If I am godfather then who is my child? About the responsibilities of godparents

", published by the Sretensky Monastery Publishing House, provides in an accessible form the 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 church 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 a good man, 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 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, solve mathematical 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 Orthodox faith, for this 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 received Baptism at the age of 70 and then mastered the basics of the Orthodox faith so well that he could even teach and mentor others.

You need to start spiritual education with 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 forth, 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.

You have been invited to be godparents. This is a great honor and a great responsibility. What are the responsibilities of the godfather and godmother, what should be done during and after baptism?

Baby baptism. Photo from the site https://dveri.bg/uap64

Main responsibilities of godparents

During the sacrament of baptism, the godparents have the responsibility to vouch for the faith of the baby and subsequently raise him in the Orthodox faith. The child himself does not know anything yet and cannot profess faith, so godparents bring baptismal vows for him. If your faith is not strong enough, you should think seriously before agreeing to take on the responsibilities of a godfather. After all, in the future you will have to answer to God not only for yourself, but also for your godson.

God-parents They pray for their godson all their lives. While the child is small, they teach him the Orthodox faith, try to get him to visit church more often, take communion, explain the meaning of worship, talk about saints, icons, Orthodox holidays. When a child becomes a teenager, it is the godparents who must take special care of him moral state. This explains the choice of godparents - a boy certainly needs a godfather, and a girl needs a godmother; the presence of a second godfather is not mandatory. With a godfather of the same sex, it is easier for a teenager to discuss some personal issues, problems that he may not dare to talk about with his parents.

What godparents must do before the sacrament of baptism

The future godparents, together with the baby's parents, agree on the place and time of baptism. Before the sacrament, you will need to undergo a public conversation, or “interview,” in the church where the baptism will take place. There may be several such conversations. They lay out the basics of the Orthodox faith, which every Christian needs to know.

Who exactly will buy the baptismal set, pectoral cross and an icon - there is no fundamental difference. If godparents want to give a gift to their godson, they can bear part of the costs themselves.

Some wealthy people order a measured icon - this is an icon painted to order, on a board that corresponds to the height of the baby at birth. It depicts a saint whose name is given to the child.

More often they buy an icon in a church shop: for a boy - the Savior, for a girl - Mother of God. You can choose any icon based on your desires, tastes and means. But it should be borne in mind that this icon will be with the godson all his life. In the old days, it was customary to bless a grown child for marriage with this icon. Entering family life, the bride and groom each brought their own icon with them, and they formed the so-called “wedding pair” of icons. Based on this, it is better to buy not the smallest icon (on which you can barely see the image), but several larger size(usually choose approximately the size of the book) and in the salary. But, I repeat, there are no hard and fast rules here, and if you are very limited in funds, an expensive icon is not at all an end in itself.

When choosing a cross for a child, you should not buy the tiniest one. It seems very suitable for such a baby, but the baby will grow up, and a tiny cross, especially on a man, will look completely different. It is better to buy a medium-sized cross.

A baptismal set, as a rule, can be bought at a church shop at a temple. It includes a diaper with an embroidered cross, a shirt and a scarf for a girl.

The sacrament of baptism. Photo from the website of photographer Nadezhda Smirnova http://www.fotosmirnova.com/kreschenie

Responsibilities of godparents during baptism

Godparents must know by heart Symbol of faith, which contains all the main truths of Orthodoxy. It will need to be read during the sacrament of baptism:

I believe in one God the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to Whom all things were. For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human. She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets. Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. Amen.

During the sacrament, the godparents hold the baby in their arms (if the child is worried and crying, it is allowed to be held by the mother, there is no violation). The most important moment is when the godfather receives the godson from the font from the hands of the priest. Therefore, godparents are otherwise called godparents. The godfather must receive the boy from the font, and the godmother must accept the girl.

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. The responsibilities of godparents also include imparting knowledge about the meaning church calendar, about miracles 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 for you Hard time. 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 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 - the godmother, for a boy - the 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 adolescence. 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 she can replace the 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 assume 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.

Christ's.

