Godparents: who a child can have, rules, how to prepare godparents, how many should be

At what age can you be a godfather?

Church rules have age restrictions for those who take on the responsibilities of a godparent. Recipients must be adults who have reached the age of 17 years. In exceptional cases, with the blessing of the confessor, persons of an earlier age may be selected for this purpose:

from the age of 15 - godfather;
from the age of 13 - godmother.

It must be remembered that age is not the main advantage of godparents. There are more important points in choosing receivers.

Baptism ceremony

Frequently asked questions about baptism

In order to summarize all of the above and answer as many of your questions as possible, we decided to collect all the most frequently asked questions about Baptism in one column and briefly answer them.

When is the best time to baptize?

This is determined by the parents themselves. Often in warmer times there are more parishioners for the Sacrament; it may turn out that several children will be baptized at the same time. Well, the ceremony itself is usually scheduled for the morning hours.

Do I need to wear a cross all the time?

It is advisable not to remove the cross. There are special crosses for babies, they are small in size, inexpensive (if they suddenly get lost), they can be hung on a special soft rope that will not get tangled.

Can mom be present?

As a rule, both parents are allowed to be present at baptism, but some abbots do not allow the presence of the baby’s mother, especially if 40 days have not passed since his birth. It is better to clarify this point and what is needed for the christening itself from the clergy of the chosen temple.

How long does the ritual last?

From 30 minutes to an hour. It all depends on how the baby behaves at the ceremony and how many children are baptized at the same time.

Is it possible to celebrate this event?

The Church does not prohibit celebrating such an important day in the life of a child by gathering with relatives and close people, as long as no one forgets the purpose of the celebration and does not go beyond what is permitted.

What should a godfather be like?

Not everyone can become recipients of baptism. There are a number of conditions that candidates for godparents must meet:

churching;
knowledge of the fundamentals of the Orthodox faith;
the desire and opportunity to become a spiritual mentor for the recipient;
good, strong relationships with the family of the newly baptized child.

Godparents must be in close proximity to the newly baptized child. Live in the same city, and preferably not far away, in order to take the little Christian to church for every Sunday and holiday service. Have good, friendly relations with the parents of your godson, so that they are completely trusted and there are no contradictions or worries.

What is baptism?

Baptism is one of the church sacraments, which marks a person’s coming to the Church, his cleansing from sins, and his desire to unite with God. The peculiarity of this sacrament is that it is performed once in a lifetime; you cannot be baptized again. A person of any age from infant to old age is baptized in any church. Baptism occurs every day during the calendar year. The sacrament has a certain sequence, a baptized person receives the grace of the Holy Spirit in it, and after baptism can fully participate in church life.

Who can't be godfather

Godparents cannot be people who are not baptized or profess another religion, as well as atheists. After all, the main task of the adoptive parents is to teach the newly minted Christian the basics of the Orthodox faith and help him grow spiritually. It is necessary that godparents be churchgoers and can take their ward regularly to church, to services, confession and communion.

The child’s own parents cannot become godparents. This prohibition does not apply to other relatives, including the closest ones. But grandparents, aunts and uncles, one way or another, will still actively participate in the spiritual development of the child. Therefore, it is still better to involve someone from the outside, since children often look for authority among adults who do not belong to their family members.

A husband and wife cannot become godparents of the same child. This must be taken into account when two people planning to start a family in the future are invited to play the role of adoptive parents. Also, godparents and godchildren will then not be able to marry each other. This also needs to be remembered.

A pregnant woman can become the godmother of a newly baptized baby. But she should think carefully about whether she can combine care for her own child and her godson. If you don’t have enough strength, it’s better to refuse. After all, God will ask for the upbringing of a godson to the same extent as for his own child.

Why and when (age and season) to baptize?

For what?

