Where can you baptize a child and what is needed for this. Where to baptize a child. Baptize... without an interview

Baptism for the Orthodox is the second (but in a certain sense the main) spiritual birth of a person, his purification for subsequent existence, a kind of “pass” to heaven - the Kingdom of God. The newly enlightened person receives remission of previous sins. That is why Baptism, among all the Sacraments, is the first sacrament and is necessary for every person seeking salvation and the meaning of life.

Godparents: Who are godparents?

The sacrament of baptism is a special rite. This is the purification of the soul and the spiritual birth of a person. According to the tradition of the Church, an infant should be baptized on the eighth or fortieth day of life. It is clear that at this age it is impossible to demand from him faith and repentance - the two main conditions for union with God. Therefore, godparents are assigned to them, who undertake to raise their godchildren in the spirit of Orthodoxy. So the choice of godparents should be approached with all responsibility. After all, in theory, they should become a second mother and a second father for your baby.

How to choose godparents?

When choosing a godfather for your baby, find someone you trust completely. These could be your close friends or relatives with whom you constantly support a good relationship. According to church tradition, if something happens to the parents, godparents are obliged to replace them with a godson.

Only an Orthodox believer who is able to give an account of his faith can be a godfather. Actually, a boy needs only a godfather, and a girl only needs a godmother. But according to the ancient Russian tradition, both are invited. At your request there can be two, four, six...

According to the laws of the Orthodox Church, godparents cannot be:
parents cannot be godparents of their child;
husband and wife godparents of one infant;
children (according to the decrees of the Holy Synod of 1836-1837, the godfather must be no younger than 15 years old, and the godmother no younger than 13 years old), because they are not yet able to vouch for the faith of the person being baptized, and they themselves do not know enough about the laws of Orthodoxy;
people are immoral and insane: the former because their very way of life does not deserve to be godparents, and the latter because, due to illness, they are unable to vouch for the faith of the person being baptized or teach him the faith;
the non-Orthodox are the successors of the Orthodox.

What are the responsibilities of godparents?

Unfortunately, not every godparent understands why his new “position” is called that way. Visiting your godson and giving gifts on an angel’s or birthday day is, of course, good. However, this is far from the most important thing. Caring for a growing godson involves a lot.

First of all, this is a prayer for him. Learn to turn to God once a day - before going to bed. It's actually not difficult at all. Ask the Lord for health, salvation, help in raising your own children, the well-being of godchildren and relatives. It will be useful to master the path to the temple together with your child and take him to communion on a church holiday. It would be great to play educational games with your baby and read books to him. For example, many adults enjoy reading the children's Bible. It clearly describes all the main events of Sacred History.

In addition, godparents can make life much easier for young mothers who find it difficult to find time to spend with their baby. If everyone, to the best of their ability, spends their free hours communicating with the child, then they themselves will enjoy it.

Appearance of godparents

At the ceremony, the recipients (this is another name for the godfather) must come with pectoral crosses consecrated in the church. In the traditions of the Slavic peoples, women in the temple always had a covered head and a dress below the knees with covered shoulders (little girls may be an exception). You should not wear high-heeled shoes, as the baptism ceremony lasts from 30 minutes to 2 hours and most of the time you will have to stand with the child in your arms. As for men, there are no requirements for their clothing, but it is better to refrain from shorts and T-shirts. Such an outfit would look out of place in church.

Let the good old order not become burdensome for you, because your beautiful trousers and new fashionable haircut can be demonstrated in other places. In church, it is better not to attract attention to yourself, focusing on the purpose of your parish.

Preparation for the ceremony

Currently, the ritual is performed mainly in churches. Only in exceptional cases, if, say, a child is very ill, can the sacrament be performed at home or in a hospital. Then a separate clean room must be allocated for the ceremony.