After the baby is immersed in the baptismal font, the godfather receives him from the hands of the priest. Hence the Slavic name - receiver. Thus, he takes upon himself the responsibility for life to raise the child in the Orthodox spirit, and the answer for this upbringing will be given at the Last Judgment.

During the Baptism of infants, the recipients recite (confess) the Creed in their place, pronounce vows and take care of teaching faith and morality to those received by them (;,).

The custom of having a recipient at Baptism dates back to the most ancient Apostolic Tradition.

The presence of two receivers is a Russian tradition. According to the rules of the Church, one godfather is enough: a godfather for a boy and a godmother for a girl. In practice, gender mismatch is tolerated.

In the Sacrament of Baptism, the godparents promise God to bring the baby to Him. It's important to remember this.

Who can be godfather

– The godfather (father) must be Orthodox Christian. A godfather cannot be from the Church (who does not regularly receive communion), a representative of another religion, or an atheist. The recipient is required not only to know and read it at Baptism, but also to spiritually educate the godson in the future, daily prayer for him.

– The godfather must be a churchgoer, ready to regularly take his godson to church and raise him in the Christian faith.

– After the Sacrament of Baptism has been performed, the godfather cannot be changed, even if he has gone missing or fallen from the faith.

– Pregnant and unmarried women can be godparents to both boys and girls.

– The father and mother of a child cannot be godparents, and a husband and wife cannot be godparents for one child; other relatives - grandmothers, aunts and even older brothers and sisters can be godparents.

– A person should only have one godparent. According to , only one recipient is considered necessary - a man for a male person being baptized or a woman for a female person. The presence of a second godfather is an unwritten, albeit ancient, custom of the Church.

– Monks and nuns are not allowed to be ordained.

– The rite of the Sacrament of Baptism assumes the presence of recipients in person during its celebration. As a last resort, infant baptism is allowed even without godparents, then the priest himself is considered godfather.

– Marriages between the baptized person and the recipient are prohibited: the recipient cannot marry his spiritual daughter, and the godfather cannot marry the widowed mother of his spiritual daughter ().

It is reckless to invite a non-church person to be godparents: what can someone who does not know the subject teach? It's like choosing a guide in dangerous journey, where the price of the issue is the life (in our case, Eternal), of a rogue who does not know the route.
It is also unreasonable for a church person to take vows before God to raise a child in the Christian faith, whose parents are not only outside the Church, but also do not intend to become a church member, to instill their child in Christ the Savior.
If you are invited to be a foster parent by parents who are not only not against baptizing a child, but are themselves ready to become members of the church community, then it is reasonable, before taking your own vows, to make your parents vow to fulfill the Commandments, to pray daily for their children, come to church with them, try to give them communion weekly. Ideally, it would be good to advise parents to go to Sunday school or catechesis classes: after a couple of classes it will be clear whether they are serious about spiritual life, or whether they view Baptism as a magical rite.

According to the ancient church rule, during the Baptism of infants, only one recipient was considered necessary - a man for a male person being baptized or a woman for a female person (Great Trebnik, Chapter 5, “see”). The rule about “being one recipient at Baptism” belonged to the first centuries of Christianity and was strictly observed in the Eastern and Western Churches until the 9th century. In our time, the custom of having two godparents at Baptism has become widespread: the godfather and the godmother.

Only Orthodox successors or successors have ecclesiastical significance. Their names are remembered in prayers and included in certificates of Baptism. Receiver " represents the face of the person being baptized and makes vows to God for him, makes, confesses the symbol and is obliged to instruct the adopted son in the faith and law of God, which neither an ignoramus in the faith nor a non-believer can do"(Book on the positions of parish elders, 80).
According to practice ancient Church Just as people of other faiths are never allowed to adopt children, so it is indecent for an Orthodox Christian to be the adopter of children from parents of other faiths, except in those cases when the children are baptized into the Orthodox faith. The canons of the Church also do not provide for such a case as participation in baptism as a recipient of a person.

