Baptism: why, when, how and with whom. How many times can you be godmother

Decor elements 15.10.2019

Decor elements

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 your child's spiritual guide. 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 intimate with each other, 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!

How many times can you be a godmother or godmother for a child?

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!

"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 say, "I don't know, I think so." Well, citizens, if you talk like that, then it’s a sin to die - what if it’s wrong ... In general, it’s time to dispel all the rumors and doubts about how many times you can be a godmother! I dedicate this article primarily to my girlfriends and, of course, to you, my beloved readers! Let me start a little from afar and introduce you to some of the basics of choosing spiritual mentors for your child. It is very important not to make mistakes! Remember, the godfather (or mother) is your child's spiritual guide. Stop your choice only on those candidates who, in your opinion, will be able to endow the child with spiritual values ... In addition, the main rule was and remains the following: the spiritual mentor of your baby must be of the same genetic sex as the child himself. 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 intimate with each other, 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 a godfather or mother? I will devote a separate chapter of my article to this. So go ahead!

How many times can you be a godmother or godmother for a child?

My dear friends who want to 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 your 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.

Firstly, each sacrament of baptism, performed in accordance with all the rules and customs, is valid and cannot be canceled. The child is not rebaptized!
Secondly, when compared with worldly parents, it turns out that during the birth of the second baby, the first one must be denied! But this is absurd!

Godparents: Who Can Become a Godparent? What do godmothers and godfathers need to know? How many godchildren can you have? Answers in the article!

Briefly:

The godfather, or godfather, must be Orthodox Christian. A godfather cannot be a Catholic, a Muslim, or a very good atheist, because main duty godfather - to help the child grow into Orthodox faith.
The godfather must be church man, ready to regularly take the godson to the temple and monitor his Christian upbringing.
After the baptism is done, godfather cannot be changed, but if the godfather has changed a lot for the worse, the godson and his family should pray for him.
pregnant and unmarried women MAY to be godparents for both boys and girls - do not listen to superstitious fears!
Godparents cannot be the father and mother of the child, as well as a husband and wife cannot be godparents for one child. other relatives - grandmothers, aunts and even older brothers and sisters can be godparents.

Many of us were baptized as infants and no longer remember what happened. And then one day we are invited to become a godmother or godfather, or maybe even happier - our own child is born. Then we think again about what the Sacrament of Baptism is, whether we can become godparents for someone and how we can choose godparents for our child.

Replies Prot. Maxim Kozlov to questions about the duties of godparents from the site “Tatiana's Day“.

- I was invited to become a godfather. What will I have to do?

– Being a godfather is both an honor and a responsibility.

The godmother and father, participating in the Sacrament, take responsibility for the little member of the Church, so they must be Orthodox people. Of course, a godfather should become a person who also has some experience in church life and will help parents raise a baby in faith, piety and purity.

During the performance of the Sacrament over the baby, the godfather (of the same gender as the child) will hold him in his arms, pronounce on his behalf the Creed and vows of renunciation of Satan and union with Christ. Read more about the procedure for performing Baptism.

The main thing in which the godfather can and should help and in which he undertakes is not only to be present at Baptism, but also then to help those received from the font grow, strengthen in church life, and in no case limit your Christianity to the fact of Baptism alone. According to the teachings of the Church, for how we have taken care of the fulfillment of these duties, we will be asked the same on the day of the last judgment, as well as for the upbringing of our own children. Therefore, of course, the responsibility is very, very big.

- And what to give to the godson?

- Of course, you can give your godson a cross and a chain, no matter what they are made of; the main thing is that the cross should be of the traditional form adopted in Orthodox Church.

In the old days, there was a traditional church gift for christening - this is a silver spoon, which was called a "gift for a tooth", it was the first spoon that was used when feeding a child, when he started eating from a spoon.

How do I choose godparents for my child?

– Firstly, the godparents must be baptized, churched Orthodox Christians.

