Interview before the child's baptism: how is it that they ask

To cross a newborn child today becomes almost a fashion. Sometimes parents do not know why they need it and what an important mystery.

The church strengthens the status of godparents

Baptism is the most important event in human life. With immersion in the water and invocation of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, death for sin and the birth of a holy, spiritual life begin. The Orthodox Church has long performed this sacrament over infants, although they are not yet able to understand the importance of what is being done on them. Therefore, in church practice, a rule was established to look for the child of adult sponsors. As far as the godparents are ready for a new role, it is necessary to find out the interview before the baptism, to which the Russian Orthodox Church has recently paid special attention.

Who are the catechumens

At the very beginning of the existence of the church, when only adults were baptized into faith, who often became martyrs, the preparation for this sacrament was serious and lasting. For 1-3 years, such people "announced", that is, they got acquainted with the basics of religion, there were more than one interview before the baptism. For a long time they studied the Gospel, participated in joint prayers and even in exile of evil spirits. But their participation in the divine service had boundaries: after the priest's cry: "Catechumens, get out!" They had to leave the room where the Liturgy of the faithful began, the Sacraments of Confession and Communion. After baptism, which, as a rule, took place on Easter, people who had passed such a long trial became real Christians and were ready to die for their convictions.

The role of godparents in the announcement

Over time, when the position of the church was strengthened, the confession of Christ was not threatened with torment and death, the need for continued preparation for churching disappeared, baptizing became infants. But the liturgical order of the announcement, which came from the ancient church, has remained until now. He who is going to receive the sacrament of baptism must deny Satan three times: "Have you renounced Satan?" "Forsaken." Then confirm your faith: "Have you combined with Christ?" - "It was combined". Worship Him and read the Creed. Naturally, the baby can not do this. For him, the godfather (the boy) and the godmother (from the girl) are entrusted and do it. They need to pass an interview before baptism Child to prepare for the responsible role assigned to them in this sacrament.

Order of the patriarch

At the end of the past and the beginning of this century, the Russian Orthodox Church experienced an influx of adults who want to see the church, and parents who want to christen their children. And many of them had a very remote idea of faith, about Christ, about spiritual life. These people needed at least a minimum of religious knowledge and an idea of the duties that the Sacrament of Baptism imposes upon them.

To this end, the patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2013, by a special order, introduces a requirement that an interview be held in the church before the baptism. It is intended for both parents and their children. Twice they come to a chat conversation to get the necessary knowledge about the upcoming event. Without these conversations, the priest has no right to perform the sacrament.

Catechization of parents

Catechism is a set of basic rules of the church. If parents bring a child to be baptized not by virtue of their faith, but because everyone does so, they will be disturbed by the question that they ask at the interview before the baptism. After asking a few questions about whether they often go to church, whether they regularly confess, whether they are joining the sacrament, the priest will enlighten them on the basic issues of faith. They learn about the church ordinances, the obligation to regularly receive their child, pray for it. The lecturer-catechist will tell them that the main authority in the family and upbringing should be Christ. Talking with parents involves solving practical questions: the date, the time of baptism, the necessary clothes.

The parents themselves do not participate in the sacrament of baptism and remain simple audiences. But at the last stage of this service there is the introduction of the newly baptized into the temple. While the priest brings the boy to the altar, and puts the girl to the holy icons, the mother puts her prostrations and prays for her child. To be able to participate in the ritual of churching, it needs to be kept clean, so the date of the event must be coordinated with this natural circumstance.

Name name

During the interview before the baptism with the parents, the name that the baby will receive after the sacrament is discussed. This question is especially important if a beautiful name is written on the birth certificate, but does not belong to the saints. Parents of the Edwardians and Stanislavs, Oles and Victoria, on the advice of the priest, select the Orthodox name in advance and, together with him, the heavenly patron. This advocate and prayer book accompanies a person throughout his life. The baptized person is usually given the saint's name, whose memory is celebrated on the day of his baptism.

Earlier the name was named on the 8th day after birth - the day of the name day was more important than the birthday. The fate of man was associated with the way he was called. Now, unfortunately, many do not know how they are called in the Orthodox way. But the church is a man known by his Christian name. It will be good to give the godson an icon with the image of his patron so that she would be his companion for life.

