Responsibilities of a godfather. What should a godfather and godmother do?

During the Baptism of a child, a large role is given to the godmother. She must take on her shoulders the main burden of responsibility for raising her godson in the spirit of the Orthodox faith. This requires a lot of effort, on the one hand. On the other hand, when you love your godson or goddaughter, you get great pleasure if you perform it correctly godmother duties. Now we will try to give answers to the most common questions,

What a godmother needs to know

Each godmother should prepare for her role in advance. It is the godmother’s responsibility to know not only the prayers that the priest requires during the preparatory interview, but also to understand the meaning of the Sacrament of Baptism being performed. Only an Orthodox Christian who has received Holy Baptism and is making efforts to live according to God’s commandments can be a godmother. In most churches of the Russian Orthodox Church it is required to know the following prayers: To the Heavenly King; Virgin Mary, rejoice; Our Father. In addition, you need to be able to read the Creed well. These prayers express the core essence of our faith. Not only the godmother, but also all Orthodox Christians must know them. The first of the prayers mentioned is an appeal to the Holy Spirit, who imparts grace-filled life-giving power to everything. During Baptism, the Holy Spirit invisibly cleanses a person’s soul from sins, gives strength to bear the cross of life and overcome obstacles on the path to salvation.

The second prayer in Latin is “Ave Maria.” It is often sung in different languages. With these words, the Archangel sent by God greeted the Blessed Virgin Mary. In it we express our respect to the Mother of the Savior of all people.

The “Our Father” prayer is an appeal to the first person of the Most Holy Trinity, God the Father. The Savior Himself taught this prayer to people. It expresses the desire for a life pleasing to God, trust in His providence for every person.

The “Creed” is read during Baptism. It expresses the basic dogmatic provisions of Orthodoxy. It is pronounced on behalf of the little Christian by the godparents. This moment reveals that they will later have to teach the child this conscious confession.

The duties of a godmother include understanding that raising a child in the Orthodox faith in our time is very hard work, which cannot be accomplished only on one’s own. You need to ask God for help, thank you for everything and understand that everything is possible for a believer with God’s help.

What should a godmother do?

The godmother should help, to the best of her ability, the parents prepare for the Sacrament of Baptism and the celebration of christenings. Her responsibilities include not only going through a special interview before Baptism, but also preparing gifts for the godchild. This could be a cross with a chain, a baptismal set, or an icon of the baby’s patron saint. In each individual case, everything is decided individually and agreed with the parents of the godchild.

The godmother must do everything in her power to ensure that her godchild grows into a true Christian, ready to confess his faith in all words and deeds.

Holy Baptism

A person’s acceptance of the Christian faith passes through the sacrament of Baptism, the meaning of which is to free a person from original sin. This ritual is performed only once in a lifetime. This tradition arose many centuries ago, and although it has undergone certain changes, it has still retained the basic rules and canons.

The essence of Christianity is ritual immersion in water, because it is believed that a person immersed in water becomes cleansed of his sins. The Epiphany rite, like several centuries ago, is performed by a priest. In most cases, this sacrament takes place in the Church, but it is not prohibited to perform it at home. As a rule, Baptism takes from forty-five minutes to an hour. According to established traditions, it is strongly recommended that a child be given only a Christian name.

How to choose a godmother

First of all, this person must be a believer and attend church not only on holidays. A godmother is a pious person who knows the basics of Christian doctrine. When choosing a godmother, you should not be guided only by friendship. Today you can be friends, and in a year you can forget about each other. You must be sure that no matter what happens, your child is in good hands and the godmother will communicate with your child in the future.

The godmother cannot be the natural or adoptive mother of the child.
Also, godparents should not be married to each other.
Only an Orthodox Christian can be a godmother.
The marital status of the future godmother is completely unimportant.
It is best if the recipient has church experience and has participated in the sacred sacraments, which gives her the right and advantage to bring God’s child to the temple and introduce him to religion.
A relative who will probably be with the baby all his life is best suited for this role.
In any case, this should be a person who will approach the spiritual upbringing of the child with all responsibility.

