Baptism is a rite of communion with God and spiritual cleansing.
Every Orthodox parent sooner or later thinks about the baptism of a child, because without this the baby will be defenseless against the evil of this world and will not be able to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. In addition, unbaptized persons cannot participate in other ordinances of the church, such as the sacrament and weddings.
At baptism, the child receives a church name in honor of the saint, who will protect the person all his life. Many parents leave their child at baptism his worldly name, if it is in the calendar.
When can a child be baptized in 2022?
The Church does not establish forbidden days for baptism. Any priest will be happy to conduct baptism on any day of the week, as well as during fasting and Christian holidays. You can baptize a child both at Christmas, and at the Epiphany of the Lord or Easter.
The date of baptism must be approached from a practical point of view: on holidays there are often long queues, and the priest simply does not have time to carry out the ceremony. Therefore, it is better to postpone baptism for a less crowded day. It is also convenient to baptize a child on weekends as church services are shorter.
At what age to baptize a child
The Bible prescribes to conduct the sacrament at a conscious age so that a person understands its essence. For example, many Christian saints were baptized as adults, and Jesus performed the ceremony at the age of 30. Modern churches perform infant baptism.
It is customary to baptize a child in church at least 40 days after birth. Before this age, it is undesirable to baptize a baby, unless he is very sick. Children over 40 days old can be baptized at any age. The Church will not refuse baptism either to a teenager or an adult.
When can a child be baptized / photo ua.depositphotos.com
Who can and cannot be godparent
The godparent undertakes to become the spiritual mentor of his godson, educate him in the church faith and instruct him on the right path. Some requirements for godparents are clearly defined by the church, while others are controversial. In Orthodoxy, it is permissible to have both two godparents and one (of the same sex as the child).
Godfathers cannot be:
- parents of the child;
- monks;
- minors;
- non-Christians and non-Orthodox.
Optional requirements for godparents:
- it is desirable that the godparents are not blood relatives of the child;
- godfather and mother cannot be spouses, otherwise there will be spiritual incest between them.
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