To baptize a child, you must first choose a church. Walk through the temples, listen to your feelings. But keep in mind that baptism does not always take place directly in the church. Most cathedrals have a baptismal chamber (or baptistery) - this is a separate room on the church grounds, specially adapted for this rite. In large churches, baptism usually takes place quite pompously and solemnly. But perhaps someone will like the secluded and calm atmosphere of small churches. Talk to the priest or the novices, they will tell you in detail about how the baptismal ceremony takes place in this church.

How to choose the day of baptism?

There is no church establishment of Baptism on the fortieth day; this is primarily due to the fact that until the fortieth day the Church keeps a woman-parent from entering the temple due to her postpartum infirmities and discharges that she experiences at this time. And the mother’s first entry into the temple after the break is accompanied by the reading of special cleansing prayers, before reading which she should not be present at the services.

But you don’t need to take the day of baptism literally; you can baptize the baby a little later, a little earlier. And now sometimes, at the request of the parents, a child is baptized before the fortieth day, especially when there is at least some danger to the child’s health (baptism in this case is considered as a protective rite).

In ancient times, the celebration of the sacrament was most often timed to coincide with the greatest Christian holidays, for example Easter. But gradually baptism turned into a family holiday. And now, on the contrary, the ritual is carried out almost every day, with the exception of such major church holidays as Christmas, Easter, Trinity. These days, churches are usually overcrowded and priests advise postponing the ceremony. You can come to most temples without an appointment. Usually the sacrament of baptism begins at 10 o'clock, immediately after the service. True, in this case there is a high probability that several other people will be baptized besides you and you will either have to wait, or you will be baptized along with others. It is much more convenient to agree in one or two weeks with the priest who will perform the sacrament on a specific date and time. Then your baby will be baptized first and in splendid isolation. In addition, when choosing the day of baptism, try to ensure that it does not fall on the godmother’s critical days. The fact is that during this period a woman should not venerate shrines: kiss the cross, icons, or better not enter the temple at all.

Preparing godparents for the baptismal ceremony

If you want to follow all the rules, start preparing for the ceremony in advance. Godparents need to go to church to confess, repent of their sins and receive communion. It is advisable (but not necessary) to fast for three to four days before the ceremony. But on the day of baptism, as well as before communion, godparents are not allowed to eat or have sex. At least one of the parents must know the “Creed” prayer by heart. As a rule, when a girl is baptized, the Creed is read by the godmother, and when a boy is baptized, by the father.

And one more thing: according to the unspoken rule, godparents bear all the costs of baptism. In some churches there are no official prices; it is believed that after the ceremony, godparents and guests make donations as much as they can. These costs are optional and their amount is not specified anywhere. But the custom is, as a rule, respected.

According to church custom, the godmother buys the kryzhma or “rizka”. This is a special fabric, or just a towel, in which the child is wrapped when taken out of the font. In addition, the godmother gives a baptismal shirt and a cap with lace and ribbons (for boys - with blue ones, for girls - with pink ones, respectively). The baptismal shirt is kept for life. According to custom, the towel is not washed after the child’s baptism, but is used if the child is sick.

The godfather, again according to custom, buys a baptismal cross and chain. Some believe that the cross and chain should be gold, some – silver, and some are of the opinion that small children should wear a cross on a ribbon or string.

What prayers do you need to know?

Every conscientious Christian needs to know the basic prayers: “Our Father”, “Virgin Mother of God”, “Creed”. During baptism, the godparents say the “Creed” prayer for the baby. All these prayers are in a short prayer book, which can be purchased at the church store if desired.

What to bring to the temple?

As already mentioned, baptism is birth into a new sinless life. Receiving the newly baptized person from the holy font, the godparents accept an absolutely pure being, without sin. The symbol of such purity is white clothes- kryzhma, which is brought to the temple along with a cross on a chain or thread. Who should buy a cross and who should buy a chain, let the godparents decide for themselves. At the end of the ceremony, the priest will bless them and put them on the baby.

