There is already a godson asking to become a godmother. How to choose a godfather and godmother for a child: rules, who can be godfather, godmother and at what age? Is it possible to baptize a child without godparents, godmother, godfather, with one godfather

How to choose the right godparents for a child, and who cannot become a godfather? What requirements does the Orthodox Church place on them, and what do godparents need to know before the ceremony? How not to make a mistake when choosing spiritual mentors for a child? Let's figure it out.

Baptism is not an ordinary tradition passed down through the centuries. This is a sacrament special rite, signifying the second, spiritual birth of a person. It is believed that grace descends on the one who receives baptism, and from that moment on, the Christian gains a guardian angel, under whose protection he will be for the rest of his life.

Who are godparents?

Baptism like others Orthodox rituals, requires compliance certain rules, the main thing among which is the choice of godparents. Many try to baptize a child in infancy. Usually the ceremony is carried out after 40 days have passed since birth, but for sick or weak babies the church makes an exception and allows them to be baptized at any time.

Only those who have turned 18 years old can undergo the sacrament of baptism without godparents; this is not prohibited by the church. But for children under this age they are required. God-parents become the child’s spiritual mentors, take on the obligation to be close to the godson and support him throughout his life. If the blood parents pass away, it is the godparents who must take responsibility and care for the child. How to choose correctly those who can be entrusted with such serious responsibilities?

Baptism of a child: who cannot be appointed godparent

When choosing from friends or relatives the one who will accept this honorable duty, it is necessary to take into account the rules adopted by the Orthodox Church, which do not allow everyone to participate in the rite of baptism.

1. There is a decree Holy Synod, according to which a girl over 13 years old can become a godmother, and a young man who is 15 years old can become a godfather.
2. Spouses cannot become godfathers and godmothers.
3. Such responsibilities cannot be delegated to non-believers or people of other faiths.
4. It is unacceptable for those leading an unrighteous lifestyle to become godparents: alcoholics, drug addicts, riotous women, insane individuals.
5. Real parents cannot act as godparents.
6. By folk beliefs pregnant women are not taken as godmothers, although Orthodox canons this is not prohibited.
7. Another popular sign is that the godson and godfather should not have the same name.

Ideally, everyone should have two successors. But if it happens that it is impossible to choose a couple, then it is allowed that there will be one godfather: the girl has a woman, the boy has a man. According to the signs, unmarried girl It is better to baptize the boy first.

The people chosen for these responsible roles must be very close to his real parents, and the degree of their relationship is not important. Grandmother, grandfather, aunt or uncle - all of them are not prohibited from baptizing a relative. But siblings are most often not assigned to this role.

It is believed that one cannot refuse the title of godfather, therefore, before offering to accept this role at a christening, it is better to find out whether the applicants themselves would like to take on the honorary duty.

Responsibilities of godparents

They not only have to participate in christenings, their main duty is to help the godson throughout his life, not just meet him periodically and give gifts, but also teach him goodness, morality and love.

After the completion of the ceremony, the godparents receive a certificate-memoir, which states that they should become godsons or goddaughters’ assistants, teachers and mentors.

If godparents do not have the opportunity to often meet with their godson or daughter, they should pray for the child. Ideally, Orthodox successors should attend churches, live church life and fast, but this condition is by no means obligatory.

What should godparents have during a christening?

After the future godparents have been determined, the child must choose church name, date of christening and temple. Usually children in church are baptized on Saturdays, but this can be done on any other day; fasting also does not prevent baptism from taking place.

Before baptism, the godparents come for the godson and “take” him. Before this, they should not sit down in the godson’s house. Everyone goes to church together: parents with the baby and godparents.

