Baptism in Orthodoxy is a special sacrament. It is also called spiritual birth. During the rite, the newborn receives as a protector of her soul the Guardian Angel, who protects him throughout his life. According to church traditions, it is recommended to baptize a newborn on the eighth day of his life or on the fortieth. A special role in this rite is assigned to the godparents. They are entrusted with a very serious task. They will have to spiritually educate their godson, to join him to the Church and the Orthodox faith. Therefore, church ministers recommend to approach the choice of spiritual bearers very seriously.

According to the laws of the Russian Orthodox Church, the godparents can not be:

The godfather and godfather of a newborn should not be married;

Biological parents can not baptize their child;

People belonging to other religious concessions can not become spiritual receptors of the Orthodox;

A pregnant woman and a woman who has a period at the time of baptism;

Mad, immoral and unbelieving people;

Unfamiliar or unfamiliar people who agreed to this only because they were persuaded by the parents of the newborn;

Underage children.

In any of the above cases, the clergyman has the right to refuse to carry out the sacrament of baptism. Of course, you can lie. But, in fact, the future of the child will depend on this decision.

Who can be godmother and godfather?

As a rule, both the woman and the man become godparents. But in the event that the child has only one godmother, the church recommends choosing a recipient on the basis of gender. That is, a girl should be baptized by a woman, and a boy by a man. This is not a strict requirement. There are situations where a man becomes a spiritual receptor for a girl, and a woman for a boy. Before the performance of the sacrament of baptism, the priest will talk with the selected candidates. It is important that the godparents are truly Orthodox believers. So that they can be completely relied on in the duties of spiritual upbringing of the child.

On the sacrament of baptism, the recipients must come with native crosses. The godmother should be with a covered head, with covered shoulders and in a dress not below the knees. The Godfather does not have strict requirements. But it is better to give up shirts with shorts. On the head of a man there should be no headgear. Strictly forbidden to come to the rite of baptism in alcohol or drug intoxication.

How many times can you be godparents?

When asked how many times one can be a godmother or father, the church does not give a definite answer. Strict restrictions are not present. To become once again a spiritual receptor or not, the cross decide themselves. In making such a decision, one must remember that the godfather takes on a very serious responsibility. After all, he will not only need to admit the child to the Orthodox faith, but also take care of it throughout his life.

Baptism of the Child  - one of the main sacraments, symbolizing the acceptance of man into the bosom of the Christian church. Baptism is a sacrament when, through certain visible sacred actions, the person participating in them is informed of God's invisible grace, according to the teaching of the Orthodox Church, baptism is the spiritual birth of a person, the most important event in his life on earth. In baptism to the child, an angel is attached as his guardian, who protects the person all his life. Baptism is not entertainment, but the serious work and thoughts of all people participating in the ritual must be pure, transparent and sincere.

Below are the answers to questions about the sacrament of baptism that arise in those who are going to baptize children or be baptized himself. The basis of the answers are the arguments priest Dionysius Svechnikov, supplemented by the materials of the sites represented in the sources (see the bottom of the answer).

When is it necessary to baptize children?

There are no specific rules on this issue. However, the earlier a person is baptized, the better. The church calls to baptize a child either on the eighth day after birth (at this age was dedicated to his Heavenly Father, the baby Jesus), or after 40 days (which is happening most often). You can baptize at another time. The main thing is not to postpone baptism for a long period without extreme necessity. It would be wrong to deprive the child of such a great sacrament to suit the circumstances. Especially the infant, most often, is in a dream and receives less severe stress from a large cluster of unfamiliar people and environment.

Is it possible to baptize children during fasting?

You can, but not always technically. In some churches in the days of Lent they only baptize on Saturdays and Sundays. This practice is most likely based on the fact that week-long Lenten services are very long, and the intervals between morning and evening services may be small. On Saturday and Sunday, worship is somewhat shorter in time, and priests can devote more time to the crowds. Therefore, when planning the day of baptism, it is better to know in advance about the rules observed in that temple where the child will be baptized. Well, if you talk about days in which you can baptize, then there are no restrictions in this matter. You can baptize children on any day, when there are no technical obstacles to this.

