person, all his sins that he committed in his life remain in the font, and he goes out into the world a renewed, just born spiritual baby. His spiritual eyes are opened, he sees the world differently and feels differently. That is, a person is given a unique chance to start life anew.

During baptism, a guardian angel is also given to a person, accompanying him on all paths. The angel will rejoice for his ward in good and suffer from his every evil step or intention.

The person being baptized puts on clean clothes, and then the second and also only once possible sacrament is performed in his life - chrismation. There is a well-known expression: "we are smeared with one world." But many do not even know what it means. And it says that we were baptized in one Church and we were anointed from one vessel, and we are actually kindred people.

In the sacrament of chrismation, a person is stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit on all his senses. These are kind of locks that Satan cannot get through. During baptism, he is expelled and cannot pass through these seals until the person himself opens it to him, as the goats did to the gray wolf.

A procession is made around the font, the Holy Scripture is read. Then the Holy Myrrh is washed off with a special sponge and the rite of cutting hair is performed - it is cut crosswise from the head along a small strand, as a symbol of sacrifice and obedience.

In order to become more familiar with the rites of the sacrament of baptism, to begin to understand the deep meanings behind external actions, you need at least to become a participant in the public conversations that both parents and godparents should attend, and the person himself who is preparing for baptism, if he adult. Self-education, reading special literature will never hurt.

- How to choose godparents?

Parents must take seriously the choice of godfather or godmother. Sometimes two godparents are chosen, but this is just a pious Russian tradition, coming from the idea that a child should have both a mother and a father. In principle, one godfather or godmother is quite enough. But by all means the same sex with the child, because the boy is brought up by a man, and the girl by a woman. The main task of the godfather is to pray for his godson and take care of his Christian upbringing.

Very often, parents choose godparents simply out of friendship. They themselves go to church once a year and call the same godfather. But you need to understand that the godfather must have something to give the child in terms of his spiritual development. In other words, you need a specialist. When parents look for teachers for their child, they choose them not for friendship, but for professional qualities. The same must be done here.

- Is it possible to choose as godparents those who do not live in the same city as the godson?

Why not? Quite possible! We live in the 21st century, we have such means of communication that we can live even on another planet, and at the same time keep in touch with those who are dear to us all the time. And if the godfather brings up his godson, even while living in another city, then everything is fine. But seeing each other every day, even living nearby, is still unrealistic. So it doesn’t matter how far away the godfather lives, but it should be a person with whom the child has a frank spiritual friendship.

- How should parents and godparents prepare for the baptism of a child?

Baptism is an event of universal scale! A person is born into Eternal Life! This is a holiday, and, of course, we must prepare for this. And not so much to set tables for relatives, but to cook themselves.

The first duty of parents and godparents is to raise their children in the Christian faith. If they do not know anything about their faith, then for them before baptism, public conversations are held, which I have already spoken about. There are at least two conversations, they are led by a priest, a deacon, or a person specially trained for this - a catechist.

At these talks, parents will learn who God is, what the Church is, and in whom we believe. Because it is very important to know the basics of our spiritual life. We must understand where we are going ourselves, and where we are sending our child. After all, even when parents send their child to a circle or section, they find out everything about it. Especially when someone enters educational institution. After all, he is preparing for this, taking exams. So it is here: you need to have a clear idea of where you are entering.

Parents and godparents should go to church before baptism, purify their souls at confession, partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

There are exceptions: for example, a mother cannot participate in the sacraments for 40 days after giving birth. She goes through a period of physiological cleansing and does not begin the sacraments - neither confession nor communion. If the parents want to certainly baptize the child during this period, then we allow the mother to be present at the baptism, but nothing more. If these 40 days have already passed after the birth, then the priest reads permission prayers over her, and she can confess and take communion. Godparents before baptism need to do everything the same as parents.

Godparents for a child are in a sense more important than blood parents, because spiritual kinship is higher than blood. When choosing godparents, it is important to consider that the godparents of the same child cannot be husband and wife, groom and bride.

And there is another important limitation. If, for example, a single mother baptizes her son, then she cannot have any personal, close relationship with the godfather of this child. If this still happened, this situation is absurd and will not lead to anything good.

- Can a priest refuse to baptize a child?

Sometimes there are such situations. It is important that the child's parents are legally married. Because if parents live in a prodigal union, which is now called a civil marriage, then the child will suffer from this. What is the point of baptizing him, giving him to Christ, if the parents themselves live in mortal sin? It turns out that with one hand we give the child into the hands of Christ, and with the other we crucify Christ.

