Basic Church Requirements
Baptism is the first and most important sacrament of Christians. Through baptism a person becomes a member of the church and receives admission to other sacraments. The Russian Orthodox Church does not set a minimum age for religious conversion. At the initial stage of Christianity, baptism took place in a different order from the modern one. They prepared for it in advance, for several months. During this time, converts underwent a test of faith (fulfilling the commandments), learned the basics of Christian teaching, and performed rituals.
The introduction of the sacrament of the godparents into the ritual appeared when Christians were persecuted and were forced to hide their religion. The godfather was a religious man who knew closely the person who wanted to join the Christian faith. He was a guarantee to the Christian community that the person was sincere in his religious intentions. He was entrusted with the preparation for the announcement and he was required to be present at the sacrament.
The announcement took place in the church: the clergyman named by name the people who were allowed to attend services before baptism, with the exception of the sacrament of Holy Communion.
Among Christians of this period (II-IV centuries) there was a belief that during baptism all past sins were forgiven. For this reason, people tried to be baptized as late as possible. The Church fought against this superstition. When Christianity became the leading religion, they began to try to introduce them to the sacrament from infancy.
Since the child was not able to fulfill the conditions of the ritual, his godfather/godmother began to perform this for him. In 397, the Council of Carthage approved the rule according to which Christian parents who did not agree to baptize their infants were anathematized (excommunicated from the church).
The rite of announcement began to quickly be replaced by the baptism of babies. The timing of the rites of passage for infants and minors has varied throughout the millennia of Christian history. The Gospel of Mark quotes Jesus as saying that he who believes and is baptized will be saved (that is, the convert must be aware of his actions at baptism).
Gregory the Theologian explains his attitude to the baptism of children: if there is a danger to health, then they are baptized from the first days of life; for healthy children - baptism at the age of 3, when the child will be able to repeat after the priest and understand the words of the prayer.
Currently, clergy recommend that parents baptize their children as early as possible, so as not to frighten the child with an unfamiliar environment and a stranger who takes him in his arms and performs incomprehensible manipulations.
The Russian Orthodox Church has retained the procedure of announcement before baptism. Newly converted adults and children over 7 years of age are required to take it. When performing baptism on infants and children under 7 years of age, both parents and recipients must undergo preparation.
The child's godparent must be an Orthodox Christian. Atheists and people of other faiths (Muslims, Buddhists, Protestants, Catholics) are not allowed to participate in the rite of Baptism. The successor to the relatives of the father and mother must not only be baptized in Orthodoxy, but also attend church services, adhere to rituals and traditions, and know the basic prayers.
An Orthodox father and mother cannot be godparents for their children at the same time. A married couple cannot be godparents to one child. Consent to spiritual kinship must be conscious, since it means participation in the upbringing of the godson.
For this reason, minors cannot be appointed as foster children. Before the sacrament of Baptism, the priest can clarify how old the future godparent is. A minor baptized in Orthodoxy can be a spiritual guardian if he understands his responsibility before God.
The godfather must be a person who will be a responsible and decent Christian
The christening of a child is a very serious and responsible sacrament. This sacrament should also be approached with special responsibility. The child's parents must choose godparents in advance. This should not happen before the baptism of your child, but long before that, because it can take quite a long time.
Godparents
the child's successors before God
The godfather must be the person who will be responsible, and not just someone else. But sometimes young parents have a situation where they have no one to choose as their child’s godfather.
For example, friends do not want to become godparents, or are not suitable at all. Or there may be a situation where there are not so many relatives, so choosing godparents for your child is very difficult.
Very often you can hear the following question from young people: can a grandmother be a godmother to her granddaughter or grandson? In order to answer this question, you need to understand what the essence of the sacrament of baptism is, and why it is done in general.
The Sacrament of Baptism is one of the seven sacraments that are performed by the Orthodox Church.
According to Christian teaching, a sacrament is a sacred act in which the invisible grace of God is communicated to a believer under a visible image.
During baptism, a child is immersed entirely in water with words invoking the name of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is exactly how a person is washed from original sin and from all other sins that were committed before baptism, but since he is a small child, he has no sins yet.
In the church, this means that a person is spiritually born and becomes a member of the Russian Church and the blessed Kingdom of Christ.
During the baptism of a child, they immerse themselves entirely in water with words invoking the name of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
It is also worth noting that baptism is the very first sacrament that greets a person who is just coming to God. But why is baptism needed at all?
Baptism is taken not so that a person does not get sick or have various troubles, but in order to have eternal life with God.
It is after you learn and understand what the Sacrament of Baptism is that you should make a decision about who will baptize the child.
Features of baptism
The rite of baptism does not depend on the gender and age of the convert. The difference lies in the definition of the main receiver.
Boys
According to custom, there should be two godparents, like relatives. But the Orthodox Church allows you to have one godfather. For a boy, it must be a man. A pregnant woman is allowed to become the godmother of a boy. With two godparents, the baptismal prayer mentions the main caregiver (for a boy, the godfather).
Girls
For girls there is the same rule as for boys: if it is not possible to find a godfather, then only a woman (godmother) is present at Baptism. With two recipients, the baptismal prayer mentions the main trustee - the godmother. A pregnant woman can become a girl's godmother.
Tips and tricks for choosing
By definition, adoptees become family members, so you need to choose from people you know well and can trust to communicate with children. They must not only be sincere Orthodox believers. These should be friendly people who love children.
For this reason, they try to look for guardians among married people who have their own children and who have developed a parental instinct.