How to choose a name at baptism?

The name baptism is always preceded by the name baptism. In Orthodox families, names should be Orthodox, given in honor of this or that saint. A complete list of names of saints (saints) is usually published in church calendars published annually. Earlier in Russia it was customary to call newborns the names of those saints whose memory falls on the day when the given infant is baptized. However, one must understand that it was more a custom, but not a requirement. The church always takes into account the wishes of the parents about what kind of saint they would like to call their baby. In the event that parents have difficulties with this, the priest himself determines the heavenly protector. In this case, the priest, as a rule, is guided by sufficient popularity of the saint. This is done so that the crumb, named by this name, later could easily find out the biography of the person whose name he was named, to find his icon. The day of the memory of the saint, in whose honor the person was named at baptism, is the Day of his angel, or the day of his name-day.

How many godparents should a child have?

Church rules prescribe that the child has a child of the same gender as the person who is baptized. That is, for a boy - a man, and for a girl - a woman. In tradition, however, usually choose for the child of both godparents: father and mother. This does not contradict the canons. It will also not be a contradiction if, in case of need, the child has a different gender than the person who is being baptized. The main thing is that it should be a truly believing person, who later conscientiously would fulfill his duties to raise a child in the Orthodox faith. Thus, a baptized person can have one or, at most, two receptors.

What are the requirements for the godparents?

The first and main demand is the undoubted Orthodox faith of the recipients. The godparents should be people churched, living the church life. After all, they will have to teach their godson or godchild the basics of the Orthodox faith, give spiritual instructions. The godparents are responsible for the spiritual upbringing of their godson, for they, together with their parents, are responsible for God. This responsibility begins with the abdication of "Satan and all his works, and all his angels, and all his ministry, and all his pride." Thus, the recipients, responding for their godson, give a promise that their godfather will be a Christian.

If the godson is already an adult and himself utters the words of renunciation, the godparents present at the same time become guarantors to the Church in the faithfulness of his words. The godparents are obliged to teach their godchildren to resort to the saving Mysteries of the Church, mainly confession and communion, they should give them knowledge about the meaning of worship, the peculiarities of the church calendar, the blessed power of miraculous icons and other holy objects. The godparents should accustom them to the church services, fasted, prayed and respected other provisions of the church statute taken by them from the font. But the main thing - the godparents should always pray for their godson. It is obvious that no gods can be godmothers, for example, some compassionate grandmother from the temple, which the parents persuaded to "hold" the baby at baptism. Also, it is not necessary to take in godmothers simply close people or relatives who do not meet the spiritual requirements that were set out above.

The godparents should not become a personal benefit to the parents of the person being baptized. The desire to become related to a profitable person, for example, with a boss, often leads parents when choosing godparents for a child. Forgetting the true goal of baptism, parents can deprive the child of the real godmother, but to impose on him the one who later will not take care of the spiritual upbringing of the child, for which he himself will answer before God. Unrepentant sinners and people leading an immoral way of life can not become godmothers.

Is it possible for a woman to become a godfather in the period of menstruation? What if it still happened?

On such days, women should refrain from participating in church ordinances, including baptism. But if it still happens, then it is necessary to repent at confession.

How can the future godfather prepare for baptism?

There are no special rules for preparing the recipients for baptism. Some churches hold special talks, the purpose of which is usually to explain to a person all the provisions of the Orthodox faith regarding baptism and perception. If there is an opportunity to attend such conversations, then it is necessary to do this, because this is very useful for future godparents. If the future godparents are sufficiently churched, constantly confess and receive communion, then a visit to such conversations will be a sufficient measure of preparation for them.

If the potential recipients themselves are not yet sufficiently churched, then the acquisition of the necessary knowledge of the church life will be a good preparation for them, but also the study of Holy Scripture, the basic rules of Christian piety, as well as a three-day fast, confession and communion before the sacrament of baptism. There are several other traditions concerning the recipients. Usually the godfather takes upon himself the payment (if any) of the baptism and the acquisition of a cross for his godson. The godmother buys a baptismal cross for the girl, and also brings the things necessary for baptism. Usually, the baptismal kit includes a christening shirt, a sheet and a towel.

