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A Catholic is the godfather of an Orthodox Christian. Catholic features and traditions of baptism. Basic tenets and postulates

When the first weeks pass after the birth of a child, and perhaps even earlier, believing parents begin to think about baptizing their baby. In this article we will talk about how baptism takes place in the Catholic denomination. Let's answer the questions that Catholic parents most often have when preparing for their child's baptism.

Why baptize a child?

Baptism is a religious ritual that has been followed in the Catholic faith for many years. Its main purpose is to cleanse the child from original sin, as well as adoption of a child into Catholicism and unification with the Catholic Church. It is believed that baptism not only washes away original sin from a child, but also gives the baby the strength to live and protection that he does not have at birth. If the original sin, Catholics believe, is not cleansed through baptism, the child will not have the protection of the Holy Spirit, so often believing parents even try not to take the child out of the house before baptism, so as not to once again expose the baby to danger.

At what age should a child be baptized?

It is customary to baptize a baby 4-6 weeks after birth. However, it often happens that children go through this ritual later - this is not prohibited, but for the reasons mentioned above, believing parents try not to delay the baptism of their child. In more early age a child is usually baptized only in extreme cases, for example, if the newborn is sick or weakened, and the parents believe that baptism can help him gain God's protection and, with it, better health.
From a formal point of view, designating the day of a child’s baptism is not difficult. Most often, it is enough to notify the priest (as Catholic priests are called) of the church where you are going to baptize the child 2-3 weeks before the desired date, and discuss with him not only the time of the ceremony, but also all the nuances of the future ritual. It is necessary, however, to take into account the fact that sometimes the date of baptism of the baby that you have chosen can be postponed by the priest to a later date, depending on how, in his opinion, the parents themselves and future godparents are ready for the sacrament of Baptism.


How to choose a date taking into account religious fasts and holidays?

Catholic church law allows children to be baptized throughout the year, including during fasting and holidays. However, before baptism, it would still be a good idea to find out what customs exist in your church. In some parishes (that’s the name of the parish), for example, it is customary to organize the baptism of children once a month. However, this is the exception rather than the rule.
Popular periods for baptism among Catholic parents Christmas And Easter holidays . Take this fact into account, because the more children, along with their parents, godparents and guests, arrive for baptism, the longer and more crowded the procedure will be, which will make both you and your child tired.

In what setting does the ceremony take place?

Whether your baby's baptism will be a crowded ceremony or a private ceremony is up to you. Often children are baptized during holy imshi(this is the name of the main liturgical action in Catholicism, similar to the service in the Orthodox Church), for which many people from all over the parish gather in the church. However, it is possible to organize a baptism in a more modest and quiet atmosphere - this usually takes place in the sacristy, a room next to the main hall of the church, where religious objects are usually kept. The only thing prerequisite to conduct a ritual is presence in the room crucifixion




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Who can be godparents?

Godparents can be those who:
- are believers and practitioners Catholics;
- have already completed the ceremony running(this is what Catholics call the ritual of anointing, which, unlike Orthodoxy, takes place in adulthood and serves as confirmation that the faith is consciously accepted);
- are not direct relatives of the baby, for example, a brother or sister;
- are mature conscious people who can cope with the role of godparents. Usually, although not necessarily, these are adults.
Requirements for godparents in different parishes may be more or less strict; for example, not every church requires that both godparents be Catholics or have undergone the rite of becoming a godparent.



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About preparation, as well as documents and other formalities.

As we have already said, after you have chosen the date for the future baptism of your baby, you must go to the church where the ceremony will take place, namely to the church office or, as often happens, directly to priest. Here you must set the exact date of baptism, discuss the necessary organizational issues and make a payment (you set the amount yourself, since this is more of a donation to the church than a mandatory fee for the service). This is where you should register future godparents parents.
Take the following documents with you:
- child’s birth certificate;
- passports of both parents;
- the act of wedding in a church, if there is one (if the parents did not get married, but declare themselves to be Catholic believers, church law does not prohibit them from baptizing the child);
- evidence informing that godparents meet the requirements of the church where the baby will be baptized. Future godparents take such certificates from their churches if they belong to another parish (these documents are often not required - you need to check with the parish where will be baptized).
Before baptism takes place, the priest usually invites parents and godparents to visit several preparatory classes at the church. These classes are useful not so much for informational preparation for organizing baptism, but for learning the essence of the sacrament, learning necessary prayers and preparation for further raising a baby according to the Catholic faith.
Depending on the preparedness of parents and godparents, as well as on church traditions, classes can take place one or two times, or all seven. For example, if one of the parents or future godparents is Orthodox and has absolutely no knowledge of the Catholic canons, you will have to attend more classes than if they were all practicing Catholics.