Very often there are situations when people come to church with a request to bring a child closer to God only because “that’s how it’s supposed to be,” “that’s how everyone does it,” “the child is sick and needs to be baptized urgently,” “the grandparents insisted,” etc. It is worth understanding for a long time that the adoption of this or that faith is a conscious, balanced step, and the decision to take this step should be free and not imposed by anyone. Before making a decision about Baptizing your baby, you must clearly understand why and why you are doing all this.

When?

If we talk about the baby’s age, then newborns are usually baptized on the 40th day from birth. There are several explanations for this:

this period is mentioned in the Old Testament; it was on the fortieth day that the child was brought to the temple;
It is on this day after giving birth that prayers are read over the new mother, and she is already allowed to visit the abode of the Lord (the ban was imposed due to the postpartum characteristics of the female body).

But in fact, you can baptize a baby at any age; it’s just that newborns tolerate the hour-long procedure more easily, sleep often and for a long time, are calm in their arms and dive into the font without problems.

You can be baptized earlier than this period if there are good reasons for this. Let’s say the baby’s parents want to carry out the ceremony in the maternity hospital, in the hospital, if the child is sick, etc.

If we talk about seasonality, there are no special instructions here: everything is the will of the parents, but, as practice shows, in the warm season the number of little servants of God is greater than in winter.

By the way, there are some prejudices about holding the Sacrament in winter, they say, it’s cold, the child is bathed in cold water in a cold room, relatives are afraid that the baby will get sick. Church servants are well aware of the degree of responsibility when carrying out the procedure and treat the small parishioners with no less reverent feeling. For the baby’s comfort, the water in the font is heated, and there is heating in the temple itself. Often in large parishes there is a specially equipped small room, it is warm and intended specifically for baptisms.

How to prepare godparents

The recipient must read the “Creed” during baptism. This prayer sets out all the basic tenets of the Orthodox faith, and godparents need to know them well. In addition, they must live according to God’s commandments and go to church.

For baptism you must bring:

pectoral cross for a baby;
icon depicting the patron saint.

Both parents and godparents can purchase baptismal accessories: a towel, a hat and a shirt.

Choosing a name

A special issue is the choice of name at baptism.
If you named the child in honor of the patron saint of his birthday or simply the baby’s name is Orthodox, then he is called that at baptism. Other names are compared by Orthodox Christians, for example, the Greek Alina and “our” Angelina. The priest can decide to baptize the baby under the name of a saint, on whose day the ceremony itself is performed. It also happens that parents have certain preferences for names. This is possible, there are no prohibitions, the main thing is that the name is in the Saints.

How many godparents should a child have?

According to the established Russian tradition, a child must have two godparents, a father and a mother. Sometimes this is not possible due to various circumstances. The canons of the church allow you to have one successor. In this case, you need to take into account the gender of the child. For a boy it is necessary to choose a godfather, for a girl - a godmother. That is, the recipient, if there is one, must be of the same gender as the child.

If in the circle of acquaintances of the family where the boy is to be baptized there is no Orthodox man in the church, then, as an exception, only a woman can become the recipient. This is much better than a formal approach to finding godparents. One believing, church-going woman, aware of the responsibility she has taken upon herself, is quite capable of coping with her task.

The video will tell you who you can take as godparents:

How many godparents should a child have?

Church rules require that the child have a recipient of the same gender as the person being baptized. That is, for a boy it is a man, and for a girl it is a woman. In tradition, both godparents are usually chosen for the child: father and mother. This does not contradict the canons in any way. It will also not be a contradiction if, if necessary, the child has a recipient of a different gender than the person being baptized. The main thing is that this is a truly religious person who would subsequently conscientiously fulfill his duties in raising the child in the Orthodox faith. Thus, the person being baptized can have one or, at most, two recipients.

What are the requirements for godparents?

The first and main requirement is the undoubted Orthodox faith of the recipients. Godparents must be churchgoers, living a church life. After all, they will have to teach their godson or goddaughter the basics of the Orthodox faith and give spiritual instructions. If they themselves are ignorant in these matters, then what can they teach the child? Godparents are entrusted with the enormous responsibility of spiritual education of their godchildren, for they, together with their parents, are responsible for it before God. This responsibility begins with renouncing “Satan and all his works, and all his angels, and all his service, and all his pride.” Thus, the godparents, being responsible for their godson, make a promise that their godchild will be a Christian.