The main thing is that the criterion for your choice of a godfather or godmother should be whether this person can subsequently help you in a good, Christian upbringing received from the font, and not only in practical circumstances. And of course, important criterion there must be a degree of our acquaintance and simply the friendliness of our relations. Think about whether the godparents you choose will be the child's church educators or not.

Is it possible for a person to have only one godparent?

- Yes it is possible. It is only important that the godparent be of the same gender as the godson.

- If one of the godparents cannot be present at the Sacrament of Baptism, is it possible to perform the ceremony without him, but write him down as a godparent?

- Until 1917, there was a practice of absentee godfathers, but it was applied only to members of the imperial family, when they, as a sign of royal or grand ducal mercy, agreed to be considered godparents of one or another baby. If it's a similar situation, do it, and if not, it's probably best to go with common practice.

- Who can't be a godfather?

- Of course, non-Christians - atheists, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and so on, cannot be godparents, no matter how close friends of the child's parents and no matter how pleasant people they are in communication.

An exceptional situation - if there are no close people close to Orthodoxy, and you are sure of the good morals of a non-Orthodox Christian - then the practice of our Church allows one of the godparents to be a representative of another Christian confession: Catholic or Protestant.

According to the wise tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church, a husband and wife cannot be godparents of the same child. Therefore, it is worth considering if you and the person with whom you want to start a family are invited to become sponsors.

- And which of the relatives can be a godfather?

– An aunt or an uncle, a grandmother or a grandfather can become the godparents of their little relatives. It should only be remembered that a husband and wife cannot be godparents of one child. However, it is worth thinking about this: our close relatives will still take care of the child, help us raise him. In this case, do we not deprive the little person of love and care, because he could have one or two adult Orthodox friends to whom he could turn throughout his life. This is especially important at a time when the child is looking for authority outside the family. The godfather at this time, in no way opposing himself to his parents, could become the person whom the teenager trusts, from whom he asks for advice even about what he does not dare to tell his relatives.

Is it possible to refuse godparents? Or to baptize a child for the purpose of a normal upbringing in the faith?

- In any case, a child cannot be re-baptized, because the Sacrament of Baptism is performed once, and no sins of either the godparents, or his relatives, or even the person himself can cancel all those grace-filled gifts that are given to a person in the Sacrament of Baptism.

As for communication with godparents, then, of course, betrayal of faith, that is, falling into one or another heterodox confession - Catholicism, Protestantism, especially falling into one or another non-Christian religion, godlessness, a blatantly impious way of life - in fact, they say that that a man has failed in his duty as a godfather. The spiritual union concluded in this sense in the Sacrament of Baptism can be considered terminated by the godmother or godmother, and you can ask another churched pious person to take a blessing from his confessor to bear the care of the godfather or godmother for this or that child.

- I was invited to be the godmother of a girl, but everyone tells me that the boy must be baptized first. Is it so?

- The superstitious idea that a girl should have a boy as her first godson and that a baby girl taken from the font will become an obstacle to her subsequent marriage has no Christian roots and is an absolute fabrication that an Orthodox Christian should not be guided by in any way.

- They say that one of the godparents must be married and have children. Is it so?

- On the one hand, the opinion that one of the godparents must be married and have children is a superstition, just like the idea that a girl who takes a girl from the font will either not marry herself, or it will impose on her fate some imprint.

On the other hand, in this opinion one can also see a certain kind of sobriety, if one does not approach it with a superstitious interpretation. Of course, it would be reasonable if people (or at least one of the godparents) are chosen as godparents for the baby, who have sufficient life experience, who themselves already have the skill of raising children in faith and piety, who have something to share with the baby's physical parents. And it would be highly desirable to look for such a godfather.

Can a pregnant woman be a godmother?