Before the baptismal ceremony, godparents buy things for the baby, a list of which is usually given in the church:

1. a traditionally shaped pectoral cross – bought by the godfather;
2. an icon, preferably (but not necessarily) of the saint whose name the child will be baptized - bought by the godmother;
3. The godmother also buys kryzhma - the material necessary for the sacrament, maybe with decorations, but more often ordinary white fabric;
4. a baptismal shirt, and for the girl a scarf or cap - it is not necessary to buy, you can replace it with a clean vest and scarf from your existing wardrobe.

TO appearance There are no special requirements for godparents during christenings; the usual rules for visiting church are followed. Both godparents must be with pectoral crosses, a man without a headdress, and a woman with her head covered, with her shoulders and elbows covered and in a skirt or dress below the knees.

Comment on the article "How to choose the right godparents for a child"

Based on the fact that a spiritual relationship is established between godparents and parents. But it’s only about what spouses are not allowed to do, and I’m not going to invite my wife to church, well, that is, he...

Discussion

We were allowed without any problems :) I’m very happy, now my girls are baptized and I’m their mother!

We will only have a baptism, I choose from my parish. They are all believers and will provide guidance if they can help, but the main criterion is that God forbid, what happens to us, so that they can take the child for themselves and prevent him from staying in the child care center. If the godfather, in principle, is not ready for this, then I don’t see the point in such a godfather.
For those to whom I am godmother, God forbid, I will take it away right away, this is a definite obligation, so I agreed to be godmother only 2 times in my life.

God-parents. Christening. A child from birth to one year. Care and upbringing of a child Before a question to them: how do you choose godparents for a child and what from them in the future...

Discussion

I'm not expecting anything. I treat them as a mandatory part of the program :)
I myself am the godmother of a friend’s daughter’s daughter, and this became terribly stressful for me, because the friend, it turns out, assumed that I would play some special role in their life, and, to be honest, I have enough entertainment with my two girls. so I see my goddaughter once a year and I’m a little upset for my friend that she made a big mistake in choosing her godmother (i.e. me).

I'll tell you.
The eldest, when he was young, called his good friends.
For me, the association with my godmother is a pleasant person with gifts, who, even after many years, always comes to the rescue. Feeling of a reliable rear. That will always help and advise.
I dreamed of the same thing for my child.
Bottom line: the godfather said - I don’t understand anything about this. Doesn't wish you happy birthday. No need for gifts. You can call by phone.
The godmother seems to be a believer, but she learned from the priest that the godfather is more important for the boy and... she also disappeared. She called me with this good news and that’s it - not a phone call, nothing.
Very disappointing.
I want to sit down with Temochka one of these days and sign postcards for them with New Year’s Eve, let him draw something there, and we’ll write a few words together.
That’s why I called my sister to be Sofiushka’s godparents - they only became closer. But she didn’t call her godfather; for some reason she was categorically determined that only her own people were needed. Although now I think that I could have called someone.
Such a story.
I expect from godparents that my child knows that there are other people in the world besides his parents to whom he can turn.

We are thinking about who to make happy: to invite to become godparents. Who has already baptized the kids, I have a question for you: who should I take as godparents? There are probably some subtleties in this matter.

Discussion

Firstly, take people who are close to you, and secondly, they are kind and sincere... God forbid, of course, but if something happens they will have to take care of your baby... Well, in my opinion, in this matter you need to take people who are truly believers who go to the Temple and will pray for your child...since, alas, we ourselves do not always find time for this...Well, and be sure to serve in the service before the Christening, confess and take communion...why does your baby need their sins...
If it is not possible to find two such people, then it would be good if the girl had such a mother, and for the boy - a father...

Reliable people who can help you in the spiritual upbringing of your child. Who really love him and don’t take it formally. It would be very cool if they took their children to church and were truly religious people who, among other things, could explain some religious issues to children. “So as not to offend” is not the most appropriate selection criterion.

God-parents. It's called churching. A husband and wife cannot be godparents and parents are not allowed to attend christenings, but I know that exceptions are made for a fee.

Godparents - how are they chosen? My understanding is that not only should people be close to me (mom and dad), but they should also love the child, right?