If the godson is already an adult and himself utters the words of renunciation, then the godparents present at the same time become guarantors before the Church of the fidelity of his words. Godparents are obliged to teach their godchildren to resort to the saving Sacraments of the Church, mainly confession and communion, they must give them knowledge about the meaning of worship, the features of the church calendar, the grace-filled power of miraculous icons and other shrines. Godparents must teach those received from the font to attend church services, fast, pray and observe other provisions of the church charter. But the main thing is that godparents should always pray for their godson. Obviously, strangers cannot be godparents, for example, some compassionate grandmother from the church, whom the parents persuaded to “hold” the baby at baptism.

But you should also not take simply close people or relatives as godparents who do not meet the spiritual requirements that were set out above.

Godparents should not become an object of personal gain for the parents of the person being baptized. The desire to become related to an advantageous person, for example, a boss, often guides parents when choosing godparents for a child. At the same time, forgetting about the true purpose of baptism, parents can deprive the child of a real godfather, and impose on him one who subsequently will not care at all about the spiritual education of the child, for which he himself will also answer before God. Unrepentant sinners and people leading an immoral lifestyle cannot become godparents.

Is it possible for a woman to become a godmother during her monthly cleansing? What to do if this does happen?

On such days, women should refrain from participating in church sacraments, which include baptism. But if this did happen, then it is necessary to repent of this in confession.

How can future godparents prepare for baptism?

There are no special rules for preparing recipients for baptism. At some churches, special conversations are held, the purpose of which is usually to explain to a person all the provisions of the Orthodox faith regarding baptism and succession. If it is possible to attend such conversations, then it is necessary to do so, because... this is very useful for future godparents. If future godparents are sufficiently churched, constantly confess and receive communion, then attending such conversations will be quite a sufficient measure of preparation for them.

If potential recipients themselves are not yet sufficiently churched, then good preparation for them will be not only the acquisition of the necessary knowledge about church life, but also the study of the Holy Scriptures, the basic rules of Christian piety, as well as three days of fasting, confession and communion before the sacrament of baptism. There are several other traditions regarding recipients. Usually the godfather takes upon himself the cost (if any) of the baptism itself and the purchase of a pectoral cross for his godson. The godmother buys a baptismal cross for the girl and also brings things necessary for baptism. Typically, a baptismal set includes a baptismal shirt, a sheet and a towel.

But these traditions are not mandatory. Often, different regions and even individual churches have their own traditions, the implementation of which is strictly monitored by parishioners and even priests, although they do not have any dogmatic or canonical basis. Therefore, it is better to learn more about them in the temple in which the baptism will take place.

What should godparents give for baptism (to the godson, to the godson’s parents, to 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 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 you can now find a lot of interesting and spiritually useful things, so purchasing a worthy gift should not be a big difficulty.

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

It is quite obvious that no, because they will not be able to teach their godson the truths of the Orthodox faith. Not being members of the Orthodox Church, they cannot take part in church sacraments at all.

Unfortunately, many parents do not ask about this in advance and, without any remorse, invite non-Orthodox and non-Orthodox people to be godparents to their children. At baptism, of course, no one talks about this. But then, having learned about the inadmissibility of what they had done, the parents came running to the temple, asking:

What to do if this happens by mistake? Is baptism considered valid in this case? Is it necessary to baptize a child? First of all, such situations show the extreme irresponsibility of parents when choosing godparents for their child. Nevertheless, such cases are not uncommon, and they occur among unchurched people who do not live a church life. A clear answer to the question “what to do in this case?” It is impossible to give, because There is nothing like this in the church canons. This is not surprising, because canons and rules were written for members of the Orthodox Church, which cannot be said about heterodox and non-Orthodox people. Nevertheless, as an accomplished fact, baptism took place, and it cannot be called invalid. It is legal and valid, and the baptized person has become a full-fledged Orthodox Christian, because was baptized by an Orthodox priest in the name of the Holy Trinity. No rebaptism is required; there is no such concept at all in the Orthodox Church. A person is born physically once; he cannot repeat this again. Also - only once a person can be born for spiritual life, therefore there can be only one baptism.