What happens during baptism

Baptism is one of the seven sacred sacraments. During the ritual, the baby is dipped into water three times, thereby eliminating original sin and other sins he himself committed before the rite of Baptism. This symbolizes the birth of a child again. Afterwards, the priest passes the baby into the hands of the godparents, at the same time assigning the responsibility to take care of the spiritual education of the newly-made godson.

Also, during the rite of Baptism, the recipients renounce Satan on behalf of the baby, thereby vouching for his spiritual upbringing.

Requirements for a godmother

The woman who is planning to be taken as a godmother must be warned about this in advance of the ceremony. After all, she needs not only to know the text of the prayer, but also to understand the very essence of Baptism. And, it goes without saying that only a woman who reveres Orthodoxy, who lives according to God’s commandments, can receive such a high honor. She must have knowledge of certain prayers that define the essence of Orthodoxy. First of all, these are the prayers to the “Heavenly King”, “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary”, “Creed” and, naturally, “Our Father”.

Responsibilities of a Godmother

From the moment a woman becomes a godmother, she is entrusted with the responsibility of praying to the Almighty for the support of the baby and helping the child become Orthodox as he grows up. Accordingly, the godmother is supposed to be with the child more often and help him overcome complicated life situations.

The godmother should teach the New Testament and talk about God in accessible words, pray together with her godson in the Church, constantly receive communion both herself and involve the child in this rite. It is also necessary to congratulate the godchild annually on his birthday and Angel Day.

Throughout life, the godmother is supposed to spiritually instruct her godson and demonstrate an example of the Christian way of life.

What are godparents for?

When a person undergoes the Sacrament of Baptism, he performs some rituals of renunciation of his former sinful life, the devil himself, and service to him. Then he unites with Christ and testifies to his faith in Him.

All this is within the power of an adult who consciously accepts Baptism. But when the Sacrament is passed through by a baby who cannot speak and is not aware of what is happening, adults come to his aid. The person who guarantees the faith of a baptized child is called a godfather. If this is a woman, she is accordingly called a godmother.

The name itself speaks of the importance of this purpose. Second father and second mother. They should replace parents in terms of Christian upbringing of the child. And in case of loss of physiological parents, godchildren must be adopted. But, of course, this must happen by free will.

Preparing for baptism

Preparations for Holy Epiphany must begin in advance. The woman chosen by the named mother two or three days before this ceremony is obliged to confess and receive communion. On the day of baptism, she should not eat or engage in carnal pleasures. Also, by the beginning of the sacrament of Baptism, the named mother must know exactly the prayers “Our Father” and “Creed”.

It should be emphasized that the future godmother is obliged to make or buy baptismal clothes and a towel for Holy Baptism, and on the day of christening she must wear a breast cross.

How to prepare for the ceremony

The godmother (baptismal responsibilities involve many points, including preparation for the ceremony) must prepare for the ritual in advance. First of all, this is the purchase of a cross, a kryzhma and a towel. This is also knowledge of the basic prayers: “Our Father” and “Creed”.

The preparation procedure includes the following aspects:

interview with a priest;
fasting, confession and communion;
knowledge of basic prayers.

In addition, the godmother must be of the Orthodox faith and be baptized, only in this case the sacrament of baptism will be completely correct.

Choosing a name for a child in the preparatory stage is also very important. In ancient Rus', it was customary to name children after the saint on whose memory day he was born or the day of baptism was appointed. But this is no longer relevant now and the church does not give any recommendations in this regard. The main thing is that the parents like the name, and it belongs to a saint.

It is also possible to baptize under a different name if the child’s own name is not included in the church list of names.