How to dress a child and dress yourself?

Traditionally, an outfit is chosen for the baby light colors. White and pastel colors are what you need, because they are associated with purity and purity, light and joy. However, there are no clear rules about clothing - it all depends on the traditions of your church. For example, in many parishes it is customary to choose the clothes that come into contact with the baby’s skin pure white color. One way or another, it is necessary to dress the child according to the weather, and also think about whether the child will be comfortable not only outside, but also in the church building.
As for the clothes of adults on this day, there is even less wisdom here than when choosing an outfit for a baby. Just match the event, time and place.






Photo from the site www.parzuchowscy.com

How to prepare your baby for the event?

Baptism day is always not an easy day, but first of all you need to think about ensuring that all the child’s needs are met, and that the baby himself is involved as little as possible in the festive fuss.
It would be a good idea to take with you to the church what usually accompanies a child, for example, on a long walk: a disposable diaper, wet wipes, spare rompers or tights, quiet favorite toys, bottles of milk and water, and so on. By the way, no one will be against the fact that, for example, during imsha before baptism, mother and baby go to the sacristy to change diapers or breastfeed the child.
After baptism, when guests, as usually happens, gather at home to celebrate the event, it is not advisable to leave the child in the same room with adults. Still, for the baby, this whole celebration is more stressful than a pleasant pastime.

How is the baptism ceremony performed?

Godmother, according to tradition, buys and brings a clean white shirt, A godfather- purchased at the church white candle. However, parents often buy these items themselves - it’s up to you to decide.
Before the baptismal ceremony, both parents and godparents must confess and receive communion. It’s good if all the guests present at the ritual do this.



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The rite of baptism outside the imsha takes about half an hour, and if you decide that baptism will take place during the liturgy, be prepared for an hour. Since baptism during imsha is more common, we will consider it.
During baptism, parents stand in front of the altar, with godparents behind them or next to them. The baby is usually held by the mother, but here certain rules No. Parents and godparents say prayer which testifies to their faith, and publicly commit themselves raise a child in the Catholic faith. Next, the actual baptism ceremony takes place, during which the priest reads a special prayer over the baby, after which the ceremony can develop, depending on the church (there are differences between the Eastern and Latin churches), according to two scenarios.
1. The child’s forehead is marked with the symbol of the cross and water is poured over his head three times, the holy cross is applied to the baby, and then covered with a new white shirt or vest, previously brought godmother. At this time, the godfather must light the candle he brought from the church candle.
2. The baby's forehead, palms and chest are smeared with myrrh and holy water, and at this time they read a joint prayer and light the brought candle.
In Belarusian churches you can often find the second version of the ritual. In this version, by the way, there is also a white vest, but you just need to bring it with you to baptism for sprinkling blessed water. Afterwards, Catholics believe, this vest will be able to help with the baby’s illness. If a serious illness occurs, the child is dressed in a baptismal robe or covered with it. Also often, the vest from the baptism of one child, if it remains new, is used to dress the next baby born in this family. It is believed that this will certainly make children friendly.






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Baptism rumors that are just that: rumors.

Since its existence, the ritual of baptism has acquired an incredible number of rumors and misconceptions. Here are some of them.
- The godmother cannot be pregnant at the time of baptism, because the unborn child can take away the health of the mother’s godson.
- Godparents cannot be spouses.
- A woman’s first godson can only be a boy, and a man’s first godson can only be a girl. Otherwise, the godparents may not be able to wait for their offspring.
- Anyone who sees a baby at baptism for the first time must put money next to him so that the child is healthy.
- The candle must be lit during baptism right hand so that the child does not grow up left-handed.
- If the baptismal candle goes out - long life the baby won't survive.
There are a great many such beliefs, however, let us remind you that they are all misconceptions. Don't believe me? Ask the priest!

