The sacrament of baptism is a sacred rite performed on a newborn baby after 40 days after birth. A child is baptized once in a lifetime, so this issue should be taken seriously. Parents must decide who can be godparents for their child. After the ceremony, the baby receives God's protection and two, sometimes one spiritual mentor in the person of godparents.
Important questions for parents
Parents who are going to baptize their child in the church are faced with many different questions. To do everything right, avoiding mistakes, it is better to get advice from the church where you decided to baptize the child, after talking with the priest. Most FAQ faced by parents of an unbaptized baby:
Dates for baptism
There are no strict rules regarding the age of the baby for the sacrament of baptism. It is recommended to baptize the baby in the first year of his life, but not earlier than 40 days after birth. According to the church charter, during this period, the mother of the child is considered "unclean." At the end of the forty-day period, the woman is cleansed and, after a permissive prayer has been said over her, can be present at the christening of her son or daughter. And also the period of 40 days is connected with the fact that Jesus was also brought to the Temple on the fortieth day for consecration to God.
It's also not worth delaying the baptism . After all, after this sacrament, baby will receive God's grace and a guardian angel who will protect him from the evil eye and other misfortunes. The child will have two mentors and assistants in the person of the second mother and father.
On the other hand, it happens that sometimes adults are also baptized. This is due to the fact that in childhood they were not baptized for any reason. There are supporters of the opinion that it is impossible to baptize a child, because he himself cannot consciously choose which religion is more suitable for him. But it is more logical to assume that if the parents have a Christian faith, then the child will most often be based on the postulates of Christianity in his daily life. Therefore, the choice of religion for the newborn is made by his parents.
Infants tend to be more relaxed at baptism than older children. After all, they can be frightened of what is happening and throw a tantrum. It’s good if the kid already knows his mentors by sight. After all, after bathing in the font, the father hands the girl into the hands of a woman, and the boy - a man. In the hands of a familiar person, the baby will behave calmer.
Having decided who can be godparents for a boy or girl, it’s a good idea to specify all organizational issues in advance. So that everything necessary for the rite of baptism is prepared in advance. As a rule, these are candles, a towel for the priest, with which he wipes his hands after washing the baby, clothes for the baby, kryzhma, a cross with a ribbon. At home, you will also need to take the birth certificate of the baby.
Receivers of your choice will have to visit the church to conduct conversations with the priest. He will remind them of their spiritual duties that will confront them, perhaps asking them to learn the words of the Creed prayer. It will remind them that before baptism they will have to fast for 3 days, after which they will confess and take communion.
Choosing Second Parents
When choosing godparents for their child, most often parents give preference to well-known people, best friends, as well as relatives (their sisters, brothers, parents). In these people they must be sure, should completely trust them with the upbringing of their child. The chosen second father and mother become the spiritual mentors of the baby. They must teach him to live in accordance with the norms of morality and faith, to live in harmony with the world around him, not to violate the laws of God.
Requirements for candidates
Since ancient times, people at the time of baptism had only one of the mentors. And now at the baptism of the girl enough to have godmother , for the boy - only the godfather. Sometimes the baptismal ritual is performed without the godmothers and fathers. In this case, the priest who conducts the ceremony can become the spiritual recipient of the baby. This point must be discussed in advance in the church of your choice. But you need to take into account that the father will not be able to spend time together often, communicate, educate his godson.
basic requirements for godparents:
- must be baptized;
- must have the same faith as the godson;
- the girl must be over 13 years old;
- The godfather must be at least 15 years old.
The age limit is quite logical. A minor will not be able to fully be responsible for another child either by law or by the level of education and his own development. Therefore, according to the decree of the Holy Synod, such recommendations are given on the age of godparents.
Often relatives act as godparents: the baby’s grandparents, siblings or cousins of the parents, uncles and aunts, nephews. This choice is good that these people will have the opportunity to see the baby often, and from the bottom of their hearts will help him in all endeavors.
It happens that relatives or a half-brother or sister of an infant can act as godparents. It is not forbidden by the church. On the other hand, youngest child in the family will imitate the elder brother or sister in everything. And if he gives good example for imitation, he will be good as a godfather. But it should be borne in mind that the young age of the mentor does not give him much life experience and does not give him much responsibility.
It is widely believed that a pregnant woman cannot become a godmother. The ritual will not harm the expectant mother and her child, it will only impose new responsibilities on her. Some superstitions say that a pregnant woman cannot enter the church and participate in the sacraments. But there is no common sense in this. Church rituals will only benefit the expectant mother.