Insane people, completely ignorant of the faith, as well as criminals, obvious sinners, and those who came to church drunk, cannot be recipients. For example, those who, due to negligence, have not attended confession and Holy Communion for a long time cannot give guidance and edification in life to their godchildren. Minors (under 14 years of age) cannot be recipients, since they are still incapable of teaching and are not firm in their understanding of the faith and power of the Sacrament (except in those cases when it is completely impossible to have an adult recipient).

Ancient Russia did not know such a rule that would eliminate monks from succession. It is known that the godfathers of our Russian grand ducal and royal children were for the most part monks. Only later were monks prohibited from succession because it involves the monk in communication with the world (Nomocanon at the Great Trebnik). Parents cannot be recipients of their own children from the baptismal font. A woman in normal cleansing, it’s inconvenient to be a recipient. In such cases, you can postpone Baptism or invite another recipient.

Church rules do not prohibit siblings, father and daughter, or mother and son from being the adoptive parents of the same baby. Currently, priests do not allow husband and wife to share the same child. To prevent violations existing rules Regarding the successors, the priest usually finds out in advance from the parents who they want to have as the successors for their children.

Prayers for godchildren

Prayer for children and godchildren, father

Sweetest Jesus! God of my heart! You gave me children according to the flesh, they are Yours according to your soul. You redeemed both my soul and theirs with Your priceless Blood. For the sake of Your Divine Blood, I beg You, my sweetest Savior, with Your grace touch the hearts of my children (names) and my godchildren (names), protect them with Your Divine fear, keep them from bad inclinations and habits, direct them to the bright path of life, truth and of good. Decorate their lives with everything good and saving, arrange their fate as You yourself want and save their souls with their own destinies! Lord, God of our fathers! Give to my children (names) and godchildren (names) a right heart to keep Your commandments, Your revelations and Your statutes. And do it all! Amen.

On raising children as good Christians: Parents' prayer to the Lord God

God, our merciful and heavenly Father!
Have mercy on our children (names) and godchildren (names), for whom we humbly pray to You and whom we entrust to Your care and protection.
Put strong faith in them, teach them to revere You and deign them to deeply love You, our Creator and Savior.
Guide them, God, on the path of truth and goodness, so that they do everything for the glory of Your name.
Teach them to live piously and virtuously, to be good Christians and useful people.
Give them mental and physical health and success in their work.
Deliver them from the cunning machinations of the devil, from numerous temptations, from evil passions and from all wicked and disorderly people.
For the sake of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother and all the saints, lead them to the quiet haven of Your eternal Kingdom, so that they, along with all the righteous, will always thank You with Your only begotten Son and Your life-giving Spirit.
Amen.

Prayer to the Lord God, composed by the venerable

Lord, You are the only One who weighs everything, who is able to do everything, and who wants to save everyone and come to the mind of Truth. Enlighten my children (names) with the knowledge of Thy truth and Thy Holy will, strengthen them to walk according to Thy commandments and have mercy on me, a sinner.
Amen.
Merciful Lord, Jesus Christ, I entrust to You my children whom You have given to me, fulfill my prayer.
I ask You, Lord, save them in the ways that You Yourself know. Save them from vices, evil, pride, and let nothing that is contrary to You touch their souls. But grant them faith, love and hope for salvation, and may their life path be holy and blameless before God.
Bless them, Lord, may they strive every minute of their lives to fulfill Your Holy will, so that You, Lord, may always abide with them by Your Holy Spirit.
Lord, teach them to pray to You, so that prayer may be their support, joy in sorrow and consolation of their life, and so that we, their parents, may be saved by their prayer.
May Your angels always protect them.
May my children be sensitive to the grief of their neighbors, and may they fulfill Your commandment of love. And if they sin, then grant them, Lord, to bring repentance to You, and You, in Your ineffable mercy, forgive them.
When their earthly life ends, then take them to Your Heavenly Abodes, where let them lead with them other Your chosen servants.
Through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother, Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary and Your saints (all holy families are listed), Lord, have mercy on us, as You are glorified with Your Beginningless Son and with Your Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.