Discussion

It’s really not a good idea to take a husband and wife as godparents at the same time, because this is prohibited by church regulations. They will tell you this in any Temple. All your other questions are from the area folk signs, but if you are interested in this, then it is believed that: a woman should baptize a boy first (because if she baptizes a girl first, she will give her her woman's happiness), and the man must baptize the girl first; As for the fact that godchildren should alternate, this is the first time I’ve heard, in my opinion, it doesn’t matter; Regarding close relatives, when I baptized my children, the priest in the Temple told me that close relatives will always love a child more than strangers, even very good friends, so it is DEFINITELY POSSIBLE to take close relatives as godparents; As for the number of children to whom you can become godmother, there are no restrictions: 3 or more or less. It’s just that if a person has many godchildren, then it is unlikely that he will be able to fully fulfill his duties as a godfather. From this point of view, you need to have as many godchildren in the fate as you can actually take part in (this participation, of course, does not include birthday gifts, etc.). From this moment on, you are responsible before God for the soul of the child; by becoming a godfather, you take upon yourself the responsibility of helping the parents raise the child in the spirit of Orthodoxy. The godfather is responsible for each of his godsons before God, so it is better to have one godson, but fulfill his duties fully, than several, but besides gifts and congratulations, do not burden yourself with anything else. If a person is not sure that he can cope with the role of a godfather, then it is better to refuse than to become a godfather just for show. Sorry it's long. If you have any other questions, you can ask by email.

05/14/2006 01:50:41, Mia

for example, we, people who are not believers, did what was convenient for us, my husband’s sister was godmother... as they say, we baptized and forgot... so as not to offend the older generation, I only remember that the priest himself in the church told us that you can take close relatives and One person is possible if the second cannot be found.

God-parents. Christening. A child from birth to one year. Caring for and raising a child There are already 4 ladies to play the role of mother, but there is tension with the father... I want a loved one too...

Discussion

We are going to baptize this week. I chose simply believers: there are only two of them in my society. My aunt and my under-stepfather (sounds cool...). So they will baptize.

I also broke my whole head at one time. I had a dilemma - Orthodox in every sense (as you write) or people close to the family. As a result, I went to the priest to ask for advice. He said that it is better to be close to the family, because who knows, maybe in time they will also come to the church.

And also, an interesting point, historically it was initially assumed that there could only be one godparent, this is the person who receives the baby from the font, which is why he is also called the successor. But then, due to the “mom-dad” tradition, they began to invite two people. However, if we think strictly, then the real godfather, in spiritual sense so he remains alone. Therefore, there is no need to be too afraid of an “incomplete” family.

Be godmother- it's a serious matter. If you yourself are not a religious person, then it is better to refuse. Apparently the child’s parents themselves do not baptize him consciously, but according to tradition, otherwise...

Discussion

a good godfather is very hard work and a huge responsibility. I don’t even know how to formulate it :), but you will be responsible for ensuring that he grows up as a true Christian. Also (I heard, but maybe it’s just that, rumors) that first you will be responsible for your godson, and then for your children.
You and your godson will have a first-degree relationship, I know this for sure, and in the case of parents (ttt), you will also have additional material and educational functions.
Those. you need to think carefully about whether you can be a godmother.
Good luck to you

Theoretically, yes, the godmother herself should know everything and educate the child, monitor the spiritual development of the child, but in practice such people (if the family is not religious) are difficult to find.
My daughter has such an (ideal) godmother, although she lives in another country (far abroad). But for my son there were no such acquaintances - we ourselves are not like that, ordinary. It seems to me that the future godfather should be a person close enough to the family, and not just a friend with whom you will either communicate later or not.

If you have been invited to become a godfather or mother, then, in addition to the rules for accepting the sacrament of Baptism for your future wards, you need to know how many times you can be a godfather, what are the responsibilities of godparents and how to pray for children and godchildren.