To perform the sacrament of baptism you will need the following things:

an illuminated pectoral cross (bought by the godfather), preferably silver;
christening clothes (white shirt), allowing you to freely expose the baby’s arms, legs and chest;
kryzhma (white cotton towel or diaper) is required for wiping and wrapping the baby after washing with water;
an icon of a saint with the child’s name (can be purchased at the church on the day of baptism);
birth certificate (based on it, a record is made and a baptismal document is issued).

Responsibilities of a godmother
Godmothers must have passports and crosses with them. Their clothes should be light-colored and cover all private parts (shoulders, legs, arms); women cover their heads with scarves.

Interview

After the parents decide on the date of baptism and agree on it with the clergyman, the godmother must undergo an interview with the priest. After the conversation, he will bless her for a sacred mission. As a rule, 1-2 such interviews are scheduled, sometimes the priest can schedule from 3 to 5 interviews.

In some churches, after preparatory conversations, they schedule exams, based on the results of which they issue a certificate or certificate and listen to an Orthodox course.

During such interviews, the priest explains to the godparents how the baptismal ceremony takes place, substantiates its meaning and the essence of the religion as a whole. Godparents must familiarize themselves (if this has not been done previously) with the text of the New Testament, and also memorize the main prayers - these are “Our Father”, “Hail the Virgin Mary”, “Creed”.

Fasting, Confession and Communion

Before the baptismal ceremony, godparents need to visit the temple, listen to the church service, confess and receive communion. Confession and communion means repentance of one's sins. The rules for conducting sacraments are discussed in detail at the interview.

Before confession and communion, a three-day fast is observed. Also, fasting should be observed three days before the baptism ceremony itself.

Fasting consists of limiting ourselves from some of our usual ways of life, that is:

do not eat food of animal origin;
abstain from marital relations;
do not use foul language, do not drink alcoholic beverages and do not go to various entertainment events.

People come to the baptismal ceremony on an empty stomach, which will allow the godmother to take part in the first communion in the child’s life and take communion with him.

What prayers you need to know

For a godmother, like for any other Christian, it is important to know and understand the essence of the “Creed” prayer. It is a description of the main dogmas of Orthodox teaching. By saying this prayer at baptism, godparents, instead of their spiritual pupil, recognize faith in the Creator of our Lord, his son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

In addition to this prayer, you need to learn the following:

"Our Father";
"King of Heaven";
"Virgin Mother of God, rejoice."

It is important not only to know and read these prayers, but also to understand their main essence and the spiritual meaning that they carry. Only in this way will the baptismal ceremony be completed correctly.

Cloth

The godmother (duties during baptism also include proper appearance) should be at the sacrament in modest clothes in light colors, because this is a bright holiday, especially since such tones look better in photographs and convey a light sacred image. The head must be covered, all intimate parts of the body are covered with clothing (shoulders, legs, décolleté).

Important tips on the appearance of the godmother:

the head is covered with a scarf, shawl or stole; a headdress combined with a goddaughter’s headdress will look great (if a girl is being baptized);
the length of the skirt or dress must be below the knees; you cannot choose tight-fitting or low-cut clothing;
arms up to the elbows should be covered; priests strongly recommend outfits with collars and sleeves below the elbow;
shoes must be chosen with closed soles, without heels, which will not only avoid leg fatigue, but also correctly perform all the steps with handing over the child (if a girl is baptized, then after the baptismal font and throughout the entire ceremony, her godmother holds her in her arms);
Make-up should be modest, no bright lipsticks or eye shadows are allowed.

Child's age

There is no specific framework for determining the age of a baby, but the church gives some recommendations on this matter. Ministers say that it is better to baptize a baby on the 8th day after his physical birth or after 40 days, when the mother is allowed to be in the temple.

It is believed that for 40 days after giving birth, a woman is in physiological impurity and is not allowed to enter the temple.

There are also certain events that require the sacrament to be performed immediately after birth. This is usually a threat to the life or health of the baby. At the same time, even restrictions such as periods of fasting or church holidays are excluded.

