The history of godparents in Orthodoxy. Who can be godfather

The sacrament of baptism is a great event in the life of every person, and especially for a child. All obligations that recipients undertake before God are very serious and responsible. That's why (this is very important) godparents, responsibilities who understand this responsibility, must convey to their godfather all the knowledge about the saving Sacraments of the Church, such as Confession and Communion, as well as convey knowledge about the meaning of worship. In charge godparents also includes the transfer of knowledge about meaning church calendar, about the miracles of church icons and other shrines.

Responsibilities of godparents - how to do it correctly and what to do?

As soon as the child plunges into the font, from that moment on, responsibility passes to the recipients. Now the “second” parents will have to attend church and services together with the baby, teach
comply with the Church Rules. But the main thing is to pray for your godson both in joy and in sorrow. Always be there in difficult times. What exactly are the main responsibilities of godparents at baptism? They must give them more from the font or help them find a new path in life. The godfather must buy a cross. As a rule, a chain is not bought, since according to customs the baby wears a cross on a string or ribbon. Just like every conscious believer, recipients need to know the following prayers: “Our Father”, “Creed”, “Virgin Mother of God”!

Parents, as well as the godson, must be prepared for the Sacrament of baptism. Recipients must know the basics of Orthodox teaching, as well as have a pious attitude towards the rules of Christian piety. Such important events just as Fasting, Confession and Communion for godparents are not strictly obligatory, but the believer must adhere to them. All this must be competently transferred to the godson. If he is a baby, then love for the church will be instilled from a conscious age. Very good sign will be the reading of the prayer of the Creed by one of the recipients. For a godson, the prayer is read according to gender: for a girl - godmother, for a boy - a father.

Before Baptism, it is advisable to confess, because it is important that not only your thoughts are pure, but also your soul. There must be blessed crosses on the body. Those invited must bring donations to the church. This is not necessary, but you should not neglect customs.

Godparents should know about such responsibilities!

From this day on, the godparents must protect the godson from all kinds of temptations and enticements. This is precisely what is most dangerous for children and adolescents. In the future, a godparent can help with choosing a profession. Important will be advice when choosing a life partner. The Russian Church teaches that it is the chosen successors who prepare the wedding for the godson. It is worth noting that even in case of physical suffering, godparents should provide assistance and this is done first, and brothers, sisters, grandparents help only then! Spiritual connection is stronger than physical!

The responsibilities of godparents for a girl are no different from those for a boy. However, girls are given a little more attention, as they are taught humility and faith, which directly leads to submission. For a girl, the chosen godmother is the second most close person, because it can replace physical mother. The mother's responsibilities include buying a kryzhma or rizka - this is a special towel in which the baby is wrapped after the bath.

If godparents take their responsibilities lightly, then this becomes a grave spiritual sin. This is what will pass on to the fate of the chosen godson. Do not become a godson if you cannot take on such great responsibility; you should not accept the invitation to become a second godson. Physical parents should also not take rejection as neglect or insult. After all godparents responsibilities must be performed fully and with a pure soul.

Please note that all people must be churchgoers, otherwise: how can a godson go to church with his godparent? All main
the positions that should be instilled in the godson are love, humility, forbearance, patience and continuous work in the spiritual education of your child - all these are the main ones responsibilities of godparents! All this is also the main proof of the truth of Orthodoxy for the godson and for his successors.

You can learn in advance how to behave correctly in church during the Sacrament of Baptism. Mainly, you need to buy the right baptismal set. If one of the parents buys it, it will not be considered a mistake. What is important is the meaning of the reception itself; presence during the celebration of the Sacrament is important. Of course, both parents must give their consent. Without godparents, baptism is performed only in special cases, for example, if the child's life may be in serious danger.

More about godparents

The sacrament of baptism relates a person to the One Apostolic Church. Orthodox teaching has its own certain doctrinal principles, from which one cannot deviate. That is why only people of the same faith can become guarantors of a godson. The recipients take upon themselves the responsibility to educate only the Orthodox faith. A person with other religions simply cannot do this.