Following the rules of Christianity, becoming a good godparent means raising your godson as a worthy Christian.

Responsibilities of godparents

Responsibilities to your baby appear immediately as soon as you decide to baptize him, and you must follow them:

1. A godparent is a person who must guide his ward to faith. He talks about Christian faith and the importance of going to church, makes sure that children are brought to Communion, teaches them to pray and live according to the will of God.
2. By their example, godparents should show how to behave correctly. It is the godfather who must teach the godson the rules of kindness and love. He must be as merciful as possible so that the child takes an example from him, because the main responsibility is to raise a believing Christian.
3. He must teach the child the basic rules of Christianity. If you yourself do not know enough about the rules prescribed by Christianity, then you can always go to church and sign up for special classes. In general, you need to study and learn new things all your life, so you should read a variety of Orthodox literature, and most importantly, attend divine services, confess and receive communion at least twice a year.

It is important: Remember, as soon as you took your baby and went to the temple of God to participate in the sacrament of Baptism, you made a promise to God that throughout your life you will try to bring your ward to the temple, pray for him and teach him all the rules of Christianity.

Who can be godfather

When choosing candidates, unfortunately, few people follow the rules of the Orthodox Church. Godparents can be best friend or a friend, close relatives, even grandparents.

But it is important to understand that the person who will lead your child to faith must meet the following requirements:

1. First of all, he himself must be a believing Christian. You cannot baptize a child if you do not profess Christianity. A worthy choice is a person who regularly attends church, prays and receives communion.
2. It can be someone who is ready to direct the upbringing of children in a Christian direction, take them to services, teach them to pray, help them go to confession for the first time, instill love for God, the Most Holy Theotokos and the Holy Ascetics, and teach them how to turn to them in various life circumstances.
3. After the sacrament of Baptism has been performed, it is impossible to refuse or change the godparent. A person still remains a godfather, even if during his life he refused to attend church or Christian Orthodox faith, and cannot engage in the Christian upbringing of a child.
4. An unmarried, married or pregnant woman can become a godmother, but a husband and wife cannot simultaneously be godparents of the same child.
5. According to the rules prescribed in the Trebnik, one person must be a godfather. Accordingly, girls have a woman, boys have a man. But having a second godfather is only ancient custom churches.
6. You cannot become a godparent if a person has the rank of monk or nun.
7. If it is not possible to attend the sacrament of Baptism, then it is possible to enter the name of the parent in absentia. The responsibilities of recipients, whether full-time or part-time, are absolutely equivalent.
8. If there is no one to become your child’s godparent, go to church, they often baptize without godparents, then the priest who performed the sacrament is considered the godparent.

Is it possible to be a godfather to several children?

There are no restrictions on the number of godchildren. One person can become a godfather twice, three times, and so on - there are no obstacles to this.

One can refuse when there are doubts about not being able to cope with the responsibility assigned to him.

If you are already a godparent, but friends ask you to receive this honor again, you need to think carefully. Becoming a godfather is a big responsibility.

And if you live in the same city with one godson, are family friends, even perhaps go to the same church, you know that his parents are Christian believers, your only task for now is to pray regularly for his entire family.

It’s good if, after a while, when a grown-up child needs help or advice, he comes to you, and you and his parents can resolve a difficult issue.

And if another godson lives far from you, perhaps his family has moved, or you, due to various circumstances, have stopped communicating with his parents, this does not relieve you of responsibility. It is you who will have to answer for his Christian illiteracy before God.

Prayers for children and godchildren

Conclusion

Being a godfather is a great responsibility that everyone who agrees bears before the baby and Almighty God. Therefore, if you are not ready to help your child follow the Christian faith and cannot teach him faith and mercy, then it is better to refuse the offer to become a successor.