Reasons for the ban
In some cases, people nice to the parents cannot baptize their child. It is forbidden to become godparents:
Those who agree to become godparents should understand that in the future they cannot have intimate relationships. Godparents should only have a spiritual connection. For this reason, some priests recommend taking godparents so that there is less temptation.
The godfather and godmother become spiritual relatives among themselves and with the parents of the child. This connection is considered to be very strong. For each other, they become godfathers. The godmother is a godfather, the father is a godfather.
Duties of godparents
Godparents must not only be present at the Sacrament of Baptism. They must help their successor throughout their lives. This means not only giving gifts for the holidays, but also educating, teaching morality, goodness and teaching to love God and follow his faith. If they do not have the opportunity to see their godson often, they should pray for his well-being and health. After all, it is the prayer of spiritual mentors that has a very great power.
The godfather buys a cross and a chain or ribbon for his godson, and also takes care of all the expenses for the baptism. The godmother presents the baby with baptismal clothes and kryzhma. It is desirable, but not necessary, if she acquires the nominal icon of the saint in whose honor the baby is named.
Kryzhma is a baptismal towel, it must be new. The baby is wrapped in kryzhma after he is dipped into the font. In the future, it can be used as a strong amulet, applied to the body of a child during serious illnesses.
For the christening of girls, a set of clothes is required, consisting of a bonnet or scarf, a baptismal shirt or dress. For the christening of a boy, a headdress is optional. AT modern world baptismal clothes and towels are used to buying in the store. Many people order baptism kits for craftswomen, when, at the request of the parents, any cross, ornament, name and date of the baby's baptism can be embroidered on clothes and towels. In the old days, the native or godmother was engaged in sewing and decorating baptismal paraphernalia, doing everything with their own hands.
The Church does not prohibit being a spiritual mentor to several children in the same family, or being a second mother/father to completely different children. The question is to have so much strength, desire and time in yourself, which is enough for everyone. Therefore, if a person is aware that he takes responsibility for the spiritual and moral upbringing of several children, he can have as many godchildren as he likes. The Church responds positively to the question of whether it is possible to baptize each other's children. The baptism of the children of your godfathers will only bring spiritual kinship closer.
Failure cases
Often those who have been offered to be godparents have doubts. It is wrongly asserted that it is a sin to refuse to baptize a child. However, according to the clergy, failure to fulfill the obligations assumed is a sin.
If a person agrees to become a godfather, then he is ready to become a spiritual mentor of a child, to help him in difficult life situations. He will pray for him, go to church with him, teach him to live with dignity. The godfather must take care of his upbringing, give him time not only on big holidays, take responsibility and care for the godson if something happens to his parents.
Those who agree to become godparents without realizing their full responsibility, so as not to offend their parents with their refusal, are doing it wrong. If a person cannot take on such a responsible role, then it is much better to immediately refuse baptism. And it is not considered a sin. Let the child better find someone who will truly become his assistant on the path of spiritual development.
The choice of spiritual guides for your child should be taken very seriously. Since the baptismal ritual is performed only once. The child indulges in the faith chosen by the parents and follows it all his life. It is no longer possible to choose other, more worthy mentors, to baptize the baby, since there is no such ritual of “baptism”. Even if godfathers do not have the opportunity to see their godson often, they can simply pray for him at difficult moments in his life. If the parents quarreled and stopped communicating with the godfathers, this is also no reason to look for new mentors to rebaptize the child.
Baptism is a sacred rite by which a person is cleansed of his sins and becomes a servant of the Lord. Having learned the sacrament of baptism, the child is born again - now spiritually.
During the christening, the baby has another father and mother - godparents. Earlier, according to church traditions, there was only one godfather, a boy had a man, a girl had a woman. But later, when the times of lack of faith and debauchery came, it was decided that it would be too hard to save the soul and faith of the child for one godfather (godfather). After all, the duties of the godfather and mother are very great.
What should a godfather know?
Godfather - spiritual mentor child. His responsibilities include:
- spiritual education of the godson;
- bringing the main canons that the church and the Bible preaches to the attention of the baby;
- communion and confession of the child in the church;
- assistance to parents in caring for their godson or daughter;
- responsibility for the upbringing and worthy life of the godson in the event of the death of the parents.
Also, according to unspoken rules, future godfathers take on the organization of christening.
What should a godmother do?
Buy a baptismal set:
- Special white towel with embroidery.
- Baptismal costume - a white vest and a bonnet, in the cold season - white pants and a blouse. The palms and feet should remain open.
