Many children are baptized infancy. By the time they reach adulthood, they remember nothing about their sacramental ritual. Again he turns to the rite of the sacrament of a person when he is asked to become a godfather (godparent), or has to baptize a child, and this is more difficult to do. Parents are faced with the mission of choosing godparents. But there are cases when it is difficult to select recipients and the ceremony must be carried out without them or with one recipient. Therefore, the question: “Is it possible to baptize a child without godparents?” is very relevant and the priest's response is of great importance.

Rite of the sacrament without two godparents

According to the church charter and traditions, the baby must have a godfather of the same gender as the godson, and the second godfather is chosen by the parents at will. Traditions have established for the Orthodox faith to have two successors for a child.

The ritual of the sacrament is performed for children at a young or adult age. At a young age, a baby cannot fully realize his faith and make a promise before the Lord God. Therefore, godparents take on this role. They represent the interests of the baby and say prayers and promises to the Lord for him.

Important! An exception will be when the ritual of the sacrament can occur without a single recipient. This includes situations where baptism needs to be carried out without delay.

So, if the child is in serious condition and cannot get to church, in this case there will be no time for godparents and the baptism will be carried out by a priest in the hospital room. After the child has recovered, he can be given a standard sacramental rite, with the presence of godparents and compliance with all customs and rules. There have been cases when lay people become recipients. It can be medical workers or just patients in the hospital.

Attention! There are no strict rules regarding the fact that children are not allowed to be baptized due to the absence of godparents. It is not the child’s fault that there were no suitable adopters. He has the right to accept Orthodox faith without godparents!

As for adults, it is easier for them to do without godparents. It is easy to verify this by reading the process of conducting the ritual of the Sacrament, where a person converting to the Orthodox faith must answer questions from the clergyman and recite prayers and oaths. An adult does not require outside help from recipients in performing the ritual.

There is no need to despair about the absence of godparents. Tradition and statutes established the presence of two successors, but it is prohibited to prohibit joining the church. The clergyman himself will act as godfather.

Rite of the sacrament without a recipient

If we turn to the church canons, there are no strict rules regarding the baptism of a child with one recipient. It is realistic for a boy to do without a godmother, but it is worth thinking about a godfather, since he is the same gender as the child, he should have an advantage in the ritual. The same applies to girls, but then preference is given to the godmother. It would not be right for a girl to do without a godmother.

If you have problems choosing one recipient, then you can try to register the child without godparents in absentia. Godparents will not be present at the sacramental ceremony, but godparents for the child will be registered. This will be a kind of formality.

Attention! Before deciding to baptize a child without a godparent, you must first go to church and consult with a clergyman; some may not allow the sacrament to be performed.

Although it would be a violation church rules, since every child and adult can accept the Orthodox faith, despite the current situation.

It is worth paying attention to the baptism of two or more children. In this case, it is not necessary to select a godparent separately for each baby. It will be enough to choose an advantage; a girl cannot live without a godmother, and both girls must have one. And vice versa, if these are boys, then there must be a godfather, and there is only one mother for two.

Before baptism, you must first agree on the day of the sacrament, because a child can be baptized during Lent, but not always on weekdays. Only weekends remain. You need to carefully consider the choice of godparents for two children, because there are a number of prohibitions, and not everyone can become a godparent. This is not how you can be a recipient:

• mother or father of the child;
• spouses;
• a person who has no Orthodox religion, Catholics may be an exception;
• to a person far from church life and does not believe in God.

It is permitted by church regulations to baptize children without godparents and with one godparent. It is worth coordinating these nuances with the clergyman in advance, because not everyone treats this with understanding.

my daughter is finally pregnant, we waited 5 years. This is what I think: is it possible to baptize children without a godfather or godmother? Why I ask: My daughter's godmother is at her baptism. when she was 12 years old, she gave it up. I remember that she herself wanted to be a godmother, in a new house, we didn’t know each other, so we sat on a bench with the children…. met. She turned out to be an Old Believers, I don’t even know how to write correctly... We are even afraid to meet her on the street, so as not to jinx her... Who can answer me, I don’t want any of the strangers, but I don’t have any relatives

Answer

1. Hello! Godfathers and mothers must know, love, and fully participate in the child’s life, so the option of taking strangers is definitely not suitable. If you don’t have one of your close friends or acquaintances, for example, another daughter or son, you can offer it to your nephew or niece, aunts or uncles. In some cases, it is allowed for a child to be baptized by his grandparents. Do not forget that the purpose of baptism in infancy is to represent the interests of the baby and say prayers for him before the Lord, praying for his health and future well-being. Therefore, a person must be decent, fear God “not in words”, and regularly attend the Holy Church.
   IN special cases a child has the right to accept the Orthodox faith without godparents - in the arms of his own parents!

   Answer

Many of us were baptized when we were still babies. We, of course, cannot remember how this happened. It happens that we are invited to become godfathers or our own child is born. Most people, in this case, think once again about what the Sacrament of Baptism is and whether it is possible to baptize a child without godparents.

The Orthodox Church reports that the baby must have a godparent of the same gender, and the second is at the discretion of the child’s mother and father. The church explains this sacrament by the fact that while the child is still very small, the rite of baptism is carried out according to the faith of his godparents. An exception is when a seriously ill baby is baptized, when there is a threat to the life of the child, for example, a newborn in the intensive care unit.

The rules state:

Clearly, life shows us that there is one religion, but different priests explain the question of the possibility of baptizing a child without godmothers and fathers in the same way. Some priests allow godparents to be recorded from the words of the baby’s mother and father. This can figuratively be called absentee christening. Other priests are confident that, according to the canons of the church, godparents who are not present at the Sacrament of Baptism cannot be considered such before God.