Godparents have 3 main responsibilities towards their godchildren:

1. Prayer room. The godfather is obliged to pray for his godson, and also, as he grows up, to teach prayer so that the godson himself can communicate with God and ask Him for help in all his life circumstances.

2. Moral. On by example, you must show your child human virtues - love, kindness, mercy, etc., so that the child grows up to be a real good Christian.

3. Doctrinal. Teach your godson the basics of the Christian religion, and if you yourself are not knowledgeable enough, then first fill in the gaps yourself.

The godfather promises God that he will bring the baby to him - his godson. Remember this.

priest Mikhail Zazvonov

Who can be godfather?

– The godfather (father) must be Orthodox Christian. A godfather cannot be someone who has fallen away from the Church (who does not regularly receive communion), a representative of another religion, or an atheist. The recipient is required not only to know the Creed and read it at Baptism, but also spiritual education godson in the future, daily prayer for him.

– The godfather must be a churchgoer, ready to regularly take his godson to church and raise him in the Christian faith.

– After the Sacrament of Baptism has been performed, the godfather cannot be changed, even if he has gone missing or fallen from the faith.

– Pregnant and unmarried women can be godparents to both boys and girls.

– The father and mother of a child cannot be godparents, and a husband and wife cannot be godparents for one child; other relatives - grandmothers, aunts and even older brothers and sisters can be godparents.

– A person should only have one godparent. According to the Trebnik, only one recipient is considered necessary - a man for a male person being baptized or a woman for a female person. The presence of a second godfather is an unwritten, albeit ancient, custom of the Church.

– Monks and nuns are not allowed to be ordained.

– The rite of the Sacrament of Baptism assumes the presence of recipients in person during its celebration. As a last resort, infant baptism is allowed even without godparents, then the priest himself is considered godfather.

– Marriages between the baptized person and the recipient of the same sex are prohibited: the recipient cannot marry his spiritual daughter, and the godfather cannot marry the widowed mother of his spiritual daughter (VI Ecumenical Council, rule 53).

It is reckless to invite a non-church person to be godparents: what can someone who does not know the subject teach? It’s like choosing a guide on a dangerous journey, where the price at stake is life (in our case, Eternal), a rogue who does not know the route.
It is also unreasonable for a church person to take vows before God to raise a child in the Christian faith, whose parents are not only outside the Church, but also do not intend to become a church member, to instill their child in Christ the Savior.
If you are invited to be a foster parent by parents who are not only not against baptizing a child, but are themselves ready to become members of the church community, then it is reasonable, before taking your own vows, to make your parents vow to fulfill the Commandments, to pray daily for their children, come to church with them, try to give them communion weekly. Ideally, it would be good to advise parents to go to Sunday school or catechesis classes: after a couple of classes it will be clear whether they are serious about spiritual life, or whether they view Baptism as a magical rite.

According to the ancient church rule, during the Baptism of infants, only one recipient was considered necessary - a man for a boy or a woman for a girl (Great Trebnik, Chapter 5, “see”). The rule about “being one recipient at Baptism” belonged to the first centuries of Christianity and was strictly observed in the Eastern and Western Churches until the 9th century. In our time, the custom of having two godparents at Baptism has become widespread: the godfather and the godmother.

Only Orthodox successors or successors have ecclesiastical significance. Their names are remembered in prayers and included in certificates of Baptism. Receiver " represents the face of the person being baptized and makes vows to God for him, makes, confesses the symbol and is obliged to instruct the adopted son in the faith and law of God, which neither an ignoramus in the faith nor a non-believer can do"(Book on the positions of parish elders, 80).
According to practice ancient Church Just as people of other faiths are never allowed to adopt children, so it is indecent for an Orthodox Christian to be the adopter of children from parents of other faiths, except in those cases when the children are baptized into the Orthodox faith. The canons of the Church also do not provide for such a case as participation at baptism as a recipient of someone who does not profess Christ, or professes a different faith.