But these traditions are not binding. Often, in different regions and even individual churches, there are traditions that are strictly followed by parishioners and even priests, although they have no dogmatic and canonical grounds. Therefore, it is better to learn more about them in the church where the baptism will take place.

What do they give to baptisms?

The christening is usually given: a cross, a kryzhma (a small piece of white cloth, wrapped in a child after dipping into a font), an icon (the guardian angel, the Virgin or the saint, whose name the child wears), the icon of the icon (the icon of the patron saint, on a blackboard, the height of which is equal to the height of the child at the time of baptism), baby clothes, pillows of blankets, embroidered underwear, children's Bible or prayer books, incense, bag for curl, which the priest cut during baptism, sweets, silver spoon

What should the godparents give for baptism (the godson, the parents of the godson, the priest)?

This question does not lie in the spiritual realm, regulated by canonical rules and traditions. But I think that the gift should be useful and remind us of the day of baptism. Useful gifts on the day of baptism could be icons, the Gospel, spiritual literature, prayer books, etc. In general, in church shops now you can find a lot of interesting and soul-saving, so the purchase of a decent gift should not be a big embarrassment.

Can non-Orthodox Christians or non-believers become godparents?

Obviously, no, because they can not teach their godson the truths of the Orthodox faith. Not being members of the Orthodox Church, they generally can not participate in church ordinances.

In which case can a priest refuse to be baptized?

The Orthodox believe in God the Trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The founder of the Christian faith was the Son - the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, a person who does not accept the Divinity of Christ and does not believe in the Holy Trinity can not be an Orthodox Christian. Nor can a person who denies the truth of the Orthodox faith become an Orthodox Christian. A priest has the right to refuse a person in baptism if he is going to accept the sacrament as a kind of magic rite or has some kind of pagan belief about the very baptism.

Can they become godparents or intending to marry?

Spiritual kinship, established between the recipients in the sacrament of baptism, is higher than any other union, even the marriage. Therefore, spouses can not become godchildren in one child. This they call into question the possibility of the continued existence of their marriage. But individually, they may well be godmothers of different children from the same family. They can not become godparents and intend to marry. becoming recipients, they will have a spiritual degree of kinship, which is higher than the physical. They will have to cease their relationship and confine themselves only to spiritual kinship.

What to do if a man and a woman became godfathers to one child, and then married?

If this happened because of their ignorance of the church canons, then it's not so bad. Worse, if they knew about the impossibility of their marriage, they nevertheless decided to marry, and at the wedding they did not say anything to the priest about their spiritual kinship. In any case, this question can be resolved only by the higher ecclesiastical authority in the person of the ruling bishop. For this it is necessary to apply to the diocesan administration with a corresponding petition to the name of the ruling bishop. Marriage will either be declared invalid, or the spouses will be called to repent for sin, committed in ignorance. There is also a slightly different situation, when, by ignorance, the spouses became the recipients.

What to do if the ignorance of the cross became the wife?

The resolution of this issue is also the responsibility of the diocesan bishop. In such a case, it is worth doing the same as in the case of married partners (godparents), ie, To apply to the diocesan administration with a corresponding petition addressed to the bishop.

Can people who are living in a civil marriage become godparents?

At first glance, this is a rather complicated question, but from a church point of view it is decided unequivocally. A full-fledged such a family can not be called. And indeed can not be called a family of co-habitation. After all, in fact, people living in a so-called civil marriage, live in fornication. This is a great misfortune of modern society. People baptized in the Orthodox Church, at least, self-realized Christians, for some strange reason refuse to legitimize their union not only before God (which is undoubtedly more important), but also before the state. Excuses are heard on this countless countless.

For God, the desire to "get to know each other better" or "unwillingness to spoil a passport with unnecessary seals" can not be an excuse for fornication. In fact, people living in a "civil" marriage, trample on all Christian concepts of marriage, family. Christian marriage assumes the responsibility of the spouses for each other. During the marriage, they become one, and not two different people, who have promised to live under the same roof from now on. Marriage can be compared to the two legs of one body. If one foot stumbles or breaks, then the second must carry the entire weight of the body on itself. And in a "civil" marriage, people do not even want to take responsibility to put a stamp on their passport.

