Why are godparents needed?
Godparents are people who, during the Sacrament of Baptism, make vows (promises) for a child (infant) and accept responsibility before God. They renounce Satan and recite the Creed. Also, after immersion in consecrated water, the priest gives the baby to the godparent, and the godfather receives (receives) from the font. From this word came the second name for godparents - godparents.
Baby in the arms of godparents
In apostolic times, most people who wanted to convert to Christianity were adults. The preparation time for Baptism sometimes took several years, and the godfather was an experienced Christian believer. He instructed his ward in the doctrine and showed a personal example of a pious life. During the Sacrament, he acted as a guarantee for the person being baptized, that his faith in Christ was deep and his intentions to live a virtuous life were serious. Later, the participation of the godfather became necessary only for the baptism of small children. After all, babies themselves cannot say the words of prayers and do not fully understand the importance of the spiritual birth that is taking place.
Sacrament of Baptism
According to ancient customs, a child must be baptized within 8 to 40 days of birth . In the first month of life, the baby sleeps constantly, it is easier to immerse him in the font and baptize him, he will not struggle, run, or be capricious. Some wait until they are 2, 3, or even 4 years old, but in this case it will be more difficult to carry out the ceremony, because at this age children make a lot of noise and are restless, which will create difficulties for both the priest and parents.
Believers are sure that on the day of christening the child will have a guardian angel who will be with him all his life.
Who to choose as godparents
For the baptism of a boy, a man is required, for a girl - a woman. The Russian Orthodox Church has developed a tradition of choosing unmarried men and women as successors. Although in modern conditions this rule is not always observed. In special situations, with the blessing of the ruling bishop, spouses can baptize one child. Godparents must be the spiritual parents of a child, similar to the physical birth of a baby from his physical father and mother.
The role of godparents cannot be reduced only to “mechanical actions” in a beautiful and mysterious ritual. Receivers are guarantors for the child before God; they make the most important promises that they are obliged to fulfill. Namely:
– raise a child in the Orthodox faith;
– participate in divine services together, take communion (if parents do not do this);
– pray for the godson, so that God does not abandon him and he grows up as a worthy Orthodox Christian;
– show by personal example what a believer should be.
What is the responsibility of godparents
To raise children in faith, godparents themselves must be spiritual people. A lot of useful literature is sold on church shelves, including for little Christians.
Adults can always turn to clergy for help in raising their godchildren. The church never refuses its parishioners.
When choosing godparents, parents should pay attention to their human qualities and desire for God. The choice may not fall on a relative; the main thing is that he must understand that the sacrament of baptism will draw an invisible thread between him and the child, making him the mentor of a little Christian.
If a girl is baptized under the same godfather, it is better that her spiritual mentor be a woman, if the boy is a man.
Requirements for godparents
Who can be godparents?
Godparents must be baptized in Orthodoxy and firmly believe in the Holy Trinity. They need to know basic prayers, read the Holy Gospel, and participate in church life. Unfortunately, these conditions are met less and less often. Godparents often don’t even know the “Creed” prayer and cannot read it without errors. Therefore, before Baptism, it is imperative to undergo public conversations. After this, confess and begin Holy Communion. Read at least one of the Gospels, learn the prayers: the Creed, “Our Father,” “Rejoice, Virgin Mary.”
Godparents can be both married and unmarried men and women (the rule assumes that spouses cannot be godparents for one child at the same time), as well as pregnant women. An Orthodox Christian who has reached the age of 14 can become a recipient; there is no upper age limit.
Who shouldn't be godparents?
A person professing another religion or an atheist cannot become a recipient. In other words, anyone who does not agree with the dogmas set out in the Orthodox Creed. And also monks who have rejected worldly life and devoted themselves to serving God are usually not allowed to play this role. Godparents must not be married to each other.
Cases of performing a ritual without godparents
Our life is a series of events in which it happens that the Christian rite of baptism must be performed regardless of whether godparents are nearby or not.