As soon as baptism takes place, parents and baby will become spiritually closer and become related. This is mandatory; godparents fulfill their duties in full. And such spiritual kinship belongs to the first degree and is fully recognized by the church and its canons!

It is worth noting that such a relationship becomes stronger than biological. Between themselves, these two concepts become practically incompatible. An important point is that parents who adopt a child cannot become godparents for him. This is explained by the fact that they will find the closest relationship between themselves. family connection and will not be able to continue the marital cohabitation.

For Orthodox Christians, baptism is the second (but in a certain sense the main) spiritual birth of a person, his purification for subsequent existence, a kind of “pass” to heaven - the Kingdom of God. The newly enlightened person receives remission of previous sins. That is why Baptism, among all the Sacraments, is the first sacrament and is necessary for every person seeking salvation and the meaning of life.

Who are godparents?

The sacrament of baptism is a special rite. This is the purification of the soul and the spiritual birth of a person. According to the tradition of the Church, an infant should be baptized on the eighth or fortieth day of life. It is clear that at this age it is impossible to demand from him faith and repentance - the two main conditions for union with God. Therefore, godparents are assigned to them, who undertake to raise their godchildren in the spirit of Orthodoxy. So the choice of godparents should be approached with all responsibility. After all, in theory, they should become a second mother and a second father for your baby.

How to choose godparents?

When choosing a godfather for your baby, find someone you trust completely. These could be your close friends or relatives with whom you constantly support good relationship. According to church tradition, if something happens to the parents, godparents are obliged to replace them with a godson.

Only an Orthodox believer who is able to give an account of his faith can be a godfather. Actually, a boy needs only a godfather, and a girl only needs a godmother. But according to the ancient Russian tradition, both are invited. At your request there can be two, four, six...

According to the laws of the Orthodox Church, godparents cannot be:

parents cannot be godparents of their child;

husband and wife godparents of one infant;

children (according to the decrees of the Holy Synod of 1836-1837, the godfather must be no younger than 15 years old, and the godmother no younger than 13 years old), because they are not yet able to vouch for the faith of the person being baptized, and they themselves do not know enough about the laws of Orthodoxy;

people are immoral and insane: the former because their very way of life does not deserve to be godparents, and the latter because due to illness they are unable to vouch for the faith of the person being baptized or teach him the faith;

non-Orthodox are the successors of the Orthodox.

What are the responsibilities of godparents?

Unfortunately, not every godparent understands why his new “position” is called that way. Visiting your godson and giving gifts on an angel’s or birthday day is, of course, good. However, this is far from the most important thing. Caring for a growing godson involves a lot.

First of all, this is a prayer for him. Learn to turn to God once a day - before going to bed. It's actually not difficult at all. Ask the Lord for health, salvation, help in raising your own children, the well-being of godchildren and relatives. It will be useful to master the path to the temple together with your child and take him to communion on a church holiday. It would be great to play educational games with your baby and read books to him. For example, many adults enjoy reading the children's Bible. It clearly describes all the main events of Sacred History.

In addition, godparents can make life much easier for young mothers who find it difficult to find time to spend with their baby. If everyone, to the best of their ability, spends their free hours communicating with the child, then they themselves will enjoy it.

Appearance of godparents

At the ceremony, the godparents (this is another name for the godfather) must come with the consecrated to the church pectoral crosses. In tradition Slavic peoples in the temple, women always had a covered head and a dress below the knees with covered shoulders (little girls may be an exception). You should not wear high-heeled shoes, as the baptism ceremony lasts from 30 minutes to 2 hours and most of the time you will have to stand with the child in your arms. As for men, there are no requirements for their clothing, but it is better to refrain from shorts and T-shirts. Such an outfit would look out of place in church.

Let the good old order not become burdensome for you, because your beautiful trousers and new fashionable haircut can be demonstrated in other places. In church, it is better not to attract attention to yourself, focusing on the purpose of your parish.

Preparation for the ceremony

Currently, the ritual is performed mainly in churches. Only in exceptional cases, if, say, a child is very sick, the sacrament can be performed at home or in a hospital. Then a separate clean room must be allocated for the ceremony.