A public conversation for the godparents

The receiver from the font is a person who takes on his own hands a newly sanctified baby. The main role in this sacrament is given to the godparents. The daddy or mother of the baby can be non-church or profess another faith - this will not prevent their child from becoming a Christian. But the recipients simply have to be religious people. Everything that happens on the sacrament with the baby will happen only by their faith.

Therefore, the interview of the godparents before baptism is a very important moment of preparation for this event. The priest explains to them the role that they will play in the service itself, speaks of the responsibility for the soul of the baby, whom they undertake to lead to God. Gives the task that they fulfill it to the second lesson.

Requirements for the recipients

It is important for the godparent to know if he is facing an interview before Baptism of the child, what the priest is asking. A receiver from the font has a lot to do:

1. To know, understand and apply in your life the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament and the seven commandments of the bliss of Jesus Christ. This is the basis of Christian morality, which he will form in the future godson.
2. Regularly participate in divine services, confess and receive communion.
3. To know the prayers "Our Father" and "Theotokos Devo". Be able to clearly, without hesitation, read the "Symbol of Faith", understand and explain it.
4. Know what the New Testament is made of, and read the Gospel of Mark from cover to cover.
5. On the eve of the sacrament to endure a three-day fast, to confess and receive communion, so that with a pure soul and God's help take responsibility for a new soul.

Who can not be godfather

1. A person who is under church punishment, to which penance is imposed, and he is excommunicated, can not become a receptor from the font.
2. Close relatives: parents, brother or sister, too, do not have the right to do so.
3. Husband and wife can not baptize the same child.
4. Monks and those who prepare for monasticism are not godmothers.
5. People with broken psyche do not participate in the sacrament of baptism.

As you can see, a rather wide range of issues is affected by the first interview before baptism with the foster brothers from the font. In the same lesson, the questionnaire for the child and his godparents is filled in, a task is given, which can take 3-4 weeks to complete.

Why Communicate Before the Sacrament of Baptism

To prepare for the upcoming event, the readers from the font should work hard. And not the circle of material issues is important in this matter. Buy a christening shirt, a towel, a cross, a chain, donate money to the church and cover a festive table - all this is an outward fuss. A terrible thing can hide behind it: the sacrament did not take place, engagement with God did not happen. And all because the infant can not answer for himself, and the receiver does not want to answer for him. Well, he does not consider these matters important, he does not have time for them!

Therefore, a very important stage in preparing for the upcoming event is the second interview with the priest before the baptism. In addition to testing theoretical knowledge (the "Creed", the Gospel, the commandments), it necessarily includes confession. This mystery will reveal the sincerity and authenticity of the faith of those who will be the main figures in the future baptism. Unwillingness of the godfathers to confess and receive communion testifies that they should be changed, it is impossible to spoil the child not yet begun spiritual life. And the priest in such cases has the right to postpone baptism until the receiver is in compliance with the requirements dictated by the sacraments.

Treasured information

Parents who have already baptized children know how difficult it is to find a time when everything is ready in the family, the child is not sick, both are on the spot and both are free, and there are no obstacles in the church for the ritual. From this point of view, the requirement of compulsory catechesis is an additional obstacle: the coveted baptism is postponed for another month and a half, until the priest takes the exam and issues a certificate of successful disclosure. No references to employment and lack of time are valid.

If the godparents live in another city, they can pass the interview before the child's baptism in the place of residence and bring the same certificate of the announcement, certified by signature and seal, on the day of the ordinance.

Perhaps the child is lucky, and his receptor is truly a church person. But even in this case, he must take a written recommendation from the priest of his parish and give it at the place of baptism. For a person who agrees to take responsibility for the soul of a small Christian, workarounds are excluded: either to refuse, or to church.

The last word is for the priest

The priest understands, as no one else, the role of godparents in the life of the child: this is the introduction of him into the prayer life, and reading the Bible with him. If something happens to your parents, and there is only one child left, adopt his adoptions from the font.

From the priest who conducts catechesis, in many ways depends on how the interview takes place before the baptism. One will ask a couple of questions, waved his hand and - christened the baby. The other will ask with all severity, and only after making sure that the child will fall into reliable hands, will give permission to the sacrament. Perhaps both will be right: the ways of the Lord are inscrutable.