– Church statutes do not prevent a pregnant woman from being a godmother. The only thing I urge you to think about is whether you have the strength and determination to share the love for your own child with the love for the adopted baby, will you have time to take care of him, for advice to the parents of the baby, in order to sometimes pray warmly for him , bring to the temple, somehow be a good older friend. If you are more or less confident in yourself and circumstances allow, then nothing prevents you from becoming a godmother, and in all other cases, it may be better to measure seven times before cutting off once.

About godparents

Natalia Sukhinina

“Recently, I got into a conversation with a woman on the train, or rather, we even argued with her. She argued that godparents, like biological father and mother, are obliged to educate their godson. But I do not agree: a mother is a mother, to whom she will allow to interfere in the upbringing of a child. I also once had a godson in my youth, but our paths diverged a long time ago, I don’t know where he lives now. And she, this woman, says that now I will have to answer for him. Responsible for someone else's child? Something is unbelievable…”

(From a letter from a reader)

It so happened, and my life paths turned in a completely different direction from my godparents. Where they are now, how they live, and whether they are alive at all, I don’t know. Even their names could not be retained by memory, they baptized me long ago, in infancy. I asked my parents, but they don’t remember themselves, they shrug their shoulders, they say that people lived in the neighborhood at that time, and they were invited to be godparents.

And where are they now, what to call them, to magnify, do you remember?

To be honest, for me this circumstance has never been a flaw, I grew up and grew up, without godparents. No, she was cunning, it was once, envied. A school friend got married and received as a wedding gift as thin as a cobweb, gold chain. The godmother gave it, she boasted to us, who could not even dream of such chains. That's when I envied it. If I had a godmother, maybe I would ...
Now, of course, having lived and thought, I am very sorry about my random “father and mother”, who don’t even keep in mind that I remember them now in these lines. I remember without reproach, with regret. And, of course, in a dispute between my reader and a fellow traveler in the train, I am completely on the side of the fellow traveler. She's right. To hold us responsible for the godchildren and goddaughters scattered from their parental nests, because they are not random people in our lives, but our children, spiritual children, godparents.

Who doesn't know this picture?

Dressed up people stand aside in the temple. The center of attention is a baby in lush lace, he is passed from hand to hand, they go outside with him, they distract him so that he does not cry. Waiting for christening. They look at the clock, nervous.

Godmother and father can be recognized immediately. They are somehow especially concentrated and important. They rush to get a wallet to pay for the upcoming christening, give some orders, rustle bags of christening clothes and fresh diapers. The little man does not understand anything, goggles his eyes at the wall frescoes, at the lights of the chandelier, at the “persons accompanying him”, among which the face of the godfather is one of many. But the father invites - it's time. They fussed, got agitated, the godparents are trying their best to maintain importance - it doesn’t work, because for them, as well as for their godson, today’s exit to God’s temple is a significant event.
“When was the last time you were in church?” the priest will ask. They shrug their shoulders in embarrassment. He may not ask, of course. But even if he doesn’t ask, it’s still easy to determine from awkwardness and tension that godparents are not church people, and only the event in which they were invited to participate brought them under the vaults of the church. Father will ask questions:

- Do you carry a cross?

Do you read prayers?

- Do you read the Gospel?

Do you honor church holidays?

And the godparents will begin to mutter something indistinct, to lower their eyes guiltily. The priest will certainly conscience, remind of the duty of godfathers and mothers, in general, of Christian duty. Hastily and willingly, their godparents will nod their heads, humbly accept the denunciation of sin, and whether from excitement, or from embarrassment, or from the seriousness of the moment, few will remember and let into their hearts the main father's thought: we are all responsible for our godchildren, and now, and forever. And whoever remembers is likely to misunderstand. And from time to time, mindful of his duty, he will begin to invest in the well-being of the godson a feasible contribution.

The first deposit immediately after baptism: an envelope with a crisp solid banknote - for a tooth. Then for birthdays, as the child grows - a chic set of children's dowry, an expensive toy, a fashionable satchel, a bicycle, a branded suit, and so on up to the gold, to the envy of the poor, chains for the wedding.