To baptize a child, you must first choose a church. Walk through the temples, listen to your feelings. But keep in mind that baptism does not always take place directly in the church. Most cathedrals have a baptismal room (or baptistery) - this is a separate room on the church grounds, specially adapted for this rite. In large churches, baptism usually takes place quite pompously and solemnly. But perhaps someone will like the secluded and calm atmosphere of small churches. Talk to the priest or the novices, they will tell you in detail about how the baptismal ceremony takes place in this church.

How to choose the day of baptism?

There is no church establishment of Baptism on the fortieth day; this is primarily due to the fact that until the fortieth day the Church keeps a woman-parent from entering the temple due to her postpartum infirmities and discharges that she experiences at this time. And the mother’s first entry into the temple after the break is accompanied by the reading of special cleansing prayers, before reading which she should not be present at the services.

But you don’t need to take the day of baptism literally; you can baptize the baby a little later, a little earlier. And now sometimes, at the request of the parents, a child is baptized before the fortieth day, especially when there is at least some danger to the child’s health (baptism in this case is considered as a protective rite).

In ancient times, the celebration of the sacrament was most often timed to coincide with the greatest Christian holidays, for example for Easter. But gradually baptism turned into a family holiday. And now, on the contrary, the ritual is carried out almost every day, with the exception of such large church holidays like Christmas, Easter, Trinity. These days, churches are usually overcrowded and priests advise postponing the ceremony. You can come to most temples without an appointment. Usually the sacrament of baptism begins at 10 o'clock, immediately after the service. True, in this case there is a high probability that several other people will be baptized besides you and you will either have to wait, or you will be baptized along with others. It is much more convenient to agree in one or two weeks with the priest who will perform the sacrament on a specific date and time. Then your baby will be baptized first and in splendid isolation. In addition, when choosing the day of baptism, try to ensure that it does not fall on critical days godmother. The fact is that during this period a woman should not venerate shrines: kiss the cross, icons, or better not enter the temple at all.

Preparing godparents for the baptismal ceremony

If you want to follow all the rules, start preparing for the ceremony in advance. Godparents need to go to church to confess, repent of their sins and receive communion. It is advisable (but not necessary) to fast for three to four days before the ceremony. But on the day of baptism, as well as before communion, godparents are not allowed to eat or have sex. At least one of the parents must know the Creed prayer by heart. As a rule, when a girl is baptized, the Creed is read by the godmother, and when a boy is baptized, by the father.

And one more thing: according to the unspoken rule, godparents bear all the costs of baptism. In some churches there are no official prices; it is believed that after the ceremony, godparents and guests make donations as much as they can. These costs are optional and their amount is not specified anywhere. But the custom is, as a rule, respected.

According to church custom, the godmother buys the kryzhma or “rizka”. This is a special fabric, or just a towel, in which the child is wrapped when taken out of the font. In addition, the godmother gives a baptismal shirt and a cap with lace and ribbons (for boys - with blue ones, for girls - with pink ones, respectively). The baptismal shirt is kept for life. According to custom, the towel is not washed after the child’s baptism, but is used if the child is sick.

The godfather, again according to custom, buys a baptismal cross and chain. Some believe that the cross and chain should be gold, some - silver, and some are of the opinion that small children should wear a cross on a ribbon or string.

What prayers do you need to know?

Every conscientious Christian needs to know the basic prayers: “Our Father”, “Virgin Mother of God”, “Creed”. During baptism, the godparents say the “Creed” prayer for the baby. All these prayers are in a short prayer book, which can be purchased at the church store if desired.

What to bring to the temple?

As has already been said, baptism is birth into a new sinless life. Receiving the newly baptized person from the holy font, the godparents accept an absolutely pure being, without sin. The symbol of such purity is white clothes- kryzhma, which is brought to the temple along with a cross on a chain or thread. Who should buy a cross and who should buy a chain, let the godparents decide for themselves. At the end of the ceremony, the priest will bless them and put them on the baby.

Kryzhma for small child An openwork diaper, a baptismal shirt or a new towel that has not yet been washed will serve.