From my own experience, I can say that it is better to choose a period when the weather is warm outside, this will eliminate the risk of possible development of colds. It is also worth waiting for some time so that the child grows up a little and is more ready for such “stress”. Many people schedule christenings when the child is between 2 and 6 months old.

Responsibilities of the godmother at baptism

The requirements for the named mother when baptizing a girl and a boy have been slightly changed.

This difference lies in the actions after dipping the child into the water: if it is a boy, then the godfather takes him, and if it is a girl, the godmother takes her. All other responsibilities are the same.

Thus, during baptism, it is required that the godmother be dressed in a discreet long-cut dress, and her head must be covered with a scarf.
After lowering the child into the water, the woman needs to take her goddaughter in her arms and dress her in white clothes.
The godmother should hold the child while walking around the font and during the prayer service, as well as during the anointing with oil.
The godmother must understand that after Holy Baptism she is destined to become a spiritual mentor in the difficult life path of her godson.

Responsibilities of the named mother after baptism

After the completion of the Baptism ceremony, the named mother must take care of her godson, she is entrusted with responsibility before God for raising the child according to the principles of Christian morality. The named mother should also send prayers for the health of her godson, constantly take care of him, attend church with the child and, if necessary, unconditionally support the child.

The godmother is obliged to actively participate in the spiritual development of the godson, regardless of whether it is a boy or a girl. Responsibility in raising a child especially increases if some kind of grief has happened to the biological parents. The named mother is obliged to know the prayers herself, read them and teach her godson. The godmother needs to prepare the child for first communion and encourage him to attend church regularly and without coercion.

Recommendations for choosing gifts

According to tradition, the godparents buy their godchildren a pectoral cross, a shirt and a kryzhma for the sacrament. Other baptismal gifts may include:

icon – often ordered specifically according to the size of the baby’s height;
books of spiritual content;
Gospel;
collections of prayers.

Many additionally present things that do not have religious significance, but serve as gifts for the acquired spiritual child. The godfather often orders video recording of the ceremony and pays for the festive table. Children are given children's silverware - spoons, cups. Girls can be presented with jewelry “for growth.”

Responsibility for godchildren remains with the godchildren for life. They are responsible for education in Orthodox traditions. Choosing worthy godparents will help the child find good friends and mentors not only in matters of faith, but also in life.

How is the sacrament of child baptism performed?

Based on the fact that after the birth of a child, the biological mother is considered “unclean”, she is not allowed to be in the Church until the cleansing prayer read by the clergyman on the fortieth day after birth. Therefore, the main burden of responsibilities during Baptism falls on the godmother. She holds the child in her arms, undresses and dresses him, and, if necessary, consoles him.

Despite the generally accepted collection of donations for the rite of baptism, in certain cases priests must perform this sacrament without donations.

As a rule, baptism takes place in the Church, but if the child is unwell, a priest is invited home to perform the specified rite, although after recovery the child must be brought to church for churching.

We must not forget that if the child’s name is in the Saints, it remains unchanged at Baptism. In other cases, the child is named after the Saint on whose day the sacrament is performed.

Considering that the rite of Baptism marked the beginning of a spiritual connection between godparents, based on the strictest prohibition of carnal relations between spiritual relatives, marriages between the godfather and the godson’s mother are not allowed.

Also, biological mother and father cannot be godparents to their child.

The rite of Baptism itself begins with the priest reading out prohibition prayers, thereby driving Satan away from the child in the name of God. Then the godfather and mother, on behalf of the baptized person, renounce Satan three times, three times proclaiming union with Jesus Christ as God and King. The Creed is recited, which sets out the foundations of the confession of Orthodoxy. After this, the priest blesses the water and oil - oil, which is used to anoint the child.