What, then, can we say about such irresponsible people, while those who want to be godfathers? What good can they teach the child? Do they, having very precarious moral foundations, be able to give a good example to their godson? No, I'm not. Also, according to church canons, people leading an immoral life ("civil" marriage should regard it that way), can not be perceived from the baptismal font. And if these people dare to finally legalize their relationship with God and the state, then they, especially, can not be godchildren in one child. Despite the seeming complexity of the question, there can be only one answer to it: unequivocally: no.

Can a young man (or a girl) become a godfather for his bride (groom)?

In this case, they will have to terminate their relationship and confine themselves to spiritual communication only, since in the sacrament of baptism one of them will become a receptor - godparent  another. Can a son marry his own mother? Or daughter to marry his own father? Clearly, no. Of course, the canons of the church can not allow this to happen.

Can relatives become godparents?

Grandparents, grandmothers, uncles and aunts may well become godparents to their little relatives. There are no contradictions in the church canons. But they should not be married to each other.

Can the adoptive father (mother) become a godchild of the adopted child?

According to the 53rd rule of the VI Ecumenical Council, this is unacceptable.

Can parents of a child become godchildren of their children's children (their godmothers)?

Yes, it is completely permissible. Such an action does not in any way violate the spiritual kinship established between the parents and the recipients, but only strengthens it. One of the parents, for example, the mother of the child may become godmother of one of the litter's daughters. A father may well be a godfather to the son of another kuma or kuma. Other options are possible, however, the spouses can not become godchildren in one child.

Can a priest be a godfather (including one who commits the sacrament of baptism)?

Yes maybe. In general, this issue is very urgent. Periodically, the priests have to hear a request to become a godfather to strangers completely unfamiliar to me. The parents bring their child to baptism. For some reason, there was no godfather for the child. Begin to ask to become to the child of the cross, motivating this request by saying that someone heard that in the absence of the godfather, the priest must fulfill this role. We have to deny and baptize with one godmother. The priest is the same person as everyone else, and he may well refuse to unfamiliar people to be godmother to their child. After all, he will have to bear responsibility for the upbringing of his godfather. But how can he do this if he sees this child for the first time and does not know his parents at all? And, most likely, will never see again. Obviously, this is impossible. But the priest (even if he himself will perform the sacrament of baptism) or, for example, the deacon (and the one who will serve the priest for the sacrament of baptism) may well become receptive to the children of his friends, acquaintances or parishioners. There are no canonical obstacles to this.

Is it possible to become a godfather "in absentia"?

The very meaning of perception assumes the godfather's acceptance of his godson from the very font. By his presence the godfather gives the consent to be a receptor at the baptized and undertakes to educate him in the Orthodox faith. In absentia this can not be done. In the end, the person who is trying to "record in absentia" in the godparents, may be completely disagree on this action and, in the end, the person being baptized can remain completely without the godfather.

How many times can a person become a godparent?

In the Orthodox Church there is no clear canonical definition as to how many times a person can become a godfather. The main thing that a person who agrees to become a godfather should remember is a great responsibility for which he will have to answer before God. The measure of this responsibility is determined by how many times a person can take over the perception. For each person this measure is different and, sooner or later, a person may have to give up a new perception.

Can I refuse to become a godfather? Will it not be a sin?

If a person feels inwardly unprepared or has fundamental fears that he can not conscientiously fulfill the duties of the godparent, he can well refuse the parents of the child (or the baptized person, if it is an adult) to become godparent to their child. There is no sin in this. This will be more honest with respect to the child, his parents and himself, than by taking responsibility for the spiritual upbringing of the child, not to fulfill his immediate duties.

Is it possible to become a godfather to the second child in the family, if he already had them at the first?

Yes, you can. There are no canonical obstacles to this.

Is it possible for one person during baptism to be a godfather to several people (for example, twins)?

There are no canonical prohibitions. But technically it can be quite difficult, if they baptize infants. The receiver must be kept and taken from the font of both babies at the same time. It will be better if each godson has his godparents. After all, each of the baptized individually - these are different people who have the right to their godfather.