What happens during the sacrament of baptism?

The priest, godparents and child are the main participants in the sacrament. According to ancient customs, the child’s mother and father should not be present when the sacrament is performed. Although in lately The church is more loyal to this prohibition and allows the father, and sometimes the mother of the baby, after saying a special prayer, to observe the ceremony together with those invited.

Throughout the entire ceremony, the recipients stand next to the priest and one of them holds the person being baptized in his arms. Before performing the ceremony, a priest in white robes walks around the baptismal room or temple and reads three prayers. After which he asks the godparents and godson to turn their faces to the west - symbolically this is the abode of Satan. And, turning to the person being baptized, he asks several questions.

Questions and answers are repeated three times. After this, the godparents must read the “Symbol of Faith” - this summary the fundamentals of the Christian faith, which all Orthodox Christians should know by heart. Then the anointing takes place. Having dipped the brush into a vessel with myrrh, the priest anoints the forehead, eyes, nostrils, mouth, ears, chest, arms and legs of the person being baptized with a cross. And with each anointing he says: “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” The godparents and the priest repeat: “Amen.”

After anointing, a lock of hair is cut from the head, which remains in the temple as a pledge of dedication and a symbol of sacrifice to God. If a child is baptized in the cold season or conditions do not allow him to undress ( low temperature in the baptismal room), free the baby’s arms and legs in advance.

Then the priest takes the child from them and directly performs the rite of baptism - immersing the person being baptized three times in the font. If the baptismal room is warm, then most likely your baby will be dipped naked. But when it is cold in the temple, only the neck, arms and feet are exposed for anointing. Then one of the godparents takes the baby from the hands of the priest. That is why godparents are also called godparents. It is believed that, having accepted the baby in their arms after the ceremony, parents undertake the obligation to raise their godson in the Orthodox spirit throughout their lives and to be held accountable for this upbringing at the Last Judgment. If they cannot see their godson often, they should at least mention him in their daily prayers.

Responsibilities of the godfather during the ceremony

Responsibilities of a Godfather much more serious than many people think. Godparents are not just a formal status, they are a great responsibility for the godson throughout his life. And if parents are not chosen, then the choice of godfather and mother is perhaps the most important step in the spiritual development of a child. Of course, it all begins with the sacrament of Baptism, during which godparents become full participants in a person’s second birth. Birth, which helps to inherit eternal life and symbolizes joining the Church of Christ. After the ceremony, godparents are responsible before God for the faith of their godson.

Before Epiphany

As soon as you have received an offer to become a godfather or mother, you can and should begin preparing the ceremony itself. Whatever your beliefs, it would be a good idea to read the Holy Scriptures and at least briefly become familiar with the foundations and rules of the Christian faith.

It should be noted that the godfather does not have to undergo any special preparatory ceremonies. You may not fast, not confess, and not receive communion. However, if the future godfather is a believer, all of the above points will be observed even without special recommendations. In any case, it is better to follow certain canons, even if this is not a prerequisite.

The godfather will have to take part in the preparation of the ceremony itself. If you have the honor of becoming a godfather, go to the temple where the Baptism is to take place and talk to the priest. There they will tell you in detail what exactly you need to buy for the ceremony.

As a rule, the Sacrament requires baptism set and a towel. The set includes an elegant children's shirt and a cross, and the baby will need a towel after diving into the font. According to a long-standing tradition, the godmother buys a cross for a goddaughter, and the godfather buys a cross for a godson. But this is not at all a necessary condition. One of the godparents can buy everything you need.

Responsibilities of the godfather during Baptism

The direct participants in the Sacrament, as a rule, are the priest, godparents and the baby himself. The natural father and mother are destined for the fate of passive observers. They pray on the sidelines with other invitees.

If they are going to baptize a boy, then the godfather should hold him in his arms during the ceremony, the mother just stands nearby, and if the main participant in the Sacrament is a girl, then she is in the arms of the godmother, the godfather is near them.