The first gifts for the baby from the godparents. What to give?

A good solution in a gift situation would be to discuss in advance who will give what, because obligatory gifts are cross or medallion, and also image(icon). You can choose the rest of the gifts at your own discretion, but it would be nice to give something memorable, something that the child can keep, if not for life, then for a long time. for many years as a symbol of spiritual connection with your second parents.




Photo from the site www.storegift.ru

And finally.
When planning and organizing the baptism of a child, remember: despite the fact that the event is important and memorable, it is not obligatory. You should not baptize your baby just because parents or friends insist on it. But if you decide that the baptism will take place, let this day be truly special for you and your child. Goodness and peace to your family!

Olya Samardak

27.03.2015

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Irina, Moscow

Where to baptize a child if the mother is Catholic and the father is Orthodox?

Good evening. My husband and I have a problem controversial issue: where to baptize your son. Please help me figure it out. I was born in Zhitomir and lived there until I was 29, and a little more than a year I married a Russian man back and moved to live in Moscow. 2 months ago our son was born, and we set out to baptize him, but we have big disagreements. Briefly about us: my husband and I are Christians, but we profess different faiths, and before getting married, we did not raise the issue of future baptism of children and wedding (we have the intention of getting married). I am a Catholic and was raised to love God. My grandmother and mother were involved in our religious education (I have 2 more sisters), I believe in God, I went to church (now I do this less often, because there are only 3 churches in all of Moscow and I don’t always have time to get there and be at mass), went to religious procession in Berdichev and others. I also venerate Orthodox saints. My husband is Orthodox, and so is his whole family. He believes in God, wears a cross, but goes to church very rarely (on big holidays and just light a candle). And in their family no one is accustomed to church, people don’t go there and, in my opinion, don’t think it’s necessary. So I tell my husband that I want my son to accept Catholic faith, since I will be involved in education, including religious education, but he will not do anything, he says: “My son was born on Orthodox soil, that means he will be Orthodox.” I tell him that if he and his mother take their son to church (because I don’t know what the rules are there, I don’t even know their prayers), then I don’t mind baptizing him there, but they won’t do it! But starting a “double life” - baptizing in one place and leading to God in another - is wrong. We quarrel on this basis, and here his mother categorically stated that she is against baptism in Catholicism. Please advise how to do the right thing so that my son will feel good and we won’t all quarrel.

Everything in your situation is very complicated. I understand that I may not be understood, but you turned to the priest of the Russian Orthodox Church Old Believer Church, I will try my best to explain the situation from my point of view.

« Orthodoxy“is not a geographical term, it’s a matter of religion, i.e. not in the name, but in a conscious approach to faith! The dogmas of Christianity and church laws cannot be something external to a person. A Christian either lives Christian life, i.e. tries to keep his soul pure, in readiness to stand before God, or he is no longer a Christian at all. 80th rule of the 6th Ecumenical Council reads:

“If anyone, a bishop, or a presbyter, or a deacon, or anyone of those numbered among the clergy, or a layman, having no urgent need or obstacle that would remove him from his church for a long time, but being in the city, in three Sundays If he does not come to a church meeting within three weeks, then the cleric will be expelled from the clergy, and the layman will be excommunicated.”

The metro and other transport in Moscow are absolutely excellent. Living in this city, you can use anything as an excuse for not visiting. church services, but, you see, most likely the reason is the negligence of you and your husband’s family. They call themselves " Orthodox”, have fewer excuses, because home prayer and visiting temples, if desired, will not be difficult. And for them and for you, if you wish, an opportunity will appear.