- The child is seriously ill. In this case, anything can happen, the baby can die at any moment or he will have a serious operation. Then the little man should be baptized right in the hospital. This ritual can be performed by anyone. To do this, you should bring blessed water from the church. If this is not possible, take the usual one. Then, pouring this water on the head, say these or similar words: “God’s servant (name) is baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen". After this, you can go to church and ask the clergyman to complete the baptism according to all the rules. You can also choose Orthodox godparents for your child in the future.
- There are no people of the Orthodox faith nearby who adhere to God's Laws. Sometimes parents cannot entrust their child to people who have nothing to do with the faith, and it is impossible to appoint godparents from among friends and acquaintances who will not raise the child in Orthodoxy.
- The godparents are far away. There are situations when a loved one is several kilometers away, but you really want him to become the spiritual mentor of your child. The Church approaches this situation differently. Some clergy do not advise choosing godparents who cannot be with the godson. Others think that there is nothing wrong with this. A person, even being far away, can take part in the life of a child and will be able to convey to him the basic commandments.
It is best to baptize a child in infancy, then he will be reliably protected from all the evil that exists in this world. In addition, this is the revival of the human soul.
Most often, baptism is carried out after the baby turns 40 days old, because all this time the mother cannot attend church, and the baby needs to feel under the protection of the mother’s wing when performing the sacrament. Therefore, as soon as a woman is cleansed after generational sin, she can immediately take part in baptism.
If the mother trusts the chosen godparents, then baptism can be carried out on the 8th day after birth without her presence.
Required preparation:
- purchase a pectoral cross. If it is purchased in a regular jewelry store, then it must first be consecrated;
- buy kryzhma - a towel for wiping the baby. After the sacrament it must be preserved. It is believed that in case of illness it helps to alleviate the child’s condition. To do this, you need to dry your baby with this towel every day after bathing;
- Prepare comfortable clothes for the baby so that they can be taken off and put on easily and quickly.
The rite of baptism is always the same. But in order for the baby to be calm, you should come to church early, let the child get used to the new place, then he will be less nervous and capricious.
Then you can prepare the baby - undress and wrap it in a baptismal towel. Next comes the ritual itself. There is no need to worry that you might do something wrong. Father will tell you what to do.
What does the Church advise if the baby does not have godparents?
Try to find at least one of the godparents. The girl is a godmother, and the boy is a spiritual mentor. Children should trust other parents and seek any help.
If, after all, there are no such people, the Church answers the question “Is it possible to baptize a child without godparents?” positively. The baby should not be deprived of the sacrament of baptism due to the lack of spiritual mentors. In addition, during baptism, this role is taken on by the priest who conducts the ritual.
Remember, it is necessary to baptize a child, then his life will be under reliable protection and his guardian angel.
To answer the question whether it is possible to baptize a child without godparents, it is enough to read the sequence of the sacrament of Baptism, then a lot will become clear to us. The sequence is compiled for adults, that is, it contains places where the person being baptized says prayers and answers questions to the priest. When we baptize a child, the godparents are responsible for him and read his prayers. Therefore, it is obvious that the sacrament of Baptism of a child cannot take place without adults. But an adult is able to profess his faith himself.
Is it possible to baptize a child without one of the godparents?
The question of whether it is possible to baptize a child without a godmother can be answered in the same way as the question of whether it is possible to baptize a child without a godfather. If it was not possible to find a person capable of taking over the father, it is possible to perform the sacrament of baptism without one of the parents. In this case, it will be more important for a girl if she has a godmother, and for a boy - a godfather.
Is it possible to baptize a child without godparents?
In this case, baptism can only be performed under the following circumstances:
- The child's life is in danger, he is in serious condition. At such a moment, baptism can be performed by a priest or any layman by pouring holy water on the baby’s head three times and saying the words: “God’s servant (me) (name) is baptized in the name of the Father. Amen. And the Son. Amen. And the Holy Spirit. Amen". If after baptism by a layman the baby survives and recovers, then you need to turn to the Church and complete the Sacrament of Baptism with Confirmation.
- If no godfather is found for the child, the priest can take over and say prayers for the child himself. If the priest knows the baby, then he will be able to take care of him and instruct him in the faith, but if not, then he will remember the godson in prayer at every service. Not all priests take on such responsibility, so in different churches the question of whether it is possible to baptize a child without godparents is answered differently.