In what case can a priest refuse to baptize a person?

Orthodox believe in the Trinity of God - Father, Son and 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 cannot be an Orthodox Christian. Also, a person who denies the truths of the Orthodox faith cannot become an Orthodox Christian. The priest has the right to refuse baptism to a person if he is going to accept the sacrament as some kind of magical rite or has some kind of pagan belief regarding baptism itself.

Can spouses or those about to get married become godparents?

Yes they can. Contrary to popular belief, there is no canonical prohibition for spouses or those about to get married to be godparents to one child. There is only a canonical rule that prohibits the godfather from marrying the child’s natural mother. The spiritual relationship established between them through the sacrament of baptism is higher than any other union, even marriage. But this rule does not in any way affect the possibility of godparents marrying or the possibility of spouses becoming godparents.

Can people living in a civil marriage become recipients?

At first glance, this is a rather complex issue, but from the church point of view it is resolved unambiguously. Such a family cannot be called complete. And in general, prodigal cohabitation cannot be called a family. After all, in fact, people living in a so-called civil marriage live in fornication. This is a big problem in modern society. People who have been baptized in the Orthodox Church, at a minimum, who recognize themselves as Christians, for some unknown reason, refuse to legitimize their union not only before God (which is undoubtedly more important), but also before the state. There are countless excuses to hear. But, unfortunately, these people simply do not want to understand that they are looking for any excuses for themselves.

For God, the desire to “get to know each other better” or “not wanting to stain a passport with unnecessary stamps” cannot be an excuse for fornication. In fact, people living in a “civil” marriage trample all Christian concepts about marriage and family. Christian marriage presupposes the responsibility of the spouses for each other. During the wedding, they become one whole, and not two different people who made a promise to henceforth live under the same roof. Marriage can be compared to two legs of one body. If one leg stumbles or breaks, won't the other one bear the entire weight of the body? And in a “civil” marriage, people don’t even want to take on the responsibility of putting a stamp in their passport.

What then can we say about such irresponsible people who still want to be godparents? What good things can they teach a child? Is it possible that, having very shaky moral foundations, they will be able to set a good example for their godson? No way. Also, according to church canons, people leading an immoral life (“civil” marriage should be regarded as such) cannot be recipients of the baptismal font. And if these people finally decide to legitimize their relationship before God and the state, then they, especially, will not be able to be godparents to one child. Despite the apparent complexity of the question, there can be only one answer to it - unequivocally: no.

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

In this case, they will have to terminate their relationship and limit themselves to only a spiritual connection, because... in the sacrament of baptism, one of them will become the godparent of the other. Can a son marry his own mother? Or should the daughter marry her own father? Quite obviously not. Of course, church canons cannot allow this to happen.

Can relatives become godparents?

Grandfathers, grandmothers, uncles and aunts may well become godparents to their little relatives. There is no contradiction to this in church canons.

Can an adoptive father (mother) become a godfather to an adopted child?

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

Based on the fact that a spiritual relationship is established between godparents and parents, the inquisitive reader may ask the following question:

Can a child’s parents become godparents to the children of their godfathers (their children’s godparents)? Yes, this is completely acceptable. Such an action does not in any way violate the spiritual relationship established between parents and recipients, but only strengthens it. One of the parents, for example, the mother of a child, can become godmother to the daughter of one of the godfathers. And the father may well be the godfather of the son of another godfather or godfather. Other options are possible, but, in any case, spouses cannot become adopters of one child.