The insane, completely ignorant of the faith, as well as criminals, obvious sinners, and those who came to church while drunk cannot be recipients. For example, those who, due to negligence, did not attend confession and Holy Communion long time cannot give guidance and edification in life to their godchildren. Minors (under 14 years of age) cannot be recipients, since they are still incapable of teaching and are not firm in their understanding of the faith and power of the Sacrament (except in those cases when it is completely impossible to have an adult recipient).

The Ancient Russian Church did not know such a rule that would eliminate monks from succession. It is known that the godfathers of our Russian grand ducal and royal children were for the most part monks. Only later were monks prohibited from succession because it involves the monk in communication with the world (Nomocanon at the Great Trebnik). Parents cannot be recipients of their own children from the baptismal font. It is inconvenient for a woman who is in normal purification to be a recipient. In such cases, you can postpone Baptism or invite another recipient.

Church rules do not prohibit siblings, father and daughter, or mother and son from being the adoptive parents of the same baby. Currently, priests do not allow husband and wife to share the same child. To prevent violations existing rules Regarding the successors, the priest usually finds out in advance from the parents who they want to have as the successors for their children.

Does the Church really teach that marriage between godparents is inadmissible?

... Currently, Article 211 of the Nomocanon [which states the inadmissibility of marriage between adoptive children] has no practical significance and should be considered cancelled... Since during baptism it is enough to have one recipient or one recipient, depending on the gender of the person being baptized, there is no reason to consider the recipients to be in any kind of spiritual relationship and therefore prohibit them from marrying each other.”

From the document: “Obstacles to weddings and adoption at baptism. Grigorovsky S. P. Publishing Council ROC. 2007. By blessing His Holiness Patriarch Alexia II. pp. 49-51."

According to the site:

Our baby was already one year old when we decided to baptize her. For a long time they could not decide on godparents, because they had no idea by what criteria they should be chosen. Everything became clear after going to the priest’s church, where we were going to baptize Sonechka. Father Alexy suggested who can be godparents and who is not allowed, and I will tell you so you don’t waste time.

Baptism at any age marks spiritual birth and becomes the day when the guardianship of a Guardian Angel is established over a person. The thoughts and motives of the people taking part in the ceremony must be full of sincerity and purity, therefore the choice of godparents for the child must be conscious and combined with the rules of the Orthodox Church.

Who is suitable for the role of godparents?

• Both real parents and godparents bear responsibility before God at the moment of baptism, therefore important point is sincere faith parents in Christ, supported by leading a full church life. They are the ones who give Orthodox vows in place of the child. In addition, godparents must know the Creed and be ready to further engage in the spiritual education of the little man.
• If it is possible to invite only one godfather, it is preferable to choose a person of the same gender as the child (for a boy - a man, for a girl - a woman), but no one forbids a woman to baptize a boy or a man a girl.
• Pregnancy and the absence of a ring on the finger and a stamp in the passport give women the opportunity to become godmothers to both boys and girls.

Who is prohibited from being a godfather?

• Believers who have fallen away from the Orthodox Church, representatives of other faiths, and atheists cannot become godparents.
• Actually, the child’s parents, unlike other relatives, cannot take on the role of godparents.
• Spouses and couples about to get married are prohibited from being godparents to one child.
• Monks and nuns cannot become recipients. In Ancient Rus' there was no such church rule, and they became godfathers of many princes and representatives of royal dynasties. Many years later, a rule appeared prohibiting this action, so that the monks would not become involved in worldly affairs.
• People who have not reached adulthood still understand little, both in terms of life and spiritual knowledge. In addition, if the parents die, they will not be able to take responsibility for the baby.
• People who have shrouded themselves in depravity.
• It is better for women during menstruation to refrain from baptismal rites.
• You should not take strangers or unfamiliar people as godparents.
• Incapacitated people, people suffering from mental disorders, and obvious violators are not suitable for the role of recipients God's commandments, criminals and people under the influence of alcohol.