I was going to baptize a child, and one of the godparents was supposed to be my friend. He is a Roman Catholic. And we didn’t “bother” about this, we thought that Christians seem to all have the same sacraments. Already in the church before Baptism, the priest, having learned that the candidate for godparents was a Catholic, “rejected” his candidacy and, as the only option, offered him to “rebaptize” into Orthodoxy. This greatly upset us, and we postponed Baptism. The money paid for Epiphany according to the tariff was not returned to us (I didn’t really insist). Having thought about this situation, I decided that since a Christian, both by religion and by life, was “rejected” by the Church as a godfather, then I would baptize the child in another Church, Catholic. And in the future I myself will undergo catechesis and convert to Catholicism (without being rebaptized!). And so I would like to know how correctly and according to teaching the priest acted in my case when he refused to be godfather to a Catholic? I'm not talking about moral Christian standards, but at least according to the teachings and canons of the Russian Orthodox Church?

entrepreneur

Dear Yuri, recognizing the priest’s act (as you described it) is not entirely consistent with the official position of our Church, which allows, firstly, the presence of one heterodox successor, while the other will be Orthodox, and, secondly, does not assume acceptance of Catholics into Orthodoxy through Baptism (acceptance is allowed either by the third rite, through repentance, or the second - through Confirmation), I cannot help but ask another question: what exactly does your Orthodoxy consist of? If, because of an episode, albeit emotionally strongly negative, but in no way connected either with the essence of our faith or with the nature of the doctrinal differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, you decide without hesitation to change your confession, what is Orthodoxy for you? If the priest had been polite and considerate, would you have remained in the Orthodox Church? With such a measure of unconsciousness, of course, our faith will last until the first rude priest or impolite candle-holder... You can find anything and everything among Catholics after catechesis. Will you go further to the Baptists? To the Moonies, to the Jehovah's Witnesses? Our religious worldview, we must base our self-determination on something more fundamental than the weaknesses or dignity of certain clergy.

This article will focus on what Catholicism is and who Catholics are. This direction It is considered one of the branches of Christianity, formed due to the great schism in this religion that occurred in 1054.

Who they are is in many ways similar to Orthodoxy, but there are also differences. The Catholic religion differs from other movements in Christianity in its specific dogma and religious rituals. Catholicism added new dogmas to the Creed.

Spreading

Catholicism is widespread in Western European (France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Italy) and Eastern European (Poland, Hungary, partly Latvia and Lithuania) countries, as well as in states South America, where it is professed by the overwhelming majority of the population. There are also Catholics in Asia and Africa, but the influence of the Catholic religion is insignificant here. compared to the Orthodox Christians are a minority. There are about 700 thousand of them. Catholics in Ukraine are more numerous. There are about 5 million people.

Name

The word "Catholicism" is of Greek origin and translated means universality or universality. In the modern understanding, this term refers to the Western branch of Christianity, which adheres to the apostolic traditions. Apparently, the church was understood as something universal and universal. Ignatius of Antioch spoke about this in 115. The term "Catholicism" was officially introduced at the first Council of Constantinople (381). Christian Church was recognized as one, holy, catholic and apostolic.

Origin of Catholicism

The term "church" began to appear in written sources(letters of Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna) from the second century. This word was synonymous with municipality. At the turn of the second and third centuries, Irenaeus of Lyons applied the word "church" to Christianity in general. For individual (regional, local) Christian communities it was used with the corresponding adjective (for example, the Church of Alexandria).

In the second century, Christian society was divided into laity and clergy. In turn, the latter were divided into bishops, priests and deacons. It remains unclear how governance was carried out in the communities - collegially or individually. Some experts believe that the government was initially democratic, but over time it became monarchical. The clergy was governed by a Spiritual Council headed by a bishop. This theory is supported by the letters of Ignatius of Antioch, in which he mentions bishops as leaders of Christian municipalities in Syria and Asia Minor. Over time, the Spiritual Council became merely an advisory body. But only the bishop had real power in a particular province.

In the second century, the desire to preserve apostolic traditions contributed to the emergence of a structure. The Church had to protect the faith, dogmas and canons Holy Scripture. All this, as well as the influence of the syncretism of the Hellenistic religion, led to the formation of Catholicism in its ancient form.