The cover for a small child will be an openwork diaper, a baptismal shirt or a new towel that has not yet been washed.

What happens during the sacrament of baptism?

The priest, godparents and child are the main participants in the sacrament. According to ancient customs, the child’s mother and father should not be present when the sacrament is performed. Although recently the church has been more loyal to this prohibition and allows the father, and sometimes the mother of the baby, after saying a special prayer, to observe the ceremony together with those invited.

Throughout the entire ceremony, the recipients stand next to the priest and one of them holds the person being baptized in his arms. Before performing the ceremony, a priest in white robes walks around the baptismal room or temple and reads three prayers. After which he asks the godparents and godson to turn their faces to the west - symbolically this is the abode of Satan. And, turning to the person being baptized, he asks several questions.

Questions and answers are repeated three times. After this, the godparents must read the “Creed” - this is a brief summary of the fundamentals of the Christian faith, which all Orthodox Christians must know by heart. Then the anointing takes place. Having dipped the brush into a vessel with myrrh, the priest anoints the forehead, eyes, nostrils, mouth, ears, chest, arms and legs of the person being baptized with a cross. And with each anointing he says: “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen". The godparents and the priest repeat: “Amen.”

After anointing, a lock of hair is cut from the head, which remains in the temple as a pledge of dedication and a symbol of sacrifice to God. If a child is being baptized in the cold season or conditions do not allow him to undress (low temperature in the baptism room), free the baby’s arms and legs in advance.

Then the priest takes the child from them and directly performs the rite of baptism - immersing the person being baptized three times in the font. If the baptismal room is warm, then most likely your baby will be dipped naked. But when it is cold in the temple, only the neck, arms and feet are exposed for anointing. Then one of the godparents takes the baby from the hands of the priest. That is why godparents are also called godparents. It is believed that, having accepted the baby in their arms after the ceremony, parents undertake the obligation to raise their godson in the Orthodox spirit throughout their lives and to be held accountable for this upbringing at the Last Judgment. If they cannot see their godson often, they should at least mention him in their daily prayers.

Baptism is the acceptance of a person into the Christian Church. A special mysterious ritual is performed, during which a person is born a second time, but not in the literal, but in the spiritual sense. During the ritual, his soul is cleansed of sins, and an invisible “pass” to heaven – the Kingdom of God – opens before him.

Many believe that the baptism of a child is the most important event in his life. According to the church, a Guardian Angel joins the baby during the ceremony and will protect him for the rest of his life.

Since ancient times, this procedure has not changed at all; it is carried out exactly the same as many years ago. Such a sacrament has its own rules and should only be performed by a priest, because it is he who has the right to open the gates of heaven for the baby and cleanse his soul from sins.

The baptism ceremony can be performed at any age, but most often children are baptized on the 8th or 40th day of life

At what age should a child be baptized?

The Church encourages parents to baptize their baby either on the 8th day after birth or on the 40th day. But the problem is that just during this period the baby’s mother will not be able to be present next to him during the ceremony, since she is in physiological “uncleanness.” And during such periods, women, as a rule, do not attend church.

In fact, the age of the child does not matter. The Christian Church accepts people at any age; you can be baptized at the age of 50. However, the church convinces that the sooner the mysterious ritual is performed, the better for the person who took part in it.

But, according to parents, it is better to baptize a baby in the first 1–2 months of his life, since he spends most of his time sleeping and does not receive severe stress from a crowd of strangers and from an unfamiliar environment.

On what days you can baptize a child, you need to find out in the church where you plan to hold the ceremony

On what days can a baby be baptized?

Baptism can occur on any day and on any date. The opinion that it is impossible to baptize a child on Orthodox church holidays and during Lent is erroneous. However, each church has its own rules that must be obeyed.

If you have already chosen a church for baptism, you should go to it and ask the priest on what days you can baptize your baby. As a rule, this mainly happens on weekends.