We know very little. And it’s not a problem, but something that we don’t really want to know. After all, if they wanted to, then before going to the church as a godfather, they would have looked there the day before and asked the priest what this step “threatens” us with, how it is more worthy to prepare for it.
Godfather - in Slavic godfather. Why? After immersion in the font, the priest passes the baby from his hands into the hands of the godfather. And he accepts, takes it into his own hands. The meaning of this action is very deep. By perception, the godfather takes upon himself the honorable, and most importantly, responsible mission to lead the godson along the path of ascent to the Heavenly heritage. That's where! After all, baptism is the spiritual birth of a person. Remember, in the Gospel of John: "Whoever is not born of water and the Spirit cannot enter the Kingdom of God."

In serious words - "guardians of faith and piety" - the Church calls the recipients. But to keep, you need to know. Therefore, only a believing Orthodox person can be a godfather, and not the one who, together with the baptized baby, first got into the temple. Godparents should know at least the basic prayers “Our Father”, “Virgin Mary”, “May God rise again ...”, they must know the “Symbol of Faith”, read the Gospel, the Psalter. And, of course, to wear a cross, to be able to be baptized.
One priest said: they came to baptize the child, but the godfather did not have a cross. Father to him: put on a cross, but he can’t, unbaptized. It's just a joke, but it's the real truth.

Faith and repentance are the two main conditions for union with God. But one cannot demand faith and repentance from a baby in lace, so the godparents are called, having faith and repentance, to pass them on, to teach them to their godparents. That is why, instead of babies, they pronounce the words of the "Creed" and the words of renunciation of Satan.

Do you deny Satan and all his works? the priest asks.

“I deny it,” the recipient answers instead of the baby.

The priest is wearing a bright festive robe as a sign of the beginning of a new life, which means spiritual purity. He walks around the font, censes it, all those standing next to the lit candles. Candles are burning in the hands of the recipients. Very soon, the priest will lower the baby three times into the font and, wet, wrinkled, not at all understanding where he is and why, a servant of God, will be handed over to the godparents. And he will be dressed in white clothes. At this time, a very beautiful troparion is sung: “Give me a light robe, put on light, like a robe ...” Accept your child, godparents. From now on, your life will be filled with a special meaning, you have taken on the feat of spiritual parenthood, and for how you carry it, you now have to answer to God.

At the First Ecumenical Council, a rule was adopted according to which women become godparents for girls, men for boys. Simply put, a girl needs only godmother, the boy is only a godfather. But life, as it often happens, has made its own adjustments here. According to the ancient Russian tradition, both are invited. It, of course, will not spoil the porridge with butter. But even here it is necessary to know certain rules. For example, a husband and wife cannot be godparents to one child, just as the parents of a child cannot be godparents at the same time. Godparents cannot marry their godchildren.

... Behind the baptism of the baby. He has a great life ahead of him, in which we have a place equal to those who gave birth to his father and mother. Ahead is our work, our constant striving to prepare the godson for the ascent to spiritual heights. Where to begin? Yes, from the smallest. At first, especially if the child is the first, parents are knocked down from the worries that have fallen on them. They are, as they say, nothing. Now is the time to lend them a helping hand.

Carry the baby to Communion, make sure that icons hang over his cradle, give notes for him in the temple, order prayers, constantly, like your own blood children, commemorate in prayers at home. Of course, you don’t have to do it instructively, they say, you are mired in fuss, but I’m all spiritual - I think about the high, I aspire to the high, I feed your child, so that you do without me ... In general, the spiritual upbringing of the baby is possible only in if the godfather in the house is his own person, desirable, tactful. It is not necessary, of course, to shift all the worries onto yourself. The duties of spiritual education are not removed from parents, but to help, support, replace somewhere, if necessary, this is mandatory, without this one cannot be justified before the Lord.