And yet, it is better to try so that your child has two godparents, just like two relatives. After all, in later life he will need to see not only the example of the life of his parents, but also other people who visit the temple and try to live according to God's commandments.
Is it possible to baptize a godfather's child?
You can become a godmother or godfather for any child, unless, of course, he is your own. There is even a pious tradition in Orthodox families of baptizing each other’s children: this makes it easier to maintain connections and communicate with godchildren.
Is it possible for godfathers to baptize a child?
Of course, people who become godparents for one child can become godparents for another, there are no obstacles to this.
Is it possible to baptize a child at home?
It is advisable that the baby be baptized in a church, because after baptism there is still a prayer for churching: the boy is brought into the altar, the girl is placed on the soleya, from where her mother receives her.
There are times when a child is sick or there is no temple nearby, and it is not possible to take the child far away. You can invite a priest to your home, then the priest will read the prayers for churching when the baby is brought to church. Bringing the child to church after baptism and giving him communion is the responsibility of the godparents and birth parents.
Is it possible to baptize two children?
Yes, if a family is baptizing two or more children at the same time, you can ask the same people to be their godparents. It will be even better this way, because two children have the same natural parents and will also have the same godparents.
Is it possible for spouses to baptize a child?
This question cannot be answered affirmatively. There is such a thing as spiritual kinship between godparents; it is impossible in the presence of a marital relationship. Therefore, a husband and wife cannot baptize a child.
Is it possible for a couple to baptize a child?
Godparents must have a spiritual relationship with each other, therefore, even if a couple lives in a civil marriage and they are not registered as husband and wife, they cannot be the child’s godparents.
If young people do not have a marital relationship, but intend to get married in the future, they will also not be able to become godparents of one child.
Is it possible for relatives to baptize a child?
A child can be baptized by any relatives, except for the mother, father and relatives who are spouses, since spouses cannot be godparents.
Is it possible to refuse to baptize a child?
If you have many godchildren and you know that you will not be able to properly care for the new godchild, you are in another city or another country, and you do not know the child’s family well, it is better to refuse to baptize the baby. But if there is a possibility that the child will not be baptized at all because of your refusal, it is better to agree and ask God for help.
Is it possible to baptize several children?
If parents are baptizing several of their children, then it will be very desirable that the same people be godparents. Then the children will have the same godparents, just like their relatives. It will be easier for godparents to take care of raising all the children together. It is possible to baptize several children at the same time - not siblings.
Is it possible to baptize a child twice? Is it possible to baptize a child a second time?
Such questions are rare, but still asked in the Church. The Sacrament of Baptism itself is performed on a person only once. After all, the meaning of this sacrament is a person’s acceptance of the Orthodox faith and his recognition as a member of the Church. But there are several cases when such a question may arise:
- If children do not know whether they were baptized or not. This happens if a child has lost his natural parents, or there is a possibility that the child was secretly baptized by one of his relatives. In this case, it is necessary to inform the priest about this, then the sacrament of Baptism is performed according to a different rite. The priest says the words: “The servant of God (name) is baptized (if not baptized) in the name of the Father. Amen. And the Son. Amen. And the Holy Spirit. Amen".
- If the child was urgently baptized by a layman. Such baptism is performed if there was a danger to the child’s life, but he later recovered. Then you need to come to Church and complete the sacrament of Baptism with Confirmation.
- If the child was baptized in a different faith. The Orthodox Church recognizes the sacrament of Baptism in other denominations as valid in cases where the sacrament of Baptism is performed according to a similar rite and if in this denomination the institution of the priesthood and apostolic succession in the ordination of priests have been preserved. Only Catholicism and the Old Believers can be classified as such confessions (but only that direction where the priesthood has been preserved). After baptism in the Catholic faith, you need to complete the sacrament of Baptism with confirmation, since in the Catholic Church, confirmation is performed separately from baptism at a later age (about 15 years).
Is it possible to baptize a sick child?
If a child is seriously ill, then baptism is necessary; it can even be performed in a hospital or at home. If the baby’s life is in danger, then, as a last resort, he can even be baptized by a layman.
Is it possible to baptize a child in absentia?