Initially, church canons stipulate that after baptism the baby will have either a godmother or a godfather - depending on the gender of the child

Godparents - who are they and how to choose them?

Godparents are those people who take the child into their hands from the hands of the priest after he performs a mysterious rite. According to the belief of the church, it is the godparents who take responsibility for the spiritual upbringing of the child.

Since the child is still very small and cannot demonstrate his faith, his godparents make a baptismal vow for him. The choice of godparents must be approached with all responsibility.

Today there is a tradition of choosing both a godmother and a godfather for a baby. Although, according to church rules, a child needs one godparent of the same gender as the baby for spiritual upbringing. That is, for a boy it should be a godfather, for a girl it should be a godmother.

But the church is called upon to take into account not only its own rules, but also the wishes of the parents, so there may be several godparents. It is advisable to choose people you know well as godparents. These could be relatives or close people. Under no circumstances should you hire random people who just “turned up to you.” After all, godparents are those who will cultivate faith in your baby, those who will sincerely love him and participate in his life. In addition, they are obliged to take custody of the child if anything happens to his parents.

Therefore, choosing godparents is a responsible step that must be approached with the utmost seriousness. The main rule: they must be truly religious people in order to conscientiously fulfill their duties in raising the child spiritually in the future.

Godparents cannot be:

• spouses or people planning to get married;
• people who have not reached adulthood, since they themselves do not yet have a serious spiritual core;
• people leading an immoral lifestyle;
• women - on days of physiological impurity;
• people with different faiths.

Before baptism, parents and godparents of the baby must go to confession.

A baptismal set usually consists of a vest and a cap, and can be supplemented with other elements

What do you need to buy for a child's baptism?

Before baptism, the godmother must buy a cloth in which the baby will then be wrapped after immersion in the font. She should also purchase a baptismal set, which includes a shirt, cap and blanket. In addition, the godmother must have a silk handkerchief during the christening, which she must then present to the priest after the completion of the mysterious ceremony.

The godfather must buy a small pectoral cross before baptism. If the cross was purchased outside the church, then it must be consecrated before baptism. If it was purchased at a church store, there is no need to consecrate it.

In addition, the responsibility for the financial part of the ceremony falls on the shoulders of the godfather. That is, he must pay at the church for all services. However, if one of the godparents has financial difficulties, then the baby’s parents or one of the godparents can take on the payment for church services or the purchase of a baptismal set. This point is not fundamental.

The child’s parents, in turn, must purchase new clothes for their child and candles before baptism (the church itself will tell you how many candles you need to have at the time of baptism). In addition, they are obliged to set the table at home; this custom was observed many years ago.

The church will tell you everything else, and will also help you decide on a church name for the baby and help you prepare baptismal documents.

Some parents want to baptize their child at home and invite a priest to do this. It seems to them that this is more convenient, safer for the child’s health, and that prying eyes will not see him. But there are several reasons why it is better to baptize a child in a temple:

1. Baptism itself presupposes the joining of the baby to the Church of Christ, therefore it is in the church that this initiation takes place.

2. After Baptism, the child’s churching takes place: the boy is carried along the altar, the girl is only handed over to her mother from the sole, so you will still need to come to the temple.

3. After Baptism, if it occurs in the morning, there is often communion of the baby, a sacrament no less important than the first.

4. Since ancient times, the baptism of a child has taken place in a church, since no other place will have such a solemn and majestic environment for receiving this sacrament.

5. Many parents complain that the Baptism of an infant is performed “not quite according to the ritual,” that is, not through immersion in water, but simply by pouring it over. This reflects the desire to perform baptism in full rite, but at home this is impossible. Meanwhile, there are special baptismal churches or baptisteries in churches where even adults can be baptized through immersion.

6. If you are afraid of prying eyes, although the sacrament of Baptism itself drives away all dark forces, you should simply order an individual Baptism, then only your family and friends will be present.