Having taken the baby out of the water, after dipping it three times, he is placed in the kryzhma - baptismal swaddling cloth (it should be noted that instead of immersing the child in water, you can simply douse or spray him with water). Then the rite of Confirmation occurs and tonsure is performed - cutting off a small lock of hair from the baby. The end of the rite of Baptism and the putting on of a cross on the child’s body marks the birth of a new Christian. A person can be baptized only once throughout his life - this is due to the fact that a person is physically born only once.

What godparents must do before the sacrament of baptism

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

Who exactly will buy a baptismal set, a pectoral cross and an icon does not make a fundamental difference. If godparents want to give a gift to their godson, they can bear part of the costs themselves.

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

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

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

How the ceremony goes - step by step

At the beginning of the ceremony, the priest reads prohibition prayers, in this way, in the name of the Almighty, driving out Satan from the person being baptized.
Then the baptized person, or named parents on his behalf, renounces Satan three times, three times declaring reunion with Jesus Christ as God and King.
The Creed is read three times, which sets out the essence of the confession of the Orthodox faith.
Then the priest consecrates the water and oil - oil. Oil is used to anoint the person being baptized, after which he will be in the tree of the Church of Christ.
Three times the baby is lowered into the water, from which he is placed in a baptismal swaddling cloth - kryzhma.
Next comes the Sacrament of Confirmation.
During the reading of the Gospel, tonsure is performed: the priest cuts off a small lock of hair from the child.
At the end of the ceremony, as a sign that the baby has already become a Christian, he is given a cross.

Prayers for a child's baptism;
Rules for baptism - on what dates it is possible;
How to dedicate a cross.

Baptize in infancy or in adulthood?

For years, debates have continued even among believers: is it possible to baptize a baby? Or should I wait until the child grows up and comes to this consciously?

If you are believing parents, full members of the Church, who want to raise your own children in the Christian spirit, then there are no questions for you. You are fully capable of vouching for your children before God.

It’s a different matter if parents baptize their children only because “that’s how everyone does it” or “the child won’t get sick.”

It’s more like some kind of magical-ritual attitude towards the Church: if a child is sick, he needs to be baptized, if he’s sick again, he needs to be given communion. Who thinks that a baptized boy or girl is born to eternal life? That at the Last Judgment he will be judged as a Christian, and not according to his conscience?

Therefore, parents, when answering the question “Is it possible to baptize a baby?”, should not forget about responsibility. Yes, you can be baptized in infancy, but then the responsibility for the spiritual development of the child falls on the birth parents and godparents. But on the other hand, they open up a new world and a door to a new life for this baby. In the Gospel of John, Christ says directly:

Are parents ready to bear such responsibility? Or, perhaps, we also need to prepare ourselves? To do this, it’s worth at least attending catechetical conversations, which are held in many churches nowadays. At such meetings, priests or competent laity will talk about faith, the Church, the meaning of the Sacraments and eternal life.

What should a godmother wear? Appearance of the godmother at the christening

It is required to respect church traditions, among others, those that relate to observing the rules of strict clothing when attending the rite of Baptism. It is mandatory for godparents to have crosses that were consecrated in the church.

The godmother is prohibited from arriving at the ceremony in trousers; she must wear a dress that covers her shoulders and legs below the knees, and a scarf on her head. Immodest clothing and flashy makeup are not permissible; it is not recommended to come in high heels, as this will lead to great inconvenience, because the child will need to be held in your arms for a long period.

What is a godmother supposed to do?

The responsibilities of the godmother are clearly defined, therefore, based on church statutes, she must:

pray for the spiritual development and health of the baby;
to introduce the child to the church, attend it together, as he grows up, introduce him to Orthodox traditions, take him to the temple of God and be a real mentor;
providing support and assistance is mandatory;
to be a good example, that is, it should embody the ideal of an Orthodox believing woman, capable of guiding her to perform pious deeds.

The duties of the godmother include explaining what the Bible is, reading it, and explaining the meaning of religious rites, holidays and traditions. Having your own children, younger sisters and brothers, as well as nephews should not become an obstacle to caring for your godson.