Therefore, if you want to baptize your baby, but the people you have chosen, for certain reasons, do not have the opportunity to attend the Sacrament of Baptism, and you do not want to choose others, or, in extreme cases, there is no one to call, then you definitely need to talk to the priest personally and clarify what to do in this situation. By the way, the priest himself can be a godparent.

How to choose godparents for your baby?

The main thing is that they must be baptized people, religious Christians belonging to the Orthodox Church. It is important that the condition for your choice of godparents is whether the chosen person will be able to help you in the future good deeds, raise a child according to Christian customs, and also help in practical circumstances.

And of course, important conditions there should be a degree of your acquaintance with the prospective godparents and simply a good relationship between you. Think carefully about whether the godparents you choose can serve as church mentors for your child.

If one godfather is not present at the Sacrament of Baptism, is it possible to carry out the ceremony without his participation, while registering him as a godparent?

Before 1917, there was such a thing as “absentee godparents,” but it was practiced only in relation to imperial families, if, as a sign of their mercy, they agreed to be the godparents of any baby. If we're talking about about such a situation, only, of course, in modern version, then you can do so, and if not, then it is better to proceed from the standards of practice common to all.

Is it possible to refuse godparents if the child has already been baptized? And is it possible to baptize a child in order to properly raise him in the Christian faith?

In no case should a child be rebaptized, since the Sacrament of Baptism occurs once, and the sins of godparents, biological parents, and even the baptized person himself do not cancel all the gifts that are given to the child in the Sacrament of Baptism.

As for a person’s communication with his godparents, of course, betrayal of faith, that is, a transition to another religion or a fall into atheism, as well as a non-Christian lifestyle, confirm that the person failed to fulfill the responsibility of a godfather.

There are times when young parents try to find an answer to the question that worries them: “Is it possible without godparents?” Not everything in life always goes smoothly, and sometimes there is a need to urgently baptize a child. In such cases, the chosen godparents may be very far away, or they simply do not exist.

How necessary in the church?

Some literature published with the blessing Orthodox Church, helps to find out in church. For example, let's take a set of rules about It clearly states that to perform a ritual in mandatory the presence of the father is also provided. A child cannot promise for himself to be an obedient Christian and to remain faithful only to his Lord.

Young children are baptized according to the faith of their parents and godparents. If the parents and successors are of the Orthodox faith, then it is they who are responsible for raising a Christian. On behalf of the newborn, adults renounce evil thoughts and deeds before the Lord Jesus Christ.

Exceptions to the rules

If baptism must be carried out immediately, there are some exceptions to the rules that allow the ceremony to be carried out without godparents. The category of such exceptions includes a situation where the child is very sick, and doctors cannot exclude the threat fatal outcome. In such cases, the Church allows the baby to be baptized without the participation of recipients. When the child gets better, you can always choose godparents for him.

Baptism can be performed by any hospital employee, seeing the serious condition of the baby. He also has the right to take a seat godparent. To do this, you need to take water (if possible, consecrated) and pour it over the baby’s head, each time pronouncing the baptismal formula.

The text of the baptismal formula is as follows: “The servant of God (servant of God) is baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen!” In situations where the ceremony was performed by a person who is not related to a particular religion (a layman), there is a need to visit the church and ask the priest to complete the baptism in an appropriate manner.

Is it possible to baptize a child without godparents, according to various clergy?

From life examples it is clear that different clergy related to the same religion answer the question differently: “without godparents?” Some of them allow the possibility of recording godparents, referring to the words of the mother or father of the child (baptism in absentia). Others believe that godfathers and mothers who did not take part in the baptism, according to Orthodox canons, are not such before the Lord God.

Therefore, if there is a desire or direct need to urgently carry out the ceremony, it is necessary to consult with a spiritual mentor (priest) and get from him an answer to the question: “Is it possible to baptize a child without godparents?” By the way, it will be mentioned that godfather your child may become the abbot himself.

Church canons and rules require compliance. The sacrament of baptism has been performed for centuries. Parents must keep church traditions and prepare in advance for the baby’s baptism. The most important thing is the choice of godparents, people who will take on the responsibility spiritual education godson.

You can baptize a child with one godfather.

According to spiritual rules, a baby can be baptized without one of the godparents. But it is desirable to have two mentors. There are no special requirements for them:

• Orthodox Christians,
• not necessarily married,
• not necessarily planning a marriage in the future,
• close relatives or just acquaintances

It is much more important that the desire to engage in the spiritual education of a child is not nominal, but real.

What is the responsibility of godparents

To raise children in faith, godparents themselves must be spiritual people. A lot of useful literature is sold on church shelves, including for little Christians.

Adults can always turn to clergy for help in raising their godchildren. The church never refuses its parishioners.

When choosing godparents, parents should pay attention to their human qualities and desire for God. The choice may not fall on a relative; the main thing is that he must understand that the sacrament of baptism will draw an invisible thread between him and the child, making him the mentor of a little Christian.

If a girl is baptized under the same godfather, it is better that her spiritual mentor be a woman, if the boy is a man.

Is it possible to baptize a child without godparents?

In rare cases, it is possible to baptize a baby completely without godparents. This is acceptable if:

• the life of a boy or girl is in danger;
• the priest is ready to take on the responsibility of reading prayers instead of godparents.

If the baby survives, the sacrament is subsequently completed and godparents are invited. It is better to discuss the issue of the presence or absence of godmothers and fathers with representatives of the church where the child will be baptized.

It is desirable that a little Orthodox Christian have both godparents, but the spiritual qualities of these people are much more important.