At what age can you become a godfather?

The underage children can not become godmothers. But, even if a person has not yet reached adulthood, then his age should be such when he can realize the full burden of his responsibility, and will conscientiously fulfill his duties as the godfather. It seems that such may be the age close to adulthood.

What to do if, for objective reasons, you do not see your godson for years?

Objective reasons - this is the physical separation of the godparent from a godson. This is possible if the parents together with the child have moved to another city, the country. In this case, it remains only to pray for the godson and, if possible, to communicate with him with the help of all available means of communication.

Is it possible to abandon the godparents who do not fulfill their duties, who have fallen into grave sins or are leading an immoral way of life?

The Orthodox Church does not know the point of rejection of the godparents. But parents can find an adult who, not being the actual recipient of the font, would help in the spiritual upbringing of the child. In this case, you can not consider him a godfather. But to have such an assistant is better than to deprive the child of communion with a spiritual mentor and friend altogether. After all, there may come a time when the child begins to seek spiritual authority not only in the family, but also beyond. And at that moment such an assistant would be very welcome. A child as he grows up can be taught to pray for the godfather. After all, the spiritual connection of the child with the person who took it from the font will not be ruptured if he assumes responsibility for a person who himself has not coped with this responsibility.

Is it possible to baptize without godmothers?

Necessity for the godparents is always there. Especially for children. But not every adult baptized can boast of a good knowledge of Holy Scripture and church canons. If necessary, an adult can be baptized without godparents, as well. he has a conscious faith in God and can fully pronounce the words of renunciation of Satan, combine Christ and read the Creed. He quite gives a report to his actions. What can not be said about babies and young children. For them, all this is done by the godparents. But, in case of extreme need, you can baptize a child without a child. Such a need, of course, can be the complete absence of worthy godparents.

Is it necessary to baptize a person who does not know for sure whether he was baptized as a child?

According to the 84th rule of the VI Ecumenical Council, such people should be baptized in the event that there are no witnesses who could confirm or deny the fact of their baptism. In this case, a person is baptized, saying the formula: "If not baptized, the slave (slave) of God is baptized ...".

Can a pregnant woman become a godfather?

Of course you can. The errors on this account are in no way connected with the church canons and traditions and are superstition. Participation in church ordinances can only be for the benefit of the future mother.

What do you need for baptism?

Before baptism (your own or your child), you need to learn about the fundamentals of faith in order to responsibly approach the entry into a new life. The one who wants to be baptized and the godfathers should know by heart the Symbol of Faith and the prayers "Our Father" and "Virgin of the Virgin, Rejoice." For those who want to be baptized adults, as well as for parents and godmothers in the churches, there are conversations with the priest. It is necessary to visit at least two such conversations in the chosen temple. At the end of the second conversation, or just before the sacrament of Baptism, the priest confesses the baptized. Parents and children of up to 7 years of age are also recommended to confess and receive communion.

What should I bring with me for baptism?

At the baptism you need to take with you: documents (passport for an adult or birth certificate for an infant); clean towel large enough to dry yourself after immersion in water (baby can wear a diaper); a new long white christening shirt (women can have a white dress); consecrated Orthodox cross; several candles; slippers (during the anointing with oil the person remains barefoot and without socks, slippers will be needed before and after this point); women need a hat (shawl or cap).

How is the rite of baptism?

If an adult starts to be baptized, then before the beginning of the sacrament he is interviewed by a priest, during which he brings repentance for his sins. This is not confession in the exact sense of the word, not a sacrament, but part of the preparation for the sacrament of baptism. A person must remember his most serious sins and renounce them.

Before the sacrament of Baptism, the rite of censure is performed, during which prayers are forbidden to unclean spirits and a person denies Satan three times (for a baby the words of renunciation are pronounced by the godfather). Then the priest asks three times: "Are you associated with Christ?" - and the person responds: "I am combined." Then the one who is going to baptism reads the Creed (the child is read by the godfather or godmother).