Baptism at home is usually performed by a priest in cases where a child or adult is sick, or when it is not possible to get to a church in a rural area with a small child. Today, many people have personal transport or have someone to ask for, so this problem arises quite rarely.

Where to baptize a child.

The main tasks of parents when preparing for the baptism of a child are to look at the names according to the calendar and choose a name for their baby, select the date of baptism, select and invite godparents to baptism, and study the rules for baptizing a child. Godparents should buy a cross, learn the Creed prayer, think about what they are giving for the baby’s christening, but the main thing is to study how the child’s baptism is carried out and what you need to know to baptize the child. Parents can decide where to baptize a child, or godparents can also advise. Some people want to baptize their baby in a large, beautiful church, while for others it is important that there be fewer people. Still others definitely want to baptize the child by complete immersion, while others want relatives and friends to be allowed to attend the baptism and be allowed to film this event. Therefore, it is worth thinking in advance about where it is better to baptize a child so that everyone is happy and the baby is happy.

Today there are a huge number of churches in Russia, and there is no church in which baptism is not performed. You can call any temple you like and find out what rules it has for preparing and performing the sacrament:

1. In some churches, baptism is performed daily, in others - on Saturday or Sunday.

2. In most churches it is customary to register for baptism, but in some churches baptism is performed every day: you can come up on a day convenient for you in advance, register and baptize your baby.

3. In most churches, godparents are offered an interview or several lectures before the baby’s baptism. At the interview, the godparents are explained the basic truths of the Orthodox faith and are told in detail about the subsequent sacrament of Baptism. It is useful that during the interview you can communicate with the priest and ask him all the questions that interest you, you can learn church life from the inside, and gain interesting and necessary knowledge. It is a pity if godparents treat these conversations as a duty and try to avoid attending them.

If the godparents live in other cities and can only come for baptism, it is better to look for where you can baptize the child without an interview. Then the priest holds a short conversation with the godparents immediately before the sacrament and gives explanations during its performance.

Where to baptize a child in Moscow&

When choosing where to baptize a child in Moscow, you need to think about how many people want to attend the sacrament, whether godparents have the opportunity to attend lectures before the baby’s baptism, whether you want to baptize the baby by complete immersion, whether you want to baptize him individually, and finally, what amount of donation is needed count. All this can be found out by calling or visiting the temples you like. Here are a few churches that those who have been baptized speak well of:

1. Cathedral of Christ the Savior. In the Alekseevsky chapel of the lower Transfiguration Church there is a baptistery, where baptism is performed with full immersion, the water is warm. Here, before the baby's baptism, godparents need to listen to conversations.

2. Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Cheryomushki. There is a separate room for baptism, baptism is performed daily.

3. St. Danilovsky Monastery. Here baptism is performed on weekdays in a font by complete immersion.

4. Church of All Saints on Sokol. Here baptism takes place in a separate building.

5. Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God of the Sign on Pionerskaya metro station. Here, men are baptized separately on one day, women on another day, and children on the third.

Without an interview, you can get to baptism in the Church of the Archangel Michael at Klinniki on the Maiden Field, in the Church of Sergius of Radonezh on Ryazanka (on Saturdays and Sundays), the Church of St. Nicholas on Smolenskaya, the Nativity of the Virgin in Krylatskoye.

It is imperative to call the church and find out whether you need to sign up for baptism and what time you need to come, since baptism without a preliminary interview assumes that before the baptism itself there will be a short conversation with the priest.

There are also special baptismal churches in Moscow: for example, the church-chapel of St. Olga Equal to the Apostles at the Church of the Ascension of the Lord outside the Serpukhov Gate.

The amount of donation for the sacrament of Baptism differs in different churches: it ranges from 300 to 3000 rubles.

Where to baptize a child in other cities?

IN small towns There are no such difficulties as in Moscow with choosing where to baptize a child, since there are a small number of churches and, most importantly, few people are baptized, so there will not be much inconvenience when baptizing in any church.