The final formation of Catholicism

After the division of Christianity in 1054 into western and eastern branches, they began to be called Catholic and Orthodox. After the Reformation of the sixteenth century, the word “Roman” began to be added more and more often to the term “Catholic” in everyday use. From the point of view of religious studies, the concept of "Catholicism" covers many Christian communities that adhere to the same doctrine as the Catholic Church and are subject to the authority of the Pope. There are also Uniate and Eastern Catholic churches. As a rule, they left the authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople and became subordinate to the Pope, but retained their dogmas and rituals. Examples are the Greek Catholics, the Byzantine Catholic Church and others.

Basic tenets and postulates

To understand who Catholics are, you need to pay attention to the basic tenets of their faith. The main dogma of Catholicism, which distinguishes it from other areas of Christianity, is the thesis that the Pope is infallible. However, there are many known cases when Popes, in the struggle for power and influence, entered into dishonest alliances with large feudal lords and kings, were obsessed with the thirst for profit and constantly increased their wealth, and also interfered in politics.

The next postulate of Catholicism is the dogma of purgatory, approved in 1439 at the Council of Florence. This doctrine is based on the fact that human soul after death he goes to purgatory, which is an intermediate level between hell and heaven. There she can be cleansed of her sins through various tests. Relatives and friends of the deceased can help his soul cope with trials through prayers and donations. It follows from this that a person’s fate in the afterlife depends not only on the righteousness of his life, but also on the financial well-being of his loved ones.

An important postulate of Catholicism is the thesis about the exclusive status of the clergy. According to him, without resorting to the services of the clergy, a person cannot independently earn God's mercy. A Catholic priest has serious advantages and privileges compared to the ordinary flock. According to the Catholic religion, only the clergy has the right to read the Bible - this is their exclusive right. This is prohibited for other believers. Only publications written in Latin are considered canonical.

Catholic dogmatics determines the need for systematic confession of believers before the clergy. Everyone is obliged to have his own confessor and constantly report to him about his own thoughts and actions. Without systematic confession, the salvation of the soul is impossible. This condition allows the Catholic clergy to penetrate deeply into the personal lives of their flock and control a person's every move. Constant confession allows the church to have a serious influence on society, and especially on women.

Catholic sacraments

The main task of the Catholic Church (the community of believers as a whole) is to preach Christ to the world. The sacraments are considered visible signs of God's invisible grace. Essentially, these are actions established by Jesus Christ that must be performed for the good and salvation of the soul. There are seven sacraments in Catholicism:

  • baptism;
  • anointing (confirmation);
  • Eucharist, or communion (Catholics take their first communion at the age of 7-10 years);
  • sacrament of repentance and reconciliation (confession);
  • anointing;
  • sacrament of the priesthood (ordination);
  • sacrament of marriage.

According to some experts and researchers, the roots of the sacraments of Christianity go back to the pagan mysteries. However given point view is actively criticized by theologians. According to the latter, in the first centuries A.D. e. The pagans borrowed some rituals from Christianity.

What is the difference between Catholics and Orthodox Christians?

What Catholicism and Orthodoxy have in common is that in both of these branches of Christianity, the church is a mediator between man and God. Both churches agree that the Bible is the fundamental document and doctrine of Christianity. However, there are many differences and disagreements between Orthodoxy and Catholicism.

Both directions agree that there is one God in three incarnations: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (trinity). But the origin of the latter is interpreted differently (the Filioque problem). The Orthodox profess the “Creed,” which proclaims the procession of the Holy Spirit only “from the Father.” Catholics add “and the Son” to the text, which changes the dogmatic meaning. Greek Catholics and other Eastern Catholic denominations have retained the Orthodox version of the Creed.

Both Catholics and Orthodox understand that there is a difference between the Creator and the creation. However, according to Catholic canons, the world has a material nature. He was created by God out of nothing. IN material world there is nothing divine. While Orthodoxy assumes that the divine creation is the embodiment of God himself, it comes from God, and therefore he is invisibly present in his creations. Orthodoxy believes that you can touch God through contemplation, that is, approach the divine through consciousness. Catholicism does not accept this.