A child should be baptized by people who have a good relationship with his parents, with whom they have known for a long time. There are superstitions that may cause worthy people to refuse the honorable role of trustees. For example, unmarried girls should not become the godmother of a girl for the first time, otherwise her family life will not work out. They do not offer spiritual care to pregnant women.
Folk signs
In addition to the words of the clergy, people have many signs and superstitions associated with baptism, saying who should not become a spiritual mentor. According to beliefs, pregnant women should abandon this idea, as they risk losing the child by giving part of their vital energy to their godson.
Unmarried men cannot baptize a boy, and unmarried women cannot baptize a girl: they will take away the baby’s happiness, and he will repeat the lonely fate of one of his godfathers.
What to do if your parents are non-believers
Atheist parents may not object to their child being converted to the Orthodox faith.
Close religious relatives are able to convince them of this intention:
- grandparents of the baby;
- aunts, uncles;
- older children.
It is impossible to baptize a child without the consent of the parents, as this would be an infringement of parental rights. A child has the right to decide for himself about his religion when he turns 14 years old. The law obliges children to take their opinions into account when they reach 10 years of age.
If at the age of 14 a child decides to convert to Orthodoxy, close believing relatives should help him/her find a godfather/godmother so that he/she can prepare him/her for the sacrament.
Main responsibilities of godparents
Godparents are spiritual mentors, helping the godson's father and mother shape the child's personality and protect them from evil forces and misfortunes.
Prayer room
The godfather and mother, as true Christians, should attend church, pray to the icons of the holy saints, angels, the Mother of God and the Lord. In their prayer requests, they should not forget about the godson/goddaughter. The prayers of godparents have the same power as the prayers of the father and mother.
In prayers for a spiritual son or daughter they ask:
- about health;
- recovery from illness;
- good luck in business;
- strengthening faith;
- strong family relationships;
- the gift of a child.
The sincere prayer of the godfather will become a shield from the thoughts of evil people and natural elements.
Doctrinal
Godparents have the responsibility to convey Christian principles to the child. To do this, they must attend divine services with their godchildren on ordinary days and holidays. Children need to be explained the essence of what is happening in the temple, what the celebration is dedicated to, how they should behave during fasting, and their meaning. The godfather or godmother must teach the child basic prayers so that he can independently turn to the Lord or the Mother of God for help.
Moral
Spiritual mentoring means a trusting relationship with the mentee. The godson/goddaughter must respect the godparents and listen to their opinions. This places a special responsibility on adults. Family ties are one thing. Relationships between children and parents develop naturally, based on physical kinship, parental and child love.
Spiritual communication requires self-improvement of the adult personality. The Sacrament of Baptism does not automatically give rights to a godson. It places on godparents the responsibility to be able to influence a growing personality in Christian traditions, where morality has its own characteristics.
Special cases
Choosing a godfather is a difficult question. It can be difficult to find a worthy and close acquaintance to offer him such a role. In this case, the Orthodox Church allows relatives to become godparents.
Grandmother with granddaughter
A believing grandmother can be the spiritual guardian of her granddaughter if her age does not exceed 70 years. The age limit imposed by the church is explained by the duties of the godmother. An old woman should have enough strength to influence a young girl morally, have the strength to take her to church, the memory to explain the basics of Orthodoxy and teach her prayers.
Grandfather with grandson
A grandfather should be a moral authority for his grandson. His age, like his grandmother’s, should not be older than 70 years.
Aunt for niece
An aunt is a close person for the family. Her choice for baptism of her niece depends on intra-family relationships and attitude towards faith.
Native sister
A sister, if she is 14 years old, can become a godmother to her younger sister or brother.
Main requirements for a sister:
- must be baptized;
- attend church;
- know the Creed;
- realize responsibility.
Children under 14 years of age are considered minors and cannot be held responsible for their actions.
Sister's brother
A sibling, like a sister, can be a godfather for a sister if he is 14 years old, baptized in Orthodoxy, knows prayers and understands what the responsibilities of a godfather are.
Catholic from Orthodox
When Baptism takes place outside of Russia, in a Catholic country, it can be difficult to find an Orthodox person suitable for the duties of a godparent. In this case, the Orthodox Church allows you to choose a person of the Catholic or Protestant faith as godparents.
Cousin
Cousin relationship is not an obstacle to fulfilling the duties of a successor if all other necessary conditions are met.
Uncle for nephew
An uncle, like an aunt, can be a guardian for a nephew. In this case, the following conditions must be met:
- baptized in the Orthodox faith;
- his wife will not be his nephew's godmother;
- in the future he does not plan to marry his godfather (if he is single).
A godfather relative must be present at the ceremony. His name will be entered on the baptismal certificate and in the church register of converts.
Who should not be taken as godparents?
There are certain rules in Orthodoxy that prohibit certain persons from becoming godparents of a particular child. These include:
- Biological parents of the child.
- Spouses (or the bride and groom) cannot be children of the same child. A husband and wife can baptize the children of one married couple, but at different times.
- Those who profess a different religion (Muslims, Catholics, Buddhists, Protestants and others).
- People who themselves have not undergone the Sacrament of baptism.
- Atheists.
- Young people under 15 years of age, girls under 14 years of age.
- Persons suffering from mental illness.
- Monks and nuns.
In addition, persons who are intoxicated, women with excessively bright makeup and during menstruation cannot participate in the Sacrament of baptism. In extreme cases, it is possible to carry out the ceremony without any recipients at all. And then the priest himself can be considered godfather.