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

Yes maybe. In general, this question is very pressing. From time to time I hear requests to become a godfather from complete strangers. Parents bring their child to baptism. For some reason, there was no godfather for the child. They begin to ask to become the child’s godfather, motivating this request by the fact that they heard from someone that in the absence of a godfather, the priest must fulfill this role. We have to refuse and baptize with one godmother. A priest is a person like everyone else, and he may well refuse to strangers to be their child’s godfather. After all, he will have to bear responsibility for raising his godchild. But how can he do this if he sees this child for the first time and is completely unfamiliar with his parents? And, most likely, he will never see it again. Obviously this is impossible. But a priest (even if he himself will perform the sacrament of baptism) or, for example, a deacon (and the one who will serve with the priest at the sacrament of baptism) may well become recipients of the children of their friends, acquaintances or parishioners. There are no canonical obstacles to this.

Is it possible to take a godfather “in absentia”?

The very meaning of succession involves the godfather accepting his godson from the font itself. By his presence, the godfather agrees to be the recipient of the baptized person and undertakes to raise him in the Orthodox faith. There is no way to do this in absentia. In the end, the person who is being tried to be “registered in absentia” as a godparent may not at all agree to this action and, as a result, the person being baptized may be left without a godparent at all.

How many times can a person become a godfather?

In the Orthodox Church there is no clear canonical definition regarding how many times a person can become a godfather during his life. The main thing that a person agreeing to become a successor must remember is that this is a great responsibility for which he will have to answer before God. The measure of this responsibility determines how many times a person can take on succession. This measure is different for each person and, sooner or later, a person may have to abandon the new adoption.

Is it possible to refuse to become a godfather? Wouldn't that be a sin?

If a person feels internally unprepared or has serious fears that he will not be able to conscientiously fulfill the duties of a godparent, then he may well refuse the child’s parents (or the person being baptized, if this is an adult) to become their child’s godparent. There is no sin in this. This will be more honest towards the child, his parents and himself than, having taken responsibility for the spiritual upbringing of the child, not fulfilling his immediate responsibilities.

Is it possible to become godfather to the second child in the family if the first one has already been one?

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

Is it possible for one person to be the recipient of several people (for example, twins) during baptism?

There are no canonical prohibitions against this. But technically this can be quite difficult if infants are baptized. The receiver will have to hold and receive both babies from the bath at the same time. It would be better if each godson had his own godparents. After all, each of those baptized individually are different people who have the right to their godfather.

At what age can you become a foster child?

Minor children cannot become godparents. But, even if a person has not yet reached adulthood, then his age should be such that he can realize the full weight of the responsibility he has assumed and will conscientiously fulfill his duties as a godfather. It seems that this may be an age close to adulthood.

The relationship between the child's parents and godparents also plays an important role in raising children. It is good when parents and godparents have spiritual unity and direct all their efforts to the proper spiritual education of their child. But human relationships are not always cloudless, and sometimes you hear the following question:

What should you do if you quarreled with your godson’s parents and for this reason you can’t see him? The answer suggests itself: make peace with the godson’s parents. For what can people who have a spiritual relationship and at the same time be at enmity with each other teach a child? It is worth thinking not about personal ambitions, but about raising a child and, having patience and humility, try to improve relations with the godson’s parents. The same can be advised to the child’s parents.

But a quarrel is not always the reason why a godfather cannot see his godson for a long time.

What to do if, due to objective reasons, you have not seen your godson for years?

I think that the objective reasons are the physical separation of the godfather from the godson. This is possible if the parents and the child moved to another city or country. In this case, all that remains is to pray for the godson and, if possible, communicate with him using all available means of communication.

Unfortunately, some godparents, having baptized the baby, completely forget about their immediate responsibilities. Sometimes the reason for this is not only the recipient’s elementary ignorance of his duties, but his falling into grave sins, which make their own spiritual life very difficult. Then the child’s parents involuntarily have a completely legitimate question:

Is it possible to abandon godparents who do not fulfill their duties, who have fallen into serious sins or who lead an immoral lifestyle?

The Orthodox Church does not know the rite of renunciation of godparents. But parents can find an adult who, without being the actual recipient of the font, would help in the spiritual education of the child. At the same time, he cannot be considered a godfather.