Another difference between Catholics and Orthodox Christians is that the former consider it possible to introduce new dogmas. There is also a doctrine of “ good deeds and merits" of Catholic saints and the Church. On its basis, the Pope can forgive the sins of his flock and is the vicar of God on Earth. In matters of religion he is considered infallible. This dogma was adopted in 1870.

Differences in rituals. How Catholics are baptized

There are also differences in rituals, the design of churches, etc. Orthodox Christians even perform the prayer procedure not exactly the same way as Catholics pray. Although at first glance it seems that the difference is in some small details. To feel the spiritual difference, it is enough to compare two icons, Catholic and Orthodox. The first one looks more like beautiful picture. In Orthodoxy, icons are more sacred. Many people are wondering, Catholics and Orthodox? In the first case, they are baptized with two fingers, and in Orthodoxy - with three. In many Eastern Catholic rites, the thumb, index finger and middle fingers. How else are Catholics baptized? A less common method is to use an open palm, with the fingers pressed tightly together and the thumb slightly tucked toward the inside. This symbolizes the openness of the soul to the Lord.

Man's destiny

The Catholic Church teaches that people are burdened original sin(with the exception of the Virgin Mary), that is, every person from birth has a seed of Satan. Therefore, people need the grace of salvation, which can be obtained by living by faith and doing good works. The knowledge of the existence of God is, despite human sinfulness, accessible to the human mind. This means that people are responsible for their actions. Every person is loved by God, but in the end he awaits Last Judgment. Particularly righteous and godly people are ranked among the Saints (canonized). The church keeps a list of them. The process of canonization is preceded by beatification (beatification). Orthodoxy also has a cult of Saints, but most Protestant movements rejects him.

Indulgences

In Catholicism, an indulgence is the complete or partial release of a person from punishment for his sins, as well as from the corresponding expiatory action imposed on him by the priest. Initially, the basis for receiving an indulgence was the performance of some good deed (for example, a pilgrimage to holy places). Then they became a donation of a certain amount to the church. During the Renaissance, serious and widespread abuses were observed, which consisted of the distribution of indulgences for money. As a result, this provoked the start of protests and reform movement. In 1567, Pope Pius V banned the issuance of indulgences for money and material resources in general.

Celibacy in Catholicism

Another serious difference between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church is that all the clergy of the latter give Catholic clergymen no right to marry or enter into sexual intercourse. All attempts to marry after receiving the diaconate are considered invalid. This rule was announced during the time of Pope Gregory the Great (590-604), and was finally approved only in the 11th century.

The Eastern churches rejected the Catholic version of celibacy at the Council of Trullo. In Catholicism, the vow of celibacy applies to all clergy. Initially small church ranks had the right to marry. They could have been dedicated to married men. However, Pope Paul VI abolished them, replacing them with the positions of reader and acolyte, which were no longer associated with the status of cleric. He also introduced the institution of deacons for life (those who do not intend to advance further in their church career and become priests). These may include married men.

As an exception, married men who converted to Catholicism from various branches of Protestantism, where they held the ranks of pastors, clergy, etc., can be ordained to the priesthood. However, the Catholic Church does not recognize their priesthood.

Now the obligatory celibacy for all Catholic clergy is the subject of heated debate. In many European countries and the United States, some Catholics believe that the mandatory vow of celibacy should be abolished for non-monastic clergy. However, the Pope did not support such a reform.

Celibacy in Orthodoxy

In Orthodoxy, clergy can be married if the marriage took place before ordination to the priesthood or deaconship. However, only monks of the minor schema, widowed or celibate priests can become bishops. IN Orthodox Church the bishop must be a monk. Only archimandrites can be ordained to this rank. Simply celibates and representatives of married white clergy (non-monastics) cannot become bishops. Sometimes, as an exception, episcopal ordination is possible for representatives of these categories. However, before this they must accept the minor monastic schema and receive the rank of archimandrite.