The ritual begins with the priest walking around the temple and reading prayers. The godparent and godson then face west, and the person being baptized answers a few questions from the priest. If the child is too young, his godfather gives answers for him. During the Sacrament itself, the godparents read the “Creed” prayer and, on behalf of the godson, pronounce a vow of renunciation of Satan. After washing in the font, the child is taken into his arms by the godfather if a boy was baptized, or by the godmother if a girl was baptized. Then the baby is dried and dressed in a baptismal shirt.

One of the most pleasant moments of any christening is the giving of pre-prepared gifts from the godmother and godfather.

After Baptism

After Baptism, during which you voluntarily take on difficult responsibilities for spiritual and moral education and support throughout your life little man, you will be required to strictly follow some rules.

If natural parents are obliged to love, feed, care for and protect their child, and this is their parental duty, then the godfather is obliged to give the child the most complete spiritual education. In addition to accompanying his moral development, the godfather is obliged to help the parents in socializing the godson and caring for him.

The Godfather is an earthly Guardian Angel, ready at any moment to accept the baby as his own child if something happens to his parents. And his main task is to pray for his godson.

What is spiritual accompaniment and how to understand it? The godfather must in every possible way protect the child from temptations and sinful temptations, to which almost all children are exposed during adolescence. He will take on some of the worries about setting up his godson in the professional field, helping him decide on the choice of his future field of activity. And, of course, give wise advice before the godson enters into marriage, thereby taking responsibility for the future happiness of the young.

Having such a wide range of responsibilities, you cannot perceive them as a formality, because, ultimately, it is now largely up to you how successful the little person’s life will be. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully consider the offer to become a godfather, and you should agree to it only if you feel the strength to meet high requirements.

Informed choice

Don’t think that your godfather’s worries will be limited to buying a cross and regular name day gifts. This is not the responsibility of a godfather. During Baptism, you renounce before God everything devilish and all mortal sins for your godson. You are vouching for the child, which means you yourself must meet the high bar that you have set for your ward.

Besides the heavy burden of responsibility, there are many benefits to being a godfather. So, for example, you have a wonderful opportunity to put everything in its place in your own life. By rethinking all your actions and desires, you will become even closer to the image of a real godfather that the Church paints for us.

You shouldn’t give up the chance to make your life more harmonious, because your godson’s worldview depends on your calmness, prudence and success. Try to become a real example for him.

Concern for the moral character of the godson’s real parents may also fall on your shoulders. If there is no mutual understanding in the family, and the child is perceived as a burden, it is you who must help the parents realize the full significance of their duty to the child. Try to become a Guardian Angel not only for the baby, but also for his family. Grow spiritually with him, develop. You will be able to comprehend the full depth of worldly wisdom that has developed over centuries, and become a significant part of the life of a little person.

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

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

Who is suitable for the role of godparents?

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

Who is prohibited from being a godfather?

Believers who have fallen away from the Orthodox Church, representatives of other faiths, and atheists cannot become godparents.
Actually, the child’s parents, unlike other relatives, cannot take on the role of godparents.
Spouses and couples about to get married are prohibited from being godparents to one child.
Monks and nuns cannot become recipients. IN Ancient Rus' such church rules there was none, and they became godfathers of many princes and representatives royal dynasties. Many years later, a rule appeared prohibiting this action, so that the monks would not become involved in worldly affairs.
People who have not reached adulthood still understand little, both in terms of life and spiritual knowledge. In addition, if the parents die, they will not be able to take responsibility for the baby.
People who have shrouded themselves in depravity.
It is better for women during menstruation to refrain from baptismal rites.
You should not take strangers or unfamiliar people as godparents.
Those who are incapacitated or suffering are not suitable for the role of recipients mental disorders people who are obvious violators of God's commandments, criminals and people intoxicated.

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

How many babies can you become godfather for?

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

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

Some useful information about baptism

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

Let's sum it up

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

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

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

", published by the publishing house Sretensky Monastery, are given in an accessible form initial knowledge, necessary for those who are preparing for the Sacrament of Baptism or are just beginning to live an Orthodox life. The book presents the main provisions of our faith, talks about the Sacraments, the commandments of God and prayer.