This is a really difficult cross. And, perhaps, you need to think carefully before you lay it on yourself. Can I? Will I have enough health, patience, spiritual experience to become a recipient of a person entering into life? And parents should take a good look at relatives and friends - candidates for an honorary post. Who among them can become a truly good helper in education, who will be able to give your child true Christian gifts - prayer, the ability to forgive, the ability to love God. And plush bunnies the size of elephants may be nice, but not at all necessary.

If there is trouble in the house, then there are other criteria. How many unfortunate, restless children suffer from drunken fathers, unlucky mothers. And how many simply unfriendly, embittered people live under one roof and make children suffer cruelly. As old as the world, such stories are banal. But if a person who stood with a lit candle in front of the baptismal font fits into this plot, if he, this person, rushes, as if into an embrasure, towards his godson, he can turn mountains. Doing good is also good. It is not in our power to drive away a fool-man from half a liter, to reason with a lost daughter or to sing “make peace, make peace, make peace” to two frowning halves. But it is in our power to take away to our dacha for a day at the dacha a boy weary of affection, write him down in Sunday school and take the trouble to lead him there, and pray. Prayer feat is at the forefront of godparents of all times and peoples.

The priests are well aware of the severity of the feat of the recipients and do not bless to recruit a lot of children for their children, good and different.

But I know a man who has more than fifty godchildren. These boys and girls are just from there, from childhood loneliness, childish sadness. From a big child's misfortune.

This man's name is Alexander Gennadyevich Petrynin, he lives in Khabarovsk, directs the Children's Rehabilitation Center, or, more simply, in an orphanage. As a director, he does a lot, digs through funds for equipping classes, selects cadres from conscientious, unselfish people, rescues his wards from the police, collects them in the basements.

Like a godfather, he takes them to church, tells them about God, prepares them for Communion, and prays. Pray a lot, a lot. In Optina Hermitage, in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, in the Diveevsky Monastery, in dozens of churches throughout Russia, long notes written by him about the health of numerous godchildren are read. He is very tired, this man, sometimes he almost collapses from fatigue. But he has no other choice, he is a godfather, and his godchildren are a special people. His heart is a rare heart, and the priest, realizing this, blesses him for such asceticism. A teacher from God, those who know him in business say about him. Godfather from God - is it possible to say so? No, probably all godparents are from God, but he knows how to suffer like a godfather, knows how to love like a godfather, and knows how to save. Like a godfather.

For us, whose godchildren, like the children of Lieutenant Schmidt, scattered throughout the cities and villages, his ministry to children is an example of a real Christian ministry. I think that many of us cannot reach its heights, but if we do life with someone, then just with those who understand their title of “grandparent” as a serious, and not an accidental matter in life.
One can, of course, say: I am a weak, busy person, not so hot a church person, and the best thing I can do in order not to sin is to refuse the offer to be a godfather altogether. It's more honest and easier, right? Easier - yes. But more honest...
Few of us, especially when the time has imperceptibly come to stop, look around, can say to ourselves - I am a good father, a good mother, I owe nothing to my own child. We are indebted to everyone, and the godless time in which our requests, our projects, our passions grew, is the result of our debts to each other. We won't give them away. Children have grown up and do without our truths and our discoveries of America. The parents got old. But conscience - the voice of God - itches and itches.

Conscience requires a splash, and not in words, but in deeds. Can it not be such a thing to carry the duties of the Cross?
It is a pity that there are few examples of the feat of the cross among us. The word "godfather" has almost disappeared from our vocabulary. And the recent wedding of the daughter of my childhood friend was a great and unexpected gift for me. Or rather, not even a wedding, which in itself is a great joy, but a feast, the wedding itself. And that's why. Sat down, poured wine, waiting for a toast. Everyone is somehow embarrassed, the parents of the bride skip ahead with the speeches of the groom's parents, they are vice versa. And then a tall and handsome man stood up. He got up in a very businesslike manner. He raised his glass:

“I mean, as the godfather of the bride…”

Everyone quieted down. Everyone listened to the words about young people living long, together, having many children, and most importantly, with the Lord.
“Thank you, godfather,” said the charming Yulia, and from under the luxurious foaming veil she gave her godfather a grateful look.

