How many times can you become a godfather. Video: About infant baptism and modern lifestyle. When there is no need for godparents
Baptism in Orthodoxy is a special sacrament. It is also called spiritual birth. During the ceremony, the newborn receives a guardian angel as the protector of his soul, who will protect him throughout his life. By church traditions it is recommended to baptize a newborn on the eighth day of his life or on the fortieth. A special role in this ceremony is assigned to the godparents. They have a very serious task. They will have to spiritually educate their godson, introduce him to the Church and the Orthodox faith. Therefore, church ministers recommend taking the choice of spiritual successors very seriously.
According to the laws of Russian Orthodox Church Godparents cannot be:
The godparent and godmother of the newborn must not be married;
Biological parents cannot baptize their child;
People belonging to other religious concessions cannot become spiritual recipients of the Orthodox;
A pregnant woman and a woman who is menstruating at the time of baptism;
Crazy, immoral and unbelieving people;
Strangers or unfamiliar people who agreed to this only because they were persuaded by the parents of the newborn;
Minor children.
In any of the above cases, the clergyman has the right to refuse to conduct the sacrament of baptism. Of course, you can lie. But after all, the future of the child will depend on this decision.
Who can be godmother and godfather?
As a rule, both a woman and a man become godparents at the same time. But if the child has only one godparent, then the church recommends choosing a godfather by gender. That is, a woman should baptize a girl, and a man should baptize a boy. This is not a strict requirement. Situations are allowed when a man becomes a spiritual recipient for a girl, and a woman for a boy. Before performing the sacrament of baptism, the clergyman will talk with the selected candidates. It is important that godparents are true believers Orthodox people. So that you can completely rely on them in the duties of the spiritual upbringing of the child.
For the sacrament of baptism, the recipients must come with pectoral crosses. The godmother should be with a covered head, with covered shoulders and in a dress no lower than the knees. There are no strict requirements for a godfather. But it is better to refuse T-shirts with shorts. There should not be any headgear on the head of a man. It is strictly forbidden to come to the rite of baptism in alcoholic or drug intoxication.
How many times can you be godparents?
When asked how many times one can be a godmother or father, the church does not give a definite answer. There are no strict restrictions. The godparents decide on their own whether to become a spiritual successor again or not. When making such a decision, you need to remember that the godparent takes on a very serious responsibility. After all, he will have to not only introduce the child to the Orthodox faith, but also take care of him throughout his life.
Which forever makes a person a Christian. Even if he ever changes his faith, the grace of baptism still remains with him all his life. Since ancient times, there has been a tradition to celebrate this sacrament with the participation of godparents who are responsible for the churching and righteousness of the whole later life convert.
In this regard, the Orthodox have a question: how many times can a child be baptized by one person?
Baptism of a child in a church
Allowed number of godchildren
The Church does not place any restrictions here. The only thing that can stop a person from agreeing to become a godfather is the fear of responsibility. After all, if the recipient did not make enough effort to teach his spiritual son or the daughter of the Christian faith and guide on the path of salvation, he will have to answer to God.
Read about the Sacrament of Baptism:
The people invented a lot of superstitions associated with baptism. Like if a woman takes a second godchild, then her spiritual motherhood will be “removed” from the first.
It's not worth listening to this nonsense. Taking on several spiritual children is the same as giving birth to several children. It is hard and responsible, but a mother will remain a mother for everyone.
Allowed number of godparents
A person can have one or two godparents - a godfather and a mother. If there is only one recipient, then it is customary to choose a person of the same sex as the godson for this role. But this is just a tradition, if for some reason it is impossible to do so, there is no sin in breaking it.
It happens that the priest himself becomes the recipient.
Baptism of a child in a church
If a baby is being baptized, the godfather must make vows to God instead of him and take the baby out of the font. When there are two recipients, this makes godmother if the child is a girl, and the father if a boy.
"How many times can you be a godmother?" - I constantly hear this question from this or that girlfriend when it comes to the christening of someone's child. I am amazed at their complete ignorance in this regard! They argue that after a second child is baptized by the same person, the first one is no longer his godson. To my question: "Why do you think so?" - they answer: "I don't know, I think so." Well, citizens, if you think like that, then it’s a sin to die - what if it’s wrong ... In general, it’s time to dispel all rumors and doubts about how many times you can be godmother! I dedicate this article primarily to my friends and, of course, to you, my beloved readers!
Let me start a little back and introduce you to some of the basics of choosing a spiritual guide for your child. It is very important not to make mistakes! Remember, the godfather (or mother) is spiritual mentor your child. Stop your choice only on those candidates who, in your opinion, will be able to endow the child. In addition, the main rule was and remains the following: your baby must be of the same genetic sex as the child itself. However, now this prescription has been simplified a little, and both a man and a woman can be chosen as such. The main thing is that they should not be spouses, should not be with each other in intimate relationship, both were Orthodox believers.
Godparents are responsible before God for their successor. Therefore, I advise you to consider relatives or close people, and not friends and girlfriends. Although sometimes it happens that friends are closer people than their own relatives. Well, we got to the main thing - how many times can you be godfather or mother? I will devote a separate chapter of my article to this. So go ahead!