In St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, many prefer to baptize a child in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, in the Church of the Presentation of the Lord or the Cathedral of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God.

In Yekaterinburg, it is advised to baptize a baby in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist or in the Ascension Church on Ascension Hill; here you need to go through 12 lectures before baptism.

In Novosibirsk, people often choose the Znamenskaya Church, Alexander Nevsky Church, and the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary for baptism.

In Krasnoyarsk, you can baptize a baby in the Holy Intercession Cathedral, the Annunciation Convent or the Holy Dormition Monastery.

In Chelyabinsk, for baptism you can choose the churches of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and St. Simeon's Cathedral.

In Rostov, it is advised to baptize a baby in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in St. Nicholas Church or in the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh.

Kazan is home to a large number of beautiful monasteries. Why not baptize a child in the Annunciation Cathedral of the Kazan Kremlin, in the Tikhvin Church or in the St. Nicholas Cathedral?

There are more than 90 churches in Volgograd. For the baptism of a baby, you can, for example, choose the Cathedral of St. John of Kronstadt, St. John the Baptist Church, St. Nikitsky or Lavrovskaya Church.

In Tver, in the cathedral, baptism takes place every day at 8.30, registration - at 8 o'clock.

In Izhevsk, you can have your baby baptized in St. Michael’s Cathedral or Trinity Church.

People in Perm speak very highly of the Monastery of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

In Omsk you can be baptized in the Kazan Cathedral, and in the Holy Cross Cathedral they try to ensure that the water for baptizing babies is always warm.
In Kirov, in the Church of the Holy Archangel Michael of the Novovyatsky parish, baptism is performed at 9.00 by appointment, in the Church of the Theodore Icon of the Mother of God - at 10.00 every day, except Monday, and in the parish of the Church of Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia, baptism is performed from 7.30 every day .

In Samara, many baptize babies in the Church of St. Sophia, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, the Ivanovo Monastery, and the Oznesensky and Intercession Cathedrals.

In Tyumen, it is advised to baptize a child in the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker or Archangel Michael.

In Voronezh there is the baptismal temple of John the Baptist at the Intercession Cathedral and the temple of John the Evangelist in the courtyard of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In Saratov you can be baptized in the Trinity Cathedral, the Church of the Nativity of Christ or the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

Also, those being baptized are attracted by the beauty of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Vologda, the Transfiguration Cathedral in Tambov, the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, the Church of Elijah the Prophet in Yaroslavl and the St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod.

Fortunately, there are now many operating Orthodox churches in Russian cities and villages, so choosing where to baptize a child can be quite easy.

The other day, a distant friend called and asked a strange question: “Where in Moscow can you baptize a child without an interview?” A Pravmir correspondent looked into what this phrase means and what other problems arise in connection with baptism. When writing the material, information was used from open sources - various forums on general (non-church) topics.

Baptize so that... it will be

The reasons why people decide to baptize their children sometimes turn out to be very original in the sense that they have nothing to do with the Church.

Baptism can be perceived as following a family structure:

« Our family follows the tradition of baptizing children. And I don't want to give up on her“, says one of the users.

Sometimes baptism is perceived as a national tradition:

« I won’t call myself a churchgoer; for me it’s more a question of continuity and some kind of identification: a Russian person is an Orthodox Christian».

This statement is accompanied by a lengthy justification:

« People (for the most part) profess (feel a sense of belonging) to the religion that has historically developed on the territory of their state. Hindus do not convert to Christianity, the Japanese do not strive for Judaism, and Iranians are indifferent to Zen. Everyone minds their own business».

Sociological surveys reveal from two-thirds to 80% of such non-church people, “Orthodox by culture”, in Russian society. We even like to appeal to this number on occasion. But it seems that it is with these people, when they turn to the church, wanting to baptize their children, that the greatest number of misunderstandings, sad and comical situations occur, the essence of which is the same: they do not really understand what they are asking for, but they certainly demand that what they ask is done.