Thank you godfather, I thought. Thank you for carrying the love for your spiritual daughter from the baptismal candle to the wedding. Thank you for reminding us all of something we had completely forgotten about. But we have time to remember. How many - the Lord knows. Therefore, we must hurry.

Faith is a kind of science, the canons of which can be understood through its deep study. During the rite of the sacrament of baptism, especially many dilemmas arose. Human prejudice raises many controversial issues. One of these questions is: how many godchildren can one person have.

A bit of history

When Christianity was just beginning to emerge, there were many pagans who were not taught the basics of the faith. They decided to baptize their heirs and baptize themselves. They asked Christians to become godparents at baptism. The recipients told their parents the basics of the Christian faith and taught this to their children. Each godfather understood his duties.

To date, the rite of baptism has become a tribute to tradition, and not just the sacrament of the consecration of the church.

A mixture of statements

Christianity spread in our lands over a thousand years ago. Along with the advent of a new religion, unique rituals and traditions appeared. The previous pagan faith was part of the reason for the extraordinary rites. And the mentality and time left a big imprint on Orthodoxy. Church rituals overgrown with many gossip and prejudice. The sacrament of baptism is no exception.

Modern people today know little about the laws of the Almighty. A believer has a lot of questions on this or that occasion. One of these questions for most people is: how many godchildren can one person have and is it possible to baptize several children.

Religion for these questions does not give a clear answer. But the priests say that only the person himself can solve this problem. When a child is baptized, a person becomes his second parent (second mother or second father), which means that he has a number of obligations to the child. Failure to do so is considered a grave sin.

The Mystery of Baptism

Before taking responsibility for someone else's child and having a number of obligations to him, a person must find out what is hidden behind this rite and what role godparents play in it. And only after a person deals with this issue, he himself will understand how many godchildren he can have.

The main thing that every person needs to understand is that the ritual provides for initiation into church life of a child. At the same time, all the sins of relatives and friends that were transmitted to him with blood are removed from the baby. The christening ceremony is the new religious birth of the baby. During the sacrament, the child begins to commune with God. Now the responsibility for his fate lies not only with his parents, but also with God, who will protect him from trouble and evil.

After the ritual, parents must raise their child in the Orthodox faith. In this task they are assisted by their godparents. If you are ready to take on this responsibility and are a believer, then you can safely baptize as many children as you are asked to.

The mission of the godparents

It is believed that being a godfather is an honor. The title "godfather" or "godfather" means that out of all their newly-made parents they chose you and believe that you will cope with the role of a second parent for their child. They are you are trusted with the fate of their baby. You must justify their hope and faith for this and not let them down.

The godfather, like a real Orthodox person, will introduce his new child, the godson, to God. This includes the following:

Life according to the laws of the Lord.
The study of prayers.
Trips to the temple.

Those people who consider the main task of godfathers to be friends with the real parents of their godson are deeply mistaken. You can not buy off the godson and a gift for a particular holiday. For the person who won't take care of an Orthodox upbringing your godson, you can't be a godfather.

A person who cannot pay due attention to the godson should not take on additional duties. Being a parent is a difficult mission. And if the parents did not want or could not involve their child in the church, then their baby will grow up as an unkind person. This sin will also be yours.

Refusal is not a crime

A person who understands full responsibility, can boldly refuse such duties. But the reason for the refusal to parents should be explained in detail. If you yourself cannot bring this fact to the consciousness of your own parents, then you the priest will come to the rescue. He will explain in detail when, how many times and why you can be a godparent, and when not. Is rejection a sin? The answer is unequivocal - no. But the heavy guilt is to take responsibility for instructing the child on the right path and not cope with this task.