Inquisition

To the question of who the Catholics of the medieval period were, you can get an idea by familiarizing yourself with the activities of such a church body as the Inquisition. It was a judicial institution catholic church, which was intended to combat heresy and heretics. In the 12th century, Catholicism faced the growth of various opposition movements in Europe. One of the main ones was Albigensianism (Cathars). The popes assigned the responsibility of fighting them to the bishops. They were to identify heretics, try them and hand them over secular authorities to carry out the sentence. The ultimate punishment was burning at the stake. But the episcopal activity was not very effective. Therefore, Pope Gregory IX created a special church body to investigate the crimes of heretics - the Inquisition. Initially directed against the Cathars, it soon turned against all heretical movements, as well as witches, sorcerers, blasphemers, infidels, etc.

Inquisitorial Tribunal

The inquisitors were recruited from various members, primarily from the Dominicans. The Inquisition reported directly to the Pope. Initially, the tribunal was headed by two judges, and from the 14th century - by one, but it consisted of legal consultants who determined the degree of “hereticism”. In addition, the number of court employees included a notary (certified testimony), witnesses, a doctor (monitored the condition of the defendant during executions), a prosecutor and an executioner. The inquisitors were given part of the confiscated property of heretics, so there is no need to talk about the honesty and fairness of their trial, since it was beneficial for them to find a person guilty of heresy.

Inquisition procedure

There were two types of inquisitorial investigation: general and individual. The first time I was interviewed most population of any area. In the second case, a specific person was called through the priest. In cases where the summoned person did not appear, he was excommunicated from the church. The man swore an oath to sincerely tell everything he knew about heretics and heresy. The progress of the investigation and proceedings were kept in the deepest secrecy. It is known that the inquisitors widely used torture, which was authorized by Pope Innocent IV. At times their cruelty was condemned even by secular authorities.

The accused were never given the names of the witnesses. Often they were excommunicated from the church, murderers, thieves, oathbreakers - people whose testimony was not taken into account even by the secular courts of that time. The defendant was deprived of the right to have a lawyer. The only one possible form defense was an appeal to the Holy See, although it was formally prohibited by Bull 1231. People once condemned by the Inquisition could be brought to justice again at any time. Even death did not save him from the investigation. If a person who had already died was found guilty, then his ashes were taken from the grave and burned.

Punishment system

The list of punishments for heretics was established by bulls 1213, 1231, as well as by the decrees of the Third Lateran Council. If a person confessed to heresy and repented during the trial, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. The Tribunal had the right to reduce the term. However, such sentences were rare. The prisoners were kept in extremely cramped cells, often shackled, and fed with water and bread. During the late Middle Ages, this sentence was replaced by hard labor in galleys. Obstinate heretics were sentenced to be burned at the stake. If a person confessed before the start of his trial, then various church punishments were imposed on him: excommunication, pilgrimage to holy places, donations to the church, interdict, various types penance.

Fasting in Catholicism

Fasting for Catholics consists of abstaining from excesses, both physical and spiritual. In Catholicism, there are the following fasting periods and days:

  • Lent for Catholics. It lasts 40 days before Easter.
  • Advent For four Sundays before Christmas, believers should reflect on his upcoming coming and be spiritually focused.
  • All Fridays.
  • Dates of some major Christian holidays.
  • Quatuor anni tempora. Translated as “four seasons.” This special days repentance and fasting. A believer must fast once every season on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
  • Fasting before communion. The believer must abstain from food an hour before communion.

The requirements for fasting in Catholicism and Orthodoxy are mostly similar.

The institution of succession (godfathers) arose in the Elin environment. It's entrenched as follows: religious knowledge and experience were passed on from teacher to student.
The church handed the student into the hands of the teacher, who received the rights and responsibilities of a shepherd for the person. Some see the prohibition of having their biological parents as a teacher in the Indo-Aryan Vedic tradition, which was observed by the Elins in teaching philosophy (more precisely, all book wisdom).