But having such an assistant is better than depriving a child of communication with a spiritual mentor and friend. After all, a moment may come when a child begins to look for spiritual authority not only in the family, but also outside it. And at this moment such an assistant would be very useful. And as the child grows up, you can teach him to pray for his godfather. After all, the spiritual connection of a child with the person who received him from the font will not be severed if he takes responsibility for a person who himself could not cope with this responsibility. It happens that children surpass their parents and mentors in prayer and piety.

Praying for someone who is sinning or lost will be a manifestation of love for that person. It is not without reason that the Apostle James says in his letter to Christians: “Pray for one another so that you may be healed; the fervent prayer of the righteous can accomplish much” (James 5:16). But all these actions must be coordinated with your confessor and receive a blessing for them.

When is there no need for godparents?

There is always a need for godparents. Especially for children. But not every adult baptized can boast of a good knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and church canons. If necessary, an adult can be baptized without godparents, because he has conscious faith in God and is quite capable of independently pronouncing the words of renunciation of Satan, uniting with Christ and reading the Creed. He is fully aware of his actions. The same cannot be said for babies and small children. Their godparents do all this for them. But, in case of extreme need, you can baptize a child without godparents. Such a need, undoubtedly, can be the complete absence of worthy godparents.

Godless times have left their mark on the destinies of many people. The result of this was that some people, after many years of unbelief, finally gained faith in God, but when they came to the temple, they did not know whether they had been baptized in childhood by believing relatives.

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

According to Rule 84 of the VI Ecumenical Council, such people must be baptized if there are no witnesses who could confirm or refute the fact of their baptism. In this case, a person is baptized, pronouncing the formula: “If he is not baptized, the servant of God is baptized...”.

What does a person who is preparing to become an Orthodox Christian need to know? How should he prepare for the sacrament of baptism?

A person’s knowledge of faith begins with reading the Holy Scriptures. Therefore, a person who wants to be baptized, first of all, needs to read the Gospel. After reading the Gospel, a person may have a number of questions that require a competent answer. Such answers can be obtained at so-called public conversations, which are held in many churches. At such conversations, the basics of the Orthodox faith are explained to those wishing to be baptized. If the church in which a person is going to be baptized does not have such conversations, then you can ask all your questions to the priest in the church. It will also be useful to read some books that explain Christian dogmas, for example, The Law of God. It will be good if, before receiving the sacrament of baptism, a person memorizes the Creed, which briefly sets out the Orthodox doctrine of God and the Church. This prayer will be read at baptism, and it would be wonderful if the person being baptized himself confessed his faith. Direct preparation begins a few days before baptism. These days are special, so you should not divert attention to other, even very important, problems. It is worth devoting this time to spiritual and moral reflection, avoiding fuss, empty talk, and participation in various amusements. We must remember that baptism, like other sacraments, is great and holy. It must be approached with the greatest awe and reverence. It is advisable to fast for 2-3 days; married people should abstain from marital relations the night before. You need to show up for baptism extremely clean and tidy. You can wear new smart clothes. Women should not wear cosmetics, as always, when visiting a temple.

Can a girl be the first to baptize a girl? They say that if you baptize a girl first, and not a boy, then the godmother will give her her happiness...

This statement is also a superstition that has no basis either in Holy Scripture or in church canons and traditions. And happiness, if it is deserved before God, cannot escape a person.

Can a pregnant woman become a godmother? Would this somehow affect her own child or godson?

It’s worth saying a few words about the name, which “good people” advise changing. A person is given a name on the eighth day from birth, but since many do not know about this, basically the prayer for naming a name is read by the priest immediately before baptism. Surely everyone knows that a person is given a name in honor of one of the saints. And it is this saint who is our patron and intercessor for us before God. And, of course, I think that every Christian should call on his saint as often as possible and ask for his prayers before the throne of the Almighty. But what actually happens? Not only does a person neglect his name, but he also neglects his saint, after whom he is named. And instead of calling on his heavenly patron - his saint - for help in a moment of trouble or danger, he visits fortune tellers and psychics. An appropriate “reward” will follow for this.