Does it really teach that marriage between godparents is inadmissible according to Article 211 of the Nomocanon?

Obstacles to marriage and adoption at baptism. Grigorovsky S.P. Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. 2007. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II. pp. 49-51. Quote from there:

« Currently, Article 211 of the Nomocanon [which states the inadmissibility of marriage between adoptive children] has no practical significance and should be considered cancelled... Since during baptism it is enough to have one recipient or one recipient, depending on the gender of the person being baptized, there is no reason to consider the recipients to be in any spiritual relationship and therefore prohibit them from marrying each other».

Prof. Pavlov, in his course on Church law, comments on the problem of spiritual kinship between the recipient and the recipient of one child and the marriage between them:

“...several rules of apocryphal origin and strange content (for example, rule 211, prohibiting a husband and wife from being the adoptive parents of the same baby, on pain of being separated from their marital cohabitation). Already in the first years of its existence, the Holy Synod began to regard such rules with great doubt and often made decisions directly contrary to them, especially in matters of marriage.”

In December 2017, at the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church a document was adopted which stated: “ Marriages between recipients can be performed with the blessing of the diocesan bishop (taking into account the decree of the Holy Synod of December 31, 1837)".

Can pregnant and unmarried women become godparents?

Pregnant and unmarried women Both boys and girls can be godparents; there are no canonical prohibitions against this. All prohibitions apply exclusively to dense folk superstitions and have no power for Christians.

At what age do you not need a godfather?

Persons over 14 years of age.

How to baptize a child if one or more family members are against it?

– You should try to bring such people to a meeting with the priest. The main thing here is to understand what is inside a person, why he refuses to baptize his child. If people are atheists, it can be difficult to convince them to give up their views. But it is still possible to convince of the need for a calm and loyal attitude towards the fact of a child’s baptism.

A young couple gathered to baptize their baby. And then there’s a sea of ​​questions: who should we take as godparents? How to baptize? Where to contact? What is needed for that? The questions were sorted out, the child was christened. And now there’s a new dilemma: who is the godfather of the child’s father? And the godmother is the baby's mother? They became relatives, and that’s understandable. Just what are these relatives called? Now we'll find out everything.

How godparents are chosen

I would like to apologize to the readers for the above story. He could be called funny if he weren't so sad. The story was published in the book of priest Yaroslav Shipov. And it is truthful.

A man comes to church. From among the villagers. He needs to talk to his father. They called the priest from the altar, and the visitor right off the bat. And he has a wild question: is it possible to baptize his son again? The priest, of course, did not allow it. They are baptized once and for life. But I couldn’t resist asking: what is the reason for this decision? To which I received the answer: you can’t drink with your current godparents. The godmother drank herself to death, and the godfather quit.

We in no way want to say that our dear readers baptize children just for the sake of such gatherings. This is completely absurd. But let's think about how we choose godparents for our children. What are we guided by?

1. Firstly, we trust those people who should become godparents.
2. Secondly, we know: if something happens to us, the godparents will not leave the baby, they will take care of him.
3. And thirdly, many godparents help godchildren financially. They buy expensive gifts, go out and entertain them. In general, they relieve parents of part of the costs.

Well, they are good people, of course, the chosen godparents.

That's all true. Just absolutely not the right approach. And before we figure out who the godfather is to the child’s parents, let’s find out how to choose godparents.

What should we be guided by?

The godfather is the child's successor before God. And his task includes responsibility for the spiritual education of his godson.

Spiritual education does not mean helping parents financially and physically. No, no one cancels or prohibits this. But the main task is to accustom the godson to the faith, to raise him in the bosom of the church. In other words, the godfather is responsible for the spiritual life of his successor. And it is he who must instill in his godson the love of God.

Therefore, when we choose godparents, we must pay attention to the fact that they are believers. Not just baptized, but familiar with church life from the inside. Otherwise, what can godparents who don’t know a single prayer teach a child? And, by the way, they have a very big responsibility. They will answer before God for their godchildren.