There are simply no other serious reasons for refusal, which are provided by the church. The exception is a person of a different faith. After all, the main task of a church parent is to help the child become a true Orthodox Christian.

Inquiry Office

If it is difficult to find a solution on your own, then you can turn to a priest for help. This applies to both the material side of the ritual, and the spiritual.

The person who is in Holy Scripture bad orientation, but believes in prejudice and gossip, correctly and soberly can not assess the situation. In addition, a person who does not understand the laws of the church does not need to draw conclusions on his own, based on the opinion of some acquaintances. After all, these people can also confuse truth and speculation.

But the priest will correctly and easily be able to answer all the questions that interest you. His sacred duty is to explain to a person in an accessible way why it is worth doing just that in a given situation. Before answering whether you can be a godparent for several children, the priest will definitely ask about your relationship with your previous godchildren, whether you are a believer.

Religion and people

All major disputes arise from gossip. Very often you can hear that the first godson of a woman should be a boy. But the church claims that it does not matter what gender your godson will be. But there is a little-known truthful concept: for the child only one godfather bears primary responsibility parent (of the same sex as the baby). In other words, the godmother will report for the girl in the next world, and the godfather for the boy. The tradition of matching the opposite sex is folk, not church. One person can baptize a baby.

Nuns and priests

If you have not decided to take responsibility for the baby, and there is no one else to take on this role, then explain to the parents that the child can be baptized without other people. Naturally, the church does not recommend doing this because if something happens to the parents and the baby becomes an orphan, then he falls under the guardianship of the godparents.

Godfathers should take the child into their family and raise it as their own. This fact makes once again think about whether you can be a godparent to several children.

Parenting Details

Godfathers without any barriers can take a church marriage. After all blood relatives they are not. But in the future, they should not baptize one baby.

Another question of interest to many is: is it possible to baptize several children in one family to one person. The answer is simple - it's up to you. Rely on that can you complete this mission. But if you are asked about this task again, then you are good godfather for their previous children.

The main tasks of godparents are:

Be a child's teacher for life.
Counselor in all matters and undertakings.
Faithful and devoted friend.

If the godson falls ill, then you need to pray for his health and involve your whole family in this ritual. It is worth asking the Lord for the house of an adopted daughter or son. Together with the baby, you should take communion and attend services in the church. Necessary help him live with faith in the church, to talk about the life of the saints, in the future to take care of his heirs.

Each godchild should be given attention not only on holidays.

A separate baby requires certain words, his own special approach. If you can help your godchildren in a difficult situation and in life in general, then the Lord will surely thank you. He will send you good luck and happiness.

The baptism of a child is one of the most important and bright events in the life of both the baby and his parents. It is unacceptable to treat this ceremony lightly, since christening is an unusual holiday. On this day, the child acquires not only the named parents, but also a guardian angel who will be with him all his life.

It is not surprising that many seek to baptize their child immediately after birth. But it is impossible to hurry in such a matter, it is necessary to carefully prepare for every moment of the christening, thinking over and realizing all the little things. Many people are interested in the question - is it possible to be godfather to several children. There are discussions about this, but it is better to look for an answer from the ministers of the church themselves.

Young parents most often call their close friends for the role of godparents. But sometimes it happens that potential godparents of mom or dad already have several godchildren. How to be in this situation?

On the one hand, traditions say that it is impossible to refuse to be baptized, since you can invite trouble on yourself. On the other hand, would it be right to agree to take responsibility for one more person?

After all, baptism is not just a church ceremony, after which you can go to a banquet, forgetting about your main duties. To make the right decision, you need to carefully prepare and study the instructions of the spiritual fathers, who give valuable advice.

There is a superstition that one cannot become a godfather twice, since during the second ceremony the cross is removed from the first godson. This is nothing more than human opinion, which should not be relied upon when making a decision.