If the marriage of the parents is not consecrated by the Church, but is witnessed before the people and the state, whose laws we recognize, then the Church recognizes such a marriage, in the hope that this couple, who testified before the people that they are husband and wife, will subsequently come to an understanding of the need and the wedding . Why do we recognize? Because the notorious stamp in the passport obliges them to be responsible for their union.

And if this is not the case, then today they like each other, and the day after tomorrow they do not like each other - and fled. Everyone suffers. Both themselves and the children. And a foolishly trusting woman, who does not know the commandments of God, who does not have any rights, since marriage as such does not exist, sometimes finds herself on the street, and even with a child.

Before the revolution, there were no registry offices, and all marriages were registered in the temple. There were no problems with stamps and other discrepancies. Now the situation is different.

Is it possible to baptize a child if the parents themselves are not baptized?

You need to talk to these parents. Why baptize a child if the parents themselves are not interested in God, the creator of the universe? What's the point in that? This is not a shamanic rite that must be performed so that the child does not get sick. Or is it just accepted? If they are not baptized, but they have a sincere desire to baptize a child, then it would be better for them to be baptized all together. We baptize according to the faith of our parents, and if there is no faith at all, then this will turn out to be a profanation. Yes, of course, I feel sorry for the children. We want them to be baptized. But this is somewhat absurd. We don’t say: my wife and I are Orthodox, but we want to give the child to Buddhism! And this is essentially the same thing.

We are baptized in order to become one with Christ! And this means, together with him, crucify, and die, and resurrect! And what will a child be able to feel if his parents are absolutely unbelieving people? How is he brought up in the faith?

In general, the situation is some kind of theoretical, fictional. In any case, I have not encountered such a thing in my practice.

If it so happened that one of the parents is not baptized, and the second goes to the temple and wants to baptize the child, then of course, you need to come and baptize. In general, there is a rule that if an Orthodox person marries a non-believer or a non-believer, then this marriage is allowed on condition that children are raised in the Orthodox faith.

What do you need to prepare for baptism?

Parents should prepare a cross, marriage certificate, birth certificate, baptismal shirt and towel for baptism. If the child is already older, then slippers are needed so that he gets to the font in them and, leaving it, does not turn out to be barefoot.

- Who can be called for baptism, can unbaptized relatives and friends come?

Everyone can come to the baptism! It is very good and right to share the joy of the appearance of a new member in the Church. It is good to take a photographer or cameraman with you to capture the joyful moment. It is not forbidden to remove the baptism. Then it will be possible to review this recording again at home and rejoice once again.

- How should an adult prepare for the sacrament?

A person who decides to be baptized as an adult must be willing to understand where he has come. He also goes to public talks. These conversations are the same for everyone: those who want to be baptized, and the parents of babies, and godparents come to them. And like everyone else who participates in these conversations, he must read the Gospel and be sure to analyze the "Symbol of Faith." This is the fundamental document developed during the first two Ecumenical Councils as early as the 4th century. In it, in 12 sentences, all the main postulates of our faith are formulated.

It is impossible for him to confess before the sacrament, since he is still an unbaptized person. But it would be very good for him to talk with the priest immediately before Epiphany or the day before. Such a conversation is similar to confession: the same thing that he would say in confession, he must tell the priest in order to cleanse his soul. The Lord still looks at it and hears it all. And when a person is baptized, he becomes pure like a baby, and all his past life, all his mistakes and sins are forgiven him for free. In the future, a person no longer needs to confess them.

- Do adults need godparents? Who can he invite to baptism?

No, godparents are no longer needed for an adult. And he can invite anyone to baptism: friends and relatives, all people close to him, with whom he wants to share this joy.

- What should change after baptism in the lives of those who were baptized and their loved ones?

The man came to church. Churching must begin in his life. Previously, he lived without it, but now a person participates in the sacraments, attends church services, reads the Gospel at home and prays. Because he became a member of the Church and it is interesting and dear to him, and for this he is ready to give his life. Those who want to be baptized should have such an attitude.

He is like a person who wants to get married because he loves his chosen one, wants to see her all the time and cannot live without her. So is the person who wants to be baptized. He can no longer live without Christ, so he goes and is baptized. And from that day on, he becomes a faithful and firm warrior of Christ.

Photo: From the archive of priest Dmitry Nikolaev