After that, baptism itself begins. During this sacrament, a person is immersed three times in consecrated water and then clothed in a white shirt (the symbol of a new life in the light and with Christ) and puts on the cross. The cross must be worn for life, without removing, and the baptismal shirt - to keep. Immediately after baptism, the anointing of the newly baptized is performed, and then - his first communion.

How long does the baptism take?

Usually the whole rite of Baptism lasts about an hour, but it can be longer if there are many who wish to be baptized.

Going to baptize your child, every parent faces a serious choice.

Whom do you designate as godparents, or, as they are called by such people, as recipients?

Usually, this important role is assigned to close people, relatives, or good friends.

But often it happens that these people already have godchildren. And then a new question arises: is it permissible for the recipient to have several godchildren? Let's analyze the question in more detail.

Can the same person become a godchild of several children?

From one family:

Often, in one family, they choose for their children to be the recipient of one close friend  or a relative. This is not forbidden. It is quite convenient and seems to unite the children. One and the same person can be the godfather of several brothers and sisters.

Although the main receptor is always a man of the same sex with the child who is scheduled to be baptized. That is, for a girl you must choose godmother, since she will keep the goddaughter in her arms throughout the entire rite and instead utter the words of prayer. Godfather  the same girl is not needed, but desirable. For the boy, accordingly, the godfather is more necessary.

It is important that the child's godparents are not married to each other and are not a couple at all. According to the canon these people should only be associated spiritual connection.

When choosing a recipient for your child, you need to remember that it should be a person not only a believer, but also having an idea of ​​church life. After all, the original appointment of godparents is spiritual, church counseling.

Now a clear understanding of the responsibility of the recipients has somewhat lost. And, meanwhile, the tradition says that the godparent is responsible for the sins of his godson. Therefore, it is worth thinking about when you are going to become a godchild of several children, are you ready for such a serious liability.

Getting together at the same time baptize two  or more of their children, you need to think about what each of them the godfather will have to hold in his hands during the entire sacrament. How can one person become a godfather for several children in this case? Only if the baptism will pass with a period of time, otherwise it would be better to choose for each child his own recipient.

From different families:

It is quite possible. The church does not impose any restriction on the number of godchildren. It is only necessary to adequately assess their capabilities.

Before accepting the invitation become a receptacle  baby, think carefully. Will you be able to take part in his life? If this is not your first godson, will you have enough time and energy for all these children? The godparents are becoming for life.

As it is impossible to cancel the rite of baptism itself, it is impossible to cease to be someone's godparents. In the event that your relationship with the parents of the godson for some reason deteriorates, you will still remain a godfather of this person.

Although in extreme cases, the child's parents will be able to turn to another suitable person in their opinion with a request to take spiritual caretheir child.

Who can become godparents?

Who better to take godmother for your child:

• An Orthodox Christian.
• A person is baptized.
• Believer and, preferably, churchy.
• A pious and decent man.
• The one in whom you are sure, a friend, a relative, a close person.

The godparents for your child can be those people whose godchildren you are. That is, you will be cronies for each other. Choosing a godparent for your baby, you, in an ideal situation, choose him older friend. this person should become a mentor and close adult  for your child.

It is he who must be able to influence the child in any conflict situations, when the child is not determined to obey the parents. It must be an honest man, wise and not partial, capable of loving your child.

In extreme cases, it is allowed that one of the godparents of the child is a person non-Orthodox faith. This is possible if there is a close person in whose moral and spiritual qualities the parents of the child are sure, but he is a Catholic or a Protestant. That is, in any case, a Christian. If his candidacy is unique, then the church, perhaps, will meet halfway.

Who can not choose to be godparents?

Do not ask to become godparents:

• Not Christians. Atheists or gentiles, all the same.
• Spouses.
• Insufficiently responsible or indifferent to you and your child people.

By doing so important choice, be guided by your intuition and common sense. It is extremely unreasonable to ask to become a child of your kid whoever you know personally.

Even if this person is a celebrity. In prerevolutionary Russia, there was a practice of writing letters to members of the royal family with a request to become a royal person someone's godfather. Sometimes such requests were satisfied.

Such a correspondence godfather could only remember the godson in his prayers, but never see him. Agree that the child in this case is not much use.