What should a godfather do?
- Organize christening in the church (agree with the priest).
- Organize a feast.
- Buy a cross and a rope or chain.
Responsibilities of a Godfather at Baptism
Before baptism, future parents are cleansed spiritually - they confess, take communion. The godfather or mother needs to learn the "Symbol of Faith" prayer. This prayer will need to be read during the ceremony. The godfather should also give a cross and a chain. The godmother, in addition to the baptismal set, can give the godson a silver spoon.
Is it possible to change the godfather?
The godfather can only be changed before the rite of baptism is performed. If for some reason your godfather can no longer see the child and there is a worthy person who will spiritually educate the child, he will become a mentor for him, but not a father. The godmother cannot be changed either.
The Sacrament of Baptism is the second birth of a person for life, a birth from water and the Spirit, which the Savior speaks of as a necessary condition in order to
inherit eternal life. If the carnal birth is the coming of a person into the world, then Baptism is his entry and joining to the Church of Christ. And the newly baptized in his spiritual birth is received by the godparents, who vouch for the faith of the new Orthodox Christian they have accepted.
It is more useful for the godfather and godmother to start preparing for the Sacrament of Baptism long before the sacrament itself. First of all, this preparation consists in studying Holy Scripture, the foundations of the Orthodox faith and the main rules of Christian piety.
Formally, the godfather does not have to fast, confess and take communion before the sacrament, however, if you are a believer and are connected with the Church not only by your own baptism, then most likely you adhere to these rules all the time, and it will not be difficult for you to confess and take communion in advance.
After you have agreed to become godfather, do not put off the immediate preparation for the sacrament on the back burner. First of all, visit the temple in which it was decided to baptize the baby. The priest who will baptize the baby will conduct an interview with you before Baptism and tell you what you need to buy for the Sacrament. This is a baptismal set consisting of a baptismal cross and a christening shirt. In addition, you will need a sheet or towel in order to wrap and dry the baby after diving into the font. Traditionally, a godfather buys a pectoral cross for a boy, and a godmother for a girl, who also brings a towel. But if only one godfather buys everything you need, it's okay. In fact, it does not have any special meaning.
The priest, godparents and the child are the main participants in the sacrament. The child's parents only observe the sacrament and pray together with those invited.
The duties of the godfather at Baptism include holding the baby in his arms if the boy is baptized. The godmother at this time stands nearby. If a girl is baptized, then everything happens the other way around. Before the celebration of the sacrament, the priest in white robes goes around the baptismal or temple, reading three prayers. After that, he asks the godfather and the godson to turn their faces to the west and asks the person being baptized a few questions. If the baby being baptized, then the godfather answers these questions for him. In addition, during baptism, the godparents read aloud the "Symbol of Faith" instead of the baby and pronounce vows of renunciation of Satan on his behalf. Try to learn the Creed by heart. It is in any prayer book that you can purchase at any church shop. The godfather perceives the boy from the font, and the godmother perceives the girl. The second godparent helps dry the baby and dress him in a christening gown.
The duties of the godmother and godfather, among other things, include the question of what to give to the godson for christening.
Duties of a godfather after baptism
The duties of the godfather, which he assumes in the Sacrament of Baptism, are very serious, so you must clearly understand what is required of you in the future.
The godfather is obliged to give spiritual education to his godson, to bring to the attention of the child the main canons of the Orthodox faith, to teach the child to resort to the saving sacraments of Confession and Communion, to help parents in raising and caring for the godson, and to bear responsibility for the upbringing and life of the child if something happens to his parents. But, of course, the main duty of the godfather is to pray for the godson.
The duties of godparents also include guardianship of the godson from various temptations and sinful temptations, which are especially dangerous in childhood and adolescence. The godfather, knowing the nature, talents and desires of the godson, can help him with the choice of education, future profession, and even a spouse.
Remember that the fate of your godson will largely depend on how well you fulfill your godfather duties, so a frivolous attitude towards them is simply unacceptable.
Now you understand why you should not mindlessly agree to an invitation to become a godfather, especially if you already have a godson. Think about whether you have the strength, patience, wisdom and love to cope with such a serious duty as the spiritual upbringing of a child.
The godfather must be aware of the responsibility for his duties
Unfortunately, the main duties of the godfather now come down to buying a pectoral cross for the future godson, paying for the sacrament, drinking for the godson's happiness and saying goodbye to him before the unknown date, regularly celebrating his godfatherhood with toys or a bill in an envelope. However, for the Orthodox Church, the duties of a godfather are not at all like that.