Responsibilities of godparents to the parents of the godson

Who is the godfather of the child's father? A real godfather. It is believed that from the moment the baby is baptized, godparents and blood parents become related. Even if they are not related by blood.

This is not entirely true. The godfather has no responsibilities to the parents, other than raising the godson in the faith. By and large, helping them support the child is not within his competence. Responsible for it spiritual development- another matter. And feeding, drinking, clothing is the task of parents. Godparents and blood parents do not become relatives. Spiritual kinship arises only between the recipient and his ward.

Misconceptions about godparents

Who is the godmother to the child's father? Kumoi. What do you need to know about misconceptions related in one way or another to godfathers?

1. An unmarried girl cannot have a girl baptized. Supposedly she gives her her happiness. This is all nonsense. Of course, when a godfather has a husband and children, she is more experienced in everyday life. And he knows how to raise children. But she may be completely unskilled in faith. Just as an unmarried girl can be a believer and instill in her goddaughter the love of God.
2. The same nonsense with an unmarried guy. He can’t baptize the boy, he’s giving up his fate. Don't believe it. This is bullshit.
3. Pregnant women are prohibited from becoming godparents. Or baby dead will be born, or the godson will die. It would be difficult to think of anything more stupid. The only point is that it will be difficult for a woman preparing to become a mother to devote time to the spiritual education of her godson. Only because of this is it more appropriate to refuse the title of godmother.
4. If a child cries during baptism, God does not accept him. Where this nonsense came from is unknown. But you can still encounter this savagery. The aunties and grandmothers who are at the christening begin to gasp and wail. Like, our little baby is crying a lot. It's not the baby who's bad, it's the aunties and grandmothers who have problems. The child is simply scared, hot, and his mother is not around. So he cries.
5. If with godfather in intimate relationships didn’t join - life is over. Yes, there is an opinion that godparents are simply obliged to sleep with each other. It is unacceptable. Godparents do not have the right to enter into an intimate relationship with each other, the godson’s parents, or the godson himself. This is a great sin, for which one is excommunicated from the church.

How to prepare for christening?

Who is the daughter's godfather to her blood father? We found this out - godfather. Now let's talk about how godmothers prepare for christenings.

The following responsibilities fall on the shoulders of godparents:

• purchase of a cross, baptismal shirt;
• payment for christening;
• expenses for candles and other paraphernalia.

Parents are responsible for festive table. Should I give gifts to godparents? And should godparents give gifts to their ward and his parents? This is at the discretion of each of them. Do you have the opportunity and desire? Why not give a gift.

Before christening, future recipients undergo a course of mandatory lectures. Now this condition has been introduced in almost all churches. You will have to listen to at least three lectures.

How to negotiate a christening

Godfather is the one who is the father of the godson to the godfather. And he negotiates with the priest about the baby’s christening.

How to do it? Come to church, preferably on Sunday. You defend the service. No time? Then come to the end of the service. Ask to call the priest for the candle box. And you say that you want to become a godfather, you need to baptize the child.

The priest will tell you everything else: when to come to public conversations, how to behave at baptism, what prayers to learn before baptism.

It is important

We found out who the godfather is to the child's father and mother. What should I do with my godmother? Imagine the situation: you have attended a course of lectures, and a christening day has been set. Father is waiting, the guests have gathered. And the future godmother’s critical days have come.

At this time, a woman must not enter the temple or begin any sacraments. This includes baptism. Therefore, to avoid embarrassment, look in advance at women's calendar. And ask to schedule a christening after a week of illness has passed. According to church rules, a woman is considered unclean for a week.

And one more thing: come to the christening in a skirt or dress. There must be a scarf on the head. Godfathers come in trousers. Frivolous outfits, such as shorts, are prohibited. Shoulders and arms must be covered, so wrestling jerseys are abolished.

Conclusion

So we talked about who the godfather is to the father of the child. Remember: godparents and blood parents are godfathers. The godfather is the godfather. Godmother, respectively, godfather.

The material examined the main misconceptions associated with godparents. It also tells how to prepare for christening, what the actions of godparents are and what obligations they have to the parents of their receiver.