When I have to baptize an adult, most often I perform the sacrament of Baptism without godparents. Because godparents, or godparents, are necessarily needed only for children. When an adult is baptized, he himself can say that he believes in the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior and wants to accept Holy Baptism to save your soul. He himself can answer the priest’s questions and promise fidelity to Christ. Of course, it is good when next to the adult person being baptized there is an Orthodox church person who can become his successor and help him take his first steps in the temple and teach him the basics of faith. But I repeat, for an adult it is not necessary to have godparents.

Why are receivers needed at all? Godparents are those people who, due to the minority of their godchildren, make vows of Holy Baptism for them, a promise of fidelity to God. For their spiritual children, they renounce Satan, unite with Christ and confess their faith, reading the Creed for them. We baptize most people in infancy, that is, at an age when the child does not yet have conscious faith and cannot answer how he believes. His godparents do this for him. We baptize children according to the faith of their recipients and according to the faith of their parents as the closest people. Therefore, both bear a huge responsibility. Godparents are not just family friends, they are not some kind of “wedding generals” standing at the sacrament with an “Honorary Witness” ribbon, as happens at weddings. No, godparents are very responsible persons; they become guarantors before God for the souls of their godchildren. At the moment of baptism, together with their parents, in front of the Cross and the Gospel lying on a lectern, they make a promise to God Himself. What promise? That they will make every effort so that the newly baptized baby grows up as a believer, Orthodox person. Their duty now is to pray for their spiritual children, teach them prayers, instruct them in the Orthodox faith and take them to church to receive communion, and then, after seven years, to confess. So that when their godson reaches adulthood, he already knows how to pray to God, knows what we believe in and why we go to church. Of course, the greatest responsibility for the Christian upbringing of children lies with the parents, but godparents can also greatly influence their godchildren and become their spiritual teachers and mentors.

Many parents approach the Baptism of their children quite formally and choose godparents in the same formal manner.

Now a little about the sad things. Most modern godparents are very poorly prepared. Unfortunately, many parents approach the sacrament of Baptism of their children completely formally and choose godparents in the same formal manner. After all, a godfather should not just be good person, communication with whom we enjoy, our friend or relative - he must be an Orthodox person, churchgoer and knowledgeable of his faith. How can we teach someone the basics of faith if we ourselves don’t even know the very basics, haven’t read the Gospel, don’t know prayers? Indeed, in any field, if a person knows something well, for example, knows how to drive a car, work on a computer, decide math problems, do repairs, he can teach this to others, pass on his knowledge. And if he himself knows nothing in this area, who can he teach?

If you are godparents and feel a lack of knowledge in the spiritual field (and none of us can say that he has fully studied the Orthodox faith, for it is an inexhaustible reservoir of spiritual wisdom), it is necessary to fill this gap. You need to educate yourself. Believe me, there is nothing complicated about this, especially now, when no one forbids us to read any spiritual literature and when books, brochures, and CDs telling about the Orthodox faith are sold in all churches and bookstores. The Lord reveals himself to everyone who turns to Him, at any age. My grandfather was baptized at the age of 70 and then mastered the basics of the Orthodox faith so well that he could even teach and mentor others.

Start off spiritual education necessary from the very beginning, basic books, such as “The Law of God”, “First Steps in Orthodox church"and others. You definitely need to read the Gospel; you can start with the “Gospel of Mark”, it is the shortest, only 16 chapters, and was written specifically for new pagan Christians.

The godfather must live according to the commandments of God, pray to God and receive communion

The recipient is obliged to know the Creed and read it at baptism, in this prayer book in short form Orthodox doctrine is set out, and the godfather must know what he believes. And of course, the godfather must live according to God’s commandments, pray to God and receive communion. According to church canons, a child is entitled to one godfather, of the same gender as the person being baptized, but our Russian tradition presupposes two godparents - a man and a woman. They must not be married to each other. Godparents then cannot marry or marry their godchildren. The child’s father and mother cannot be his godparents, but other relatives: grandparents, uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters may well become godparents. Recipients, preparing for the sacrament of Baptism, must confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.