In the Sacrament, instead of the baby, you renounce the devil, his pride and his ministry, and express your complete readiness to be united to Christ for the baby. Try to raise the baby in such a way that you yourself would not be ashamed of your guarantee in the future.
Remember that there is no duty higher, more sacred and more terrible than those that you impose on yourself by becoming a godfather. Of course, it is difficult to lead others through difficult life path, if you yourself are constantly stumbling, but it is necessary to do this, because you yourself agreed, took up this and now have an endless answer for the one you vouched for.
You may think that such duties are beyond the power of a father to fulfill. But that is precisely why the Church gave you to help him. You must help each other in the difficult task of raising a child. In addition, you, as a godfather, are obliged to watch even the baby's own parents. Remember, there are so many families in which parents do not care about the spiritual and moral upbringing of the child. How many dads who do not consider it their duty to raise a baby. How many mothers who give their children to nannies, so as not to simply burden their lives and not give up their usual pleasures. It is here that your field for the spiritual activity of the godfather is located. It is here that you should take the floor and remind the father of his family duty to educate and teach his baby, remind the mother, who is weighed down by maternal duties, of her duty.
If it seems to you that these tasks are very difficult and impossible, then consider the consecrated dignity of the title of godfather and the activity that entitles you to be the earthly guardian angel of a small person; think about what blessings the Heavenly Father is preparing for those who teach and educate a person in the Love of God.
In addition, for you personally, the activities of the godfather will not be useless. If you understand the need for the spiritual education of your godson, and you yourself are not very strong in this science, then, by all means, study it yourself with your child.
If you yourself do not often attend church, now no, no, and go with your child. If you like to chat or discuss someone's actions, then you will have to think a hundred times before you say something, because the little godson or goddaughter revolves around you. And it is pleasant for you, and it is useful for the child.
Now, if God has led or will lead you to become a godfather for someone, then you will agree to this not headlong, but having thought it over and prepared well for everything, and you will become a true godfather for your godson.
Baptism is the spiritual birth of a person. This is one of major events in the life of everyone and so it is considered according to the church worldview. Baptism is a rather serious process, it must be approached with all responsibility. The thoughts of the people participating in this sacrament must be sincere and pure. Therefore, the question of who can be godparents is one of the most important in the rite of baptism. During the rite of baptism, a child or an adult receives a guardian angel as spiritual protection, who guards him throughout his life.
Who can be godparents and who can't?
As you know, the responsibility for the baptism of a child rests with both the real parents and the godparents. The conscious faith of a person in the existence of God is a necessary condition for the performance of the rite. Since it is the godparents who pronounce all the baptismal vows for the baby. The duties of godparents can be assumed, first of all, by Orthodox people and believers who take their spiritual life with all seriousness. A desirable condition for choosing a recipient is gender matching, that is, a boy must be baptized by a man, a girl by a woman.
Who can be godparents? This question becomes the main one before the Sacrament! As a rule, both a man and a woman become godparents. Ch 
that they are not related to each other. There are situations when a woman becomes a godfather for a boy, a man for a girl, there will be nothing contradictory and reprehensible in this. It is important that the godparent be a truly believing person, who can be fully entrusted with the responsibility for the spiritual upbringing of the child.
Who can't be godparents?
1. Minor children who themselves do not yet have serious knowledge of the clergy. And who, in the event of the untimely death of both parents of the godson, will not be able to assume all their duties;
2. People of other religious denominations;
3. Spouses or a couple who are going to legitimize their relationship;
4. People leading a depraved lifestyle;
5. Women during menstruation;
6. Complete strangers who were persuaded by their parents, so to speak, at the very last moment.
In any of these cases, the priest has the right to refuse to perform the rite of baptism. Of course, you can keep silent about the true information, but is it worth it? After all, the act of baptism is performed with your child and his future directly depends on this.
How many times can you become a godparent?
There are no strict restrictions on the number of times of reception, therefore this issue is decided by the desire of the godfather himself. The only thing that 
The godfather must understand that each time he assumes the duties of a godfather, he takes on a great responsibility. You have to answer to God. It is worth remembering that the godfather is an example for the godson. In addition, he will have to help and protect his godson throughout his life.
There is a rumor that to become a godmother for the second time means to remove the cross from the firstborn. This is a big misconception. The Church categorically denies this rumor, comparing repeated participation in baptism with the birth of a second child. It is logical that a mother who has given birth to a second child will not abandon the first. It is the same with the godmother - having become the godmother for the second time, she in no case refuses the first-born and bears the same responsibility for him as for the second. The best solution is to take care in advance about who can be godparents for your baby.