Any of these cases is considered sufficient grounds for refusal to perform a baptismal ceremony. Of course, who can stop you from leaving something unsaid, but is it really worth it? After all, you go to church not to deceive the priest, but to connect the fate of your child with two worthy people.

How many babies can you become godfather for?

There is no clear guidance in this regard: the number of baptisms depends directly on the desire of the person. If you want, there will be one, if you want, at least ten. At the same time, we should not forget that the vows made before God are inviolable and provide for responsibility for the spiritual future and moral character of the little Christian. You will have to answer for your obligations throughout your entire life.

A church myth says: the godmother, making vows for the second child, “removes the cross” from the first. The Church categorically disagrees, citing the example of the birth of another child. A mother who has a second child does not abandon the first. The situation is similar with the godmother: being a godmother at least four times, she is equally responsible for each of the children. It is quite difficult to devote time to all the godchildren, so think about who can be the child’s godparents, whether the person has enough strength, energy and time, and only after that offer such a responsible post.

Some useful information about baptism

1. After the completion of the Epiphany Sacrament, it is impossible to make personnel changes: the child has the same godfather and godmother for life, even if the person has disappeared or left the church.
2. The presence of godparents at the church baptism procedure is mandatory. Extreme cases involve performing the Sacrament without godparents.

Let's sum it up

You should not choose a person for the role of godfather who has no idea about church traditions. His main duty is to teach the basics of religion to a little Christian, and what can someone teach who doesn’t know anything?

It is reckless to accept responsibility for raising a child in the traditions of the Orthodox faith, whose father and mother are unchurched and do not intend to change the order of things, also without attaching importance to the spiritual education of the child and teaching him the basics of religion.

Accepting an invitation to become godfather or godmother to a child whose parents support the idea Orthodox baptism your child and are ready to join the church, before making your own vows, you should make them promise to follow the Commandments, pray for the child every day, attend services and churches, and try to make communion daily. Advise parents to attend Sunday school classes or kakhetization classes in advance to understand how serious their desire to enter the Orthodox Church is, and whether they consider the Sacrament of Baptism as a tradition of the past, some kind of magical rite.

More from ancient Rus' In our country, a tradition has emerged of baptizing children, without giving them the opportunity to choose another faith.

Thus, in Russia, the majority of citizens adhere to the Orthodox faith.

In order to baptize a child, it is necessary to choose godparents. And the Orthodox Church strictly sets the requirements for who can be godparents, so it is important to know and follow these rules.

The sacrament itself is performed directly in the church. Age restrictions There is no requirement for joining Orthodoxy, so this ritual can be performed by a person at any age.

But according to Russian customs, parents of newborns try to baptize their children in the first year of life. Thus, they place their baby under the protection of the Almighty.

Godparents must be present during the baptism ceremony. They are considered people who are in spiritual closeness with their godson. They should be the child's mentors in the future.

At the same time, it is believed that it is not at all necessary that there be two parents. One is enough, but for boys there must be a godfather, and for girls a godmother.

The presence of the parents in the church is not necessary, but if the child is small, then it will be much calmer for him to be close to his family in an unfamiliar place.

During the baptism process, the godparent must hold the child and be constantly with him. If the baby is small, then he is completely immersed in holy water.

If a person is already an adult, then he simply must plunge his head three times into holy water. After bathing the child, the godparent must pick him up, dry him and put on new clothes.

Before choosing godparents for your child, as well as agreeing to become a godfather for someone, it is important to understand the very essence of this rite and your further responsibilities towards the godson.

You cannot simply attend the ceremony and then forget about the responsibility to the child that is assigned by faith.

Baptism itself is called the second birth of a person. At this moment his spiritual world is born. Since faith implies that the life of the soul does not end after death, being in a human body, it should not accumulate sins within itself.