The clergy assure: nothing can cancel a properly conducted sacrament. Whether or not to agree to become a godfather for the second or third time is a personal matter for everyone. But in this case, you need to remember the responsibility before God, which the recipients take on. To have a godson means to have one more child, who always needs help in everything.

Spiritual parents should participate in the life of the baby not only materially, but also spiritually. Therefore, when choosing godparents, biological parents should be guided by the spiritual education of their friends and acquaintances.

When asked if it is possible to be godfather to several children, the church unequivocally answers yes. Therefore, if you have a desire to have another godson and participate in his spiritual upbringing, feel free to agree. But remember: you agreed to this role - you will have to make efforts to educate the child, and not just invite him to visit and give him presents once a year.

Who should not be called godparents?

The choice of godparents is a responsible task. Often young mom and dad are not familiar with
church laws and invite people to baptize their child who, according to the laws of the church, should not do this.

That is why before the christening it is necessary to communicate with the priest and consult on a number of issues.

Who cannot baptize a child?

- Gentiles. People who profess a different faith simply cannot be responsible for raising a baby according to Orthodox laws.
- Young couples or spouses. People who are in a church or civil marriage.
- The parents themselves. Biological mom and dad cannot baptize a son or daughter, since they are already assigned a special meaning in his life.
- Atheists. The very idea that an unbelieving person can become a godfather is ridiculous and absurd. After all, the primary task of the godfather is the spiritual education of the child, its introduction into the Christian world and familiarization with God's laws.
- Strangers, strangers. Rarely, but still, there are situations when the baby's parents, due to some circumstances, cannot find potential godparents among their acquaintances. In this case, they are asked to hold the baby in their arms during the christening completely strangers. Such a phenomenon is highly undesirable and is not approved by the church, although it does not fall under a direct ban.

Questions before christening

Questions such as how many times you can be a godmother and how many godchildren a godparent can have are absolutely normal for a person who is preparing to take on such responsibility.

It's important to know! What is it for and what is it: the rules of the sacrament

Every sane person who has been offered such a role thinks about what he will have to do after the baptism, what is his participation in the life of the godson in the future and how to behave in church? Excitement before a responsible event is a common phenomenon. There is no need to worry that you will do something wrong, because next to you there will always be a spiritual mentor who will tell you how to behave and in what sequence to perform the required actions.

Frequent questions asked by young parents before christening to a church minister:

Can a minor be a godfather?
Is it possible to be the godfather of several children?
Can a pregnant girl be baptized?
What is the best age to baptize a baby?
How many godparents should there be and how many times can one person become a godparent?

It is believed that a person who has not reached the age of majority cannot baptize a baby, since he does not realize all his responsibility in this process. It is definitely possible to baptize several children. But one should agree to this only if a person is sure that he will have enough time and energy to make a significant contribution to the upbringing of each godson.

Most often, young parents spend christening on the eighth day after birth. It is believed that the sooner a guardian angel is assigned to a new person, the better. But such an opportunity is not always available, because the church is not against christening at a later age. In some cases, the rite of baptism is carried out when a teenager is already entering a conscious age.

From the moment of christening, the baby has an invisible protector who will always protect him from all troubles. Often the name of an angel is directly related to the name of a person, since in the church they name a new servant of God in honor of a saint who patronizes a birthday or christening day.

According to church canons, each person can even have one godparent ( godmother or father). It is not necessary to invite a couple to the christening. But if the parents have a desire to intermarry with large quantity people, then you can arrange the sacrament of baptism with the involvement of even two or three couples.

Important! Having several godparents is not forbidden by the church, but before the sacrament, everyone who decides to become a godfather should listen to a brief parting word from the priest regarding further participation in the life of the godson.

Useful video: Rules for baptizing a child

Conclusion

Each person can become a godfather an unlimited number of times. The main thing in this matter is to remember that at God's Judgment everyone will have to be responsible for the upbringing of their godchildren in the same way as for the upbringing of their own children.