Is it true that if at baptism the wax with cut hair sinks, then the life of the person being baptized will be short?

No, it's superstition. According to the laws of physics, wax cannot sink in water at all. But if you throw it from a height with sufficient force, then at the first moment it will actually go under water. It is good if the superstitious receiver does not see this moment and “fortune telling with baptismal wax” will give a positive result. But, as soon as the godfather notices the moment the wax is immersed in water, lamentations immediately begin, and the newly-made Christian is almost buried alive. After this, it is sometimes difficult to bring the child’s parents out of their state of terrible depression, who are told about the “sign of God” seen at baptism. Of course, this superstition has no basis in church canons and traditions.

To summarize, I would like to note that baptism is a great sacrament, and the approach to it should be reverent and thoughtful. It is sad to see people who have received the sacrament of baptism and continue to live their former sinful life. Having been baptized, a person must remember that now he is an Orthodox Christian, a warrior of Christ, a member of the Church. This requires a lot. First of all, to love. Love for God and neighbors. So let each of us, regardless of when he was baptized, fulfill these commandments. Then we can hope that the Lord will lead us into the Kingdom of Heaven. That Kingdom, the path to which the sacrament of Baptism opens for us.

source - PRAVMIR.RU, author ARCHPRIESTY DIONISY SVECHNIKOV

Responsibilities of a godfather before baptism

The responsibilities of godparents arise from the moment they are invited by the parents of the child they want to baptize. The godmother and godfather must understand whether they have enough knowledge about the Orthodox faith in order not only to participate in baptism and understand everything, but to further explain to the godson the meaning of the Orthodox faith. The question of what a godmother should do if there are significant gaps in knowledge is simple - they need to be filled, you definitely need to read the Bible or at least the New Testament.

What should godparents do before baptism? – Answering this question, it should be noted that in this matter they usually need help from knowledgeable people. To do this, they must undergo public conversations in the church where the sacrament of baptism is scheduled to take place. Their number and content are established by the leadership of the temple or by the priest who will baptize the baby. The future godfather or godmother can ask him all the questions they have. Perhaps the priest will limit himself to interviews with future recipients. The presence of parents at conversations and interviews is not strictly mandatory, but is encouraged, because they should have an idea of the level of training of the godparents.

What's a godfather to do?

Godfathers are usually preoccupied with buying gifts for godchildren. They consider this their duty, but it is not written down anywhere. In some cases, the problem of what to do for a godfather who wants to somehow participate in the preparation for baptism is easily resolved - he buys a cross and a rope or chain for the godson; they can be purchased at a jewelry store or directly at a church store. The younger the child, the simpler the cross and chain/rope should be, because he can accidentally ruin them while playing.

What should a godmother do before baptizing a child?

a godmother do before baptizing a child — She can buy a baptismal shirt alone or together with the child’s mother. If she is a skilled needlewoman, then she may well sew it herself or make a memorable embroidery on it. Previously, the problem of what the godmother should do before the sacrament was simply resolved - she brought a white cloth to the temple, which was called a “rizka”. Now you can also buy a special cloth or a baptismal set, a towel, the main thing is that the newly baptized person will have them for life.

It is advisable for godparents to prepare for christening by going through confession and communion. This will help cleanse their souls before this great sacrament.

What should a godmother wear? Appearance of the godmother at the christening

It is required to respect church traditions, among others, those that relate to observing the rules of strict clothing when attending the rite of Baptism. It is mandatory for godparents to have crosses that were consecrated in the church.

The godmother is prohibited from arriving at the ceremony in trousers; she must wear a dress that covers her shoulders and legs below the knees, and a scarf on her head. Immodest clothing and flashy makeup are not permissible; it is not recommended to come in high heels, as this will lead to great inconvenience, because the child will need to be held in your arms for a long period.