That is why the church imposes the following responsibilities on godparents:

The problem for many families is modern world is that their children undergo the rite of baptism, but in fact they do not see the embodiment of Christian ideas in the family.

If the family is not involved in the faith, and even more so if the basic commandments are violated, it will be much more difficult for the child to perceive life in accordance with these commandments.

Most churches now do not perform the baptism ceremony until the godparents have completed special courses.

This measure was created so that people are aware of the full responsibility of this step and are able to refuse before they assume their responsibilities to the Almighty.

After completing the courses, people become truly ready for the sacrament, and they understand what they should do after baptism throughout their lives.

Knowing all the responsibilities assigned to godparents, you need to choose those people who are most suitable for fulfilling them.

But it is also important to consider certain points:

1. The religion of the godparents themselves.
2. Family connection with the future godson.
3. The family connection between the godparents themselves.
4. Special periods for women.
5. Age of godparents.

To take these features into account, you need to know who cannot be godparents according to church laws:

The question also often arises about whether it is possible to be pregnant at the sacrament of baptism? The Church does not prohibit the entry of women carrying a child under their hearts, and also does not prohibit becoming a godmother.

Knowing all these features, as well as your close circle of friends and family, it can be quite difficult to choose someone.

Very often it turns out that among possible options godparents turn out to be the same people for many relatives and friends.

Therefore, it turns out that the same person is often offered to become godfather several times for different children.

And two main questions arise:

This is why courses for godparents, now organized by many churches, are important. Because, despite the fact that in 2019 it is becoming increasingly fashionable to baptize a child, as well as assign him influential godparents, the most important thing is forgotten, this is the essence of baptism itself.

The financial status of the appointed godparent is not so important as his lifestyle, which must comply with biblical covenants.

The godparent must be a spiritual mentor and show his godson by example how to live and what spiritual principles must be observed in any situation.

It is also important to know that you cannot change godparents after baptism.. Chosen parents become parents for life. Sometimes it happens that after baptism the godparent greatly changed his lifestyle for the worse.

But in this case, the godson himself and his parents must pray for the godparent’s deliverance from sins and try to put him on the right path.

No one has the right to refuse such a godparent. It is impossible to re-baptize. Therefore, it is very important to choose reliable godparents for your children.

However, in cases where the godparent renounced Orthodoxy, accepted another faith, or became an atheist, then such a sacred union will be considered dissolved.

Similarly, we can evaluate those cases when the godparent has sunk to the most forbidden sins, which are prohibited by the Testaments.

In this case, it is implied that this person does not want to live according to the precepts of the Bible, and also does not want to be an example for his godson.

In this case, the natural parents can ask other godly people to take charge of their child's spiritual lifestyle. It is imperative to inform the holy father about this situation before the ceremony itself.

Many godparents like to pamper their godchildren with expensive gifts in order to win their favor and bring them closer spiritually.

But you need to understand that this is not the purpose of godparents. Parents should not choose godparents based on the size of their wallet.

The best gifts that the church mentions are:

This is exactly what gifts from godparents to their godchildren should look like. But besides this, the church does not prohibit giving other gifts that will delight the child. But still, the main emphasis should be placed on the spiritual education of the godson.

It is also believed that the most important date for the gift are the name day of the godson's guardian angel. During the sacrament of baptism, a person who converts to Orthodoxy receives a second name.

It may coincide with his real name, if this name is in the Orthodox book of names. And if the name is missing, then the child will be assigned a different name from this book.

Each such name has a name day date. If the selected name has several dates during the year when a name day is celebrated, the date closest to the birthday is selected Orthodox man. It is on this date that godparents must give gifts to their godson.

Knowing all the nuances of the sacrament, as well as the requirements of the church for godparents, it is important to approach the choice of a godparent very responsibly.

It is better to make them a responsible relative than an influential family friend. Because financial values ​​in this case are not as important as spiritual ones.

Video: Godparents. Responsibilities of a godfather. Baptism in church