Baptism, like any sacrament, is a sacrament in which the invisible grace of God is communicated to the believer under a visible image. The sacrament of Baptism requires the physical presence of the person being baptized, the priest and the godparents. A sacrament is not just prayer; performing a sacrament in absentia is impossible.
Is it possible to baptize a child during Lent?
In the Orthodox Church there are no days when a child cannot be baptized. The baptism of a child can be performed on any day agreed upon with the priest and godparents. Usually the question of whether it is possible to baptize a child during Lent arises due to the fact that the sacrament of weddings in the Church is not performed during Lent. Fasting is a time for repentance and abstinence from fasting food and marital intimacy, therefore there are restrictions for weddings, but not baptism. Is it possible to baptize a child during Lent? Of course, yes, and on any day of Lent, and on holidays, and on the eve of fasting days and holidays.
Is it possible to baptize a child on Saturday?
Sunday services are held in all churches, urban and rural. Therefore, most often baptism is performed on Saturday: after baptism, you can participate in the service and give the child communion the next day on Sunday.
Is it possible to baptize a child at Epiphany?
In the Ancient Church, due to the spread of a large number of heresies, baptism was preceded by a long period of instruction in the faith, it lasted up to 3 years. And the catechumens (learners) received baptism on the Epiphany of the Lord (at that time this holiday was called Enlightenment) and on Holy Saturday before Easter. The celebration of Baptism on these days was a great holiday in the Church. If you decide to baptize a child on Epiphany (Epiphany), then not only will you not violate the canons of the Church, but you will also follow the ancient Christian tradition.
Is it possible to baptize a child with menstruation?
The days of a woman’s purification in the Church are called impurity; many restrictions for women in the Old Testament are associated with these days. Today, it is not appropriate for a woman in uncleanness to touch sacred objects (icons, crosses) or to receive sacraments. Therefore, when choosing the day for a child’s baptism, it is advisable to take this circumstance into account. However, baptism is performed on the child, and not on his godmother or birth mother; a woman in uncleanness, if necessary, can be present at the sacrament, but should not touch the shrines.
Is it possible to baptize a child without godparents?
There are times when there is no person in the immediate environment who is ready to become a godfather for a child. You should go to the temple, where the priest himself will either become a recipient, or ask one of the parishioners. In emergency situations, when the child’s life is in danger, Baptism occurs immediately.
It is important to know that it is impossible to “re-baptize” a child or choose other godparents if there is a conflict with the existing ones or they have fallen away from Orthodoxy (consult your priest on this issue).
Symbol of faith
Very often clergy are asked the following question: who should buy a symbol of faith for a boy’s christening, and who should buy a girl’s. There are no rules about this. A cross can be given to a baby by godparents, family friends, and relatives. The main thing is not who will buy it, but that the baby will undergo the ceremony and become closer to God. However, one can trace the following trend: usually a cross is given to a girl by her godmother. She can also give the child icons and church literature. While the child cannot read, parents can do this, and when he learns, he will be able to independently familiarize himself with their content.
Most often a godfather buys a cross for a boy. He can also give the child a baptismal set of clothes.
Along with the cross, you can purchase a chain made of the same precious metal. However, as a rule, for infants, the symbol of faith is put on a string. Before putting on the pectoral cross, make sure that the clasp or knot is secure. Along with a silver cross, chains for women and men can be purchased at the Temple or in a jewelry store. Today there is a huge selection of chains that differ in weaving and length.
It is worth choosing a symbol of faith for your child especially carefully. It is best if it is gold, but when the budget is limited, then silver is also suitable. But remember that silver jewelry needs to be cleaned from time to time, otherwise it may turn black. As for the size, the cross for a baby should be small. It is desirable that there are no stones on it, and that the surface and corners are not sharp. Otherwise, the baby's delicate skin may be injured.
Very often, godparents give the baby pendants in the shape of an angel.
The godmother buys a shirt, a towel, a sheet, and a cloth in which the baby is baptized. Orthodox people advise keeping this material, as it helps to cure a child of illnesses, you just have to wrap the patient in it. Kryzhma should be kept away from prying eyes, because it is believed that damage can easily be caused through it.