The birth of a child is happiness. For young mothers, fathers, for close people, many of whom are happy to become godparents of a little man. But one desire is not enough, one must remember the enormous responsibility before God, which spiritual recipients take upon themselves for new life. It is no coincidence that there are many rules for choosing godparents. It will be useful to know them both for the biological mother, father of the baby, and for those who are going to become godparents. Our portal will tell its readers these rules.
Godparents - godparents, spiritual mentors of the child
What is the sacrament of baptism, at least a little, but everyone knows. But why godparents are needed, or godparents, perhaps, many will find it difficult to answer, reducing this role to giving gifts, all kinds of pampering of their godchildren. But first, a little about the sacrament itself. According to church canons, this means that the one who is baptized for a sinful life dies, being reborn for a spiritual one. In other words, this is the sacrament of spiritual birth, birth from above - from God. Godparents are called to prepare for the sacrament, then they are obliged to support the godson all his life, pray for him, take him to church, teach him to live, act according to God, help in difficult situations, to replace real parents if they pass away.
Everyone who has assumed the noble role of a beneficiary is responsible before God for his godson, for his sins. The task of godparents is to guide their spiritual child along the thorny path of life in such a way as to protect, warn against unseemly acts.
Everyone who has assumed the noble role of a beneficiary is responsible before God for the godson and his sins. After all, baptism is not an indulgence from sins. This is an entry on the path of spiritual life, and the task of godparents is to lead their spiritual child along this thorny path in such a way as to protect, warn against unseemly deeds. That is why everyone who decides to become a godfather needs to think three times - will he cope?
Who can become a godparent
Even a person who is firmly convinced that he will fulfill all his obligations to God for a potential godson should remember some “possible” / “impossible”, trying them on himself, correlating whether the status of the recipient meets all church requirements. After all, it is important to set the right direction for the beginning of a new life - the choice of spiritual mentors, including. First, let's talk about "can" - that is, who is allowed to be a godfather:
- baptized;
- professing Orthodoxy;
- not excommunicated;
- family friends, relatives of the baby - grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles ... (except for relatives of the mother, father);
- age is important - female representatives can take responsibility for the person being baptized from the age of 13, male representatives from the age of 15;
Who can't be a godparent?
Now let's figure out who, when it is undesirable to become godparents. There are prohibitions, the situation with which it is quite possible to change; there are those whose correction is beyond the control of man, so it's better to just stick to the rules. If you are going to take a child's successor, analyze the situation well, choosing a person who is reliable, responsible, capable of meeting his duties, position, and high mission. So, the persons excluded:
- native mother, father of the baby;
- unbaptized. If you are determined to baptize a child, first go through this sacrament yourself, becoming closer to God;
- namesakes: godfather(s) and godson(s) must have different names;
- atheists;
- professing another religion (Islam, Buddhism…);
- a married couple cannot be the parent of one child; separately, different children - please;
What else you need to know about godparents
There are some more nuances that are important to remember for everyone who is about to partake of the great sacrament of baptism - a biological mother, father, potential recipients, those who themselves, perhaps, are going to be baptized already in adulthood:
- those who wish to be baptized after the age of 18 can do without godparents;
- godparents are obligatory for children - at least one. If it is not possible to take two godparents, then it is better for a girl to take a godmother, for a boy - a godfather;
- pregnant women are sometimes discouraged from becoming godparents. There is no consensus here: the church is not forbidden, but such a superstition exists. To become a godmother or not is up to the woman herself;
- it is believed that it is undesirable for a woman to baptize the first girl, for a man - a boy, they say, godchildren take away happiness. At the same time, refusing to be godparents is also not good. The relatives of the baby, therefore, should first find out everything about those whom they want to see as godparents, then show honor with their proposal.
The godparent is not a simple tribute to traditions, not the notorious wedding general. This is a kind of teacher. A teacher in the most difficult, most important subject - life. And the best teaching is one's own example of a worthy fate of a worthy person.
I would like to recall once again that the godparent is not a simple tribute to traditions, not the notorious wedding general. This is a kind of teacher. The teacher of the most difficult, important subject - life. And the best education is your own example of a worthy fate of a worthy person. Honor, nobility, decency, attention, readiness to always help, support, console will never be replaced by any, even the most expensive gifts, high status, impressive financial position. Godfathers, remember this!