My dears, become spiritual parents! You can become them an unlimited number of times! Yes exactly! There are no, sorry for the comparison, "limits"! The most important thing is to remember your direct duties to the godson. Know that you, before the Lord himself, during the Sacrament, take on a great responsibility for your godson. Therefore, remember, if you have become spiritual parents for several children, then please do not forget to take an active part in the life of each of them: pray for them and in no case stop communicating with them!
Without a doubt, the Orthodox Church and the clergy in particular refute various not "pure" rumors about how many times you can be a godmother for a child. Statements that the first godchild for a person who has become a spiritual parent for the second time are no longer considered such - are greatly exaggerated.
So my good ones! How many times can you be a godmother (well, or a father)? That's right - an infinite number! I hope this information will be useful to you, and you, in turn, promise not to inflate any more incomprehensible disputes and battles around a fairly obvious fact. God bless you!
The sacrament of baptism is a path into the world of Orthodox Christians. One of the most important actions in a person's life. An infant, receiving baptism, is born again for spiritual life. The Lord gives the newly baptized, who accompanies him throughout his life and protects him from troubles and misfortunes. When choosing a godfather for their baby, some are interested in: “How many times can you be a godfather”?
Choice of godparents
The Church unequivocally answers this question - an unlimited number of times. Another thing is whether you are ready to be a spiritual mentor to several young children at once. After all, this is not an easy mission. Becoming a godfather, you take responsibility and care for the little man.
Who can become a godfather?
- A person who is himself baptized.
- A Christian who often attends church, who knows the basic commandments and laws of Orthodoxy.
- native or close person who can be next to your child.
You cannot become godparents of one child to members of the same family - a husband and wife, as well as a guy and a girl who love each other and are going to get married. It also cannot be taken godparents leading a dissolute or unrighteous lifestyle.
It is worthwhile to approach the choice of godparents consciously. No need to focus on the wealth or fame of people. You should know that your baby should have a person on earth who can guide him on the right path and help him in a difficult situation.
In our country, baptism in churches is mainly carried out on weekends. It is necessary to talk in advance with the priest about the ritual, discuss the main points and choose a name for the child. You can name the baby after the saint on which day the christening takes place, or the priest will offer his own version of the name. Subsequently, a person will have to learn the life story of the saint and acquire an image with his image.
Most often, a baby is baptized on the 8th or 40th day from birth. In any case, it is not worth delaying with the sacrament, since small man not protected from troubles and misfortunes.
If the child is already large enough, the godfather acts as a person who vouches for his pupil.
To prepare for the sacrament, you need to come to a conversation with a priest. Some churches conduct the so-called Orthodox examination. The priest asks to tell about the main commandments or to reveal the essence of communion. Before you go to such a conversation, you should prepare.
Be sure before the ritual, the future godfather must fast for 3 days, then go through the rite of communion and confession.
Future godparents also usually pay for the ritual itself, acquire pectoral cross and special attire for the baby: a baptismal shirt, a towel and a sheet. But these requirements are not mandatory, so all these items can be bought by the child's parents.
Baptism raises a lot of questions for future godparents.
When answering the question of how many times one can be a godfather, one should know that only a spiritually rich, church-going and responsible person can become a godfather as many times as necessary.
They say that if you baptize a second child, then the cross is removed from the first - these are all rumors, let's talk all the same about how many times you can be a godmother.
You can become a godmother several times, more precisely, as much as your heart desires. The main thing at the same time is to remember your duties to the godson, which you take on during the sacrament of baptism. Being a spiritual mother and having two or three godchildren (goddaughters), it is necessary to take an active part in their spiritual development, pray for them and not stop communicating with them.
Rumors that becoming the second time the godfather, the first child is no longer considered a godson, the church denies in the following way. First, the sacrament of baptism has already been performed and is valid. There is no such thing as the rebaptism of a child in the Orthodox Church, it is the same as being physically born a second time. Secondly, if a woman gave birth to a second child, then it turns out that the first one must be taken away from her, otherwise how to understand the words "the cross is removed from the first child."
Interested in the answer to the question “How many times can you be a godmother?”, Answer yourself at the same time, do you know your duties well. If not, please read them carefully. Otherwise, why baptize a second or third time?
Responsibilities of Godparents
By accepting a child from the hands of a priest, godparents, for life, take responsibility for his Orthodox education. Precisely for this, at one time, on the Last Judgment, they will have to bear the answer.
When the godson reaches a conscious age, the godmother, like the father, is obliged to teach him the basics Orthodox faith. The child must be familiar with Holy Scripture, know the commandments and basic prayers, attend church services.
In turn, his godparents should pray, until the end of their life on earth, for their godson. In addition, teach him faith and piety, introduce him to church sacraments.
I hope all of the above answers the question of how many times you can be a godmother. The main thing then is not to forget why you decided to become a godmother for the umpteenth time. Remember the faith of your godchildren, this is your faith. Being present at the sacrament of baptism, the recipients must offer God their love, their heart and their faith for the godson. And if the child grew up, and he does not have such qualities, it means that his godparents did not have them initially either. This is explained by the fact that the relationship between godparents and their spiritual children is more eternal and stronger than with parents in the flesh.
The custom of having godparents belongs to ancient Apostolic Tradition. Future godparents should be Orthodox believers, those who can give an account of their beliefs. At the time of the child's baptism, the recipients must know the Creed, as it will be necessary to read it at the sacrament. In addition, they must be prepared to give clear answers to the priest's questions, including renouncing Satan and spiritually uniting with Christ.