The recipient receives from the church the one who is preparing for baptism. The recipient must convey his religious and spiritual-ascetic experience and knowledge to the perceived one. The recipient is the main participant in the announcement. In the classical period, only deacons and deaconesses (or higher in the hierarchical ladder) could be recipients.
Baptism was performed on the catechumen only when the recipient testified that he had taught everything and experienced faith.
If a baby is baptized, then the promise of the recipient is to raise the baby for the first confession, when the baptized person himself, consciously, pronounces the vows of baptism for himself.

added: 19 Dec 2014

Religious experience primarily involves faith. The flesh of faith is the storage of the rules of faith (dogmas).
If a Catholic had the Orthodox faith, he would be called Orthodox.
The fact is that we do not baptize a person into abstract Christianity “with all that is good,” but we graft a branch to the Vine - the Body of Christ - the Church.

If a baby is baptized, then his godfather (godfather) is seen as the builder of the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The Bible describes an episode of how the Jews refused to allow the Samaritans to allow them to build the Jerusalem Temple. The Samaritans differed from the Jews in “certain details of their worship of God.” Approximately the same way we differ from Catholics and Protestants.

added: 19 Dec 2014

If the recipient is accepted consciously, for the purpose, then this can only be a person whose experience and knowledge you can trust.
Signs that your candidate for successor is not suitable: he does not believe in Christ, that it is necessary to receive communion, study the Scriptures, and not leave the prayer meeting. He can demonstrate his worldview with action. Moreover, he is no good at all if he does not listen to the Church in its rules of faith. For example, in the doctrine of the Trinity or the Church (that is, in what we have the greatest contradictions with Catholics, which is reflected in the Creed and in the catechism - ours and theirs).
A sign that a Catholic accepts the teachings of the Church is the Rite of Churching of a Catholic, where he firmly renounces all the errors of Rome.

If you want to invite a friend as a decorative character in your family circle, then you can choose anyone who can read the Creed without error, and with a firm hand hold your child for 15 minutes.
I hope that you, accordingly, will not trust a blind man to lead your, not yet sighted, baby to his hole, and will raise him in Orthodox faith your child yourself. Let's cross out the Vedic traditions of brahmacharya (it seems so)!

Since the successors became wedding generals at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, from then on you can invite anyone you want as a successor. We have both Muslims and atheists as godparents. So, a quiet, kind Catholic in our glorious times is already a blessing (for example, St. Luke Voino-Yasenetsky was brought to God by his kind, gentle Catholic Pole - his father Felix, but his mother was too liberal in religious matters).

added: 19 Dec 2014

If you still wish to choose Catholic godfather, look for a very well-read and dialectically active priest. For example, I became acquainted with Church law from the textbook of the Odessa Seminary, where it is written in black and white “IMPOSSIBLE” (and the rationale is indicated). Tsipin’s highly respected book tells me, a rigorist, that this is also impossible. But it is further indicated that in some literature, respected by many, with an unknown author, it is said that sometimes it is possible. That is, a clear prohibition was first pronounced, and then, as a scientific discourse, a different opinion was presented, with great doubt expressed about its quality.
I see a similar technique like this: we open a textbook on Therapy and read: a person eats through the mouth. But if you really need it, then you can... I can list a dozen methods of introducing a food or nutritional mixture not through the mouth. So be smart.

added: 19 Dec 2014

And choosing “for love” is generally strange. Usually they invite someone who is good at cooking to cook, a car mechanic to repair a car, a doctor to treat, a believer of the church they are baptizing into to baptize (the Church is the Body of Christ, therefore they believe in it and baptize in it).
It is unlikely that it will be right if you choose a doctor not by qualifications, but by friendship with him: a urologist in the treatment of eye diseases. And in the case of a Catholic, you will call a chess player to teach boxing.

I have many non-Orthodox friends: Muslims, Catholics, sectarians. Judeev. I love them and am friends with them not for the sake of a common faith. Therefore, I will not be offended if I am not called a “receiver” in a mosque, synagogue, or church. I’ll even definitely come to a home party “on occasion,” but I won’t be able to become a teacher of a young Catholic in his catechism. Or I will have to be a hypocrite by teaching about something I don’t believe.

And remembering Catholics in church is a matter of tradition, and not a sign of belonging to the Church. For example, at every liturgy I remember “the authorities and armies,” being sure that part of our authorities and armies are sectarians, Muslims, atheists, Uniates, and Satanists. And such a conflict did not appear today, but under the apostles.