Godparents without “fanatical piety”

« I baptized two of my children and an older relative, and everything was easy, sincere and festive...

Now the priest sternly asked me when I confessed and received communion for the last time, how often I go to church and which one, what prayers I know. I am not different from many of my compatriots in my overly fanatical piety, so I honestly answered that I do all this at the behest of my soul, not rarely, but not every day. I received the answer: “I’m tired of baptizing atheists!»

The commentator was offended. But how can I explain to her that baptism is not just a “holiday”, and Christianity is not only “God in the soul”?

Another case:

« Our godfather was a relative’s brother. He’s generally a hard-working guy, from the village, all the women there come to him for help, and he doesn’t take a penny from anyone, he’s always happy to help. He also turned out to be unworthy».

Are godfather and “good man” the same thing?

« A friend asked me to be her baby's godmother. I prepared thoroughly - I bought everything I needed at the Baptism store, got myself mentally ready, and now I read about the interview and was upset. I don’t particularly observe Orthodox customs, what if the priest won’t allow me to see this sacrament?».

Obviously, in the minds of such people, baptism is just a beautiful rite. So complaints are flying across the Internet about the refusal to “perform the ritual.” Or that for some reason the “ritual” was carried out not individually or in the main church (which was chosen by the applicants for being beautiful and ancient), but in a small baptismal church (or even in a separate baptismal room), where the photographer and camera operator could turn around normally.

Is church just beautiful?

Baptize... without an interview

However, the main wave of indignation is caused by the requirement for parents and godparents to undergo public conversations. As the main argument against them, participants in online discussions cite the practice that existed in the Church in the 1990s, when everyone who came was baptized upon first conversion.

However, let’s figure out what public conversations are in general and why they arose.

The introduction into church practice of preparatory conversations for those being baptized themselves (in the case of adults being baptized), as well as for parents and godparents (in the case of infant baptism), is regulated by the document “On religious, educational and catechetical service in the Russian Orthodox Church,” which entered into in force on December 28, 2011.

It says, in particular:

“It is unacceptable to perform the Sacrament of Baptism on adults who, not knowing the basics of faith, refuse to prepare to participate in the Sacrament.”

“The Sacrament of Baptism cannot be performed on a person who denies the fundamental truths of the Orthodox faith and Christian morality. People who wish to be baptized for superstitious reasons cannot be allowed to participate in the Sacrament of Baptism.”

That is, the main goal of pre-baptism conversations is not to conduct a “test for good man", as the authors of some of the above entries considered. Their goal is to explain to a person the basics of the religion to which he converts himself or converts a child.

At our request, the cleric of the Church of St. Nicholas at the Straw Gatehouse, Priest Dimitry Turkin, comments on the situation:

For many years, priests had to baptize almost everyone who asked for it. Very few baptized people became parishioners. Sometimes people who were very far from the true faith and did not seek to know this faith were accepted into membership of the Church. There is hope that this situation has passed forever.

So, you need to accustom yourself to the idea that you need to prepare for baptism, and if there is objectively no such readiness, then there will be no baptism.

Currently, preparation for baptism consists of listening to lectures mainly by future godparents. Of course, like any new business, it is not without its shortcomings. Essentially, we are trying to revive the practice of catechumens before baptism. This is an obvious benefit for the Church, so the world does not want to accept it.

The mistake of those who critically evaluate our attempts to resist the formal attitude towards the Sacrament is that it seems to them that we are trying to force someone to teach something. In fact, we are still trying, forgive the rudeness, to simply filter out those who do not want to learn anything themselves. Believe me, they do not need either Christ or His Church.

It is very good that someone declares: “the baptism of a child is the reason to start going to church.” Attending preparatory lectures is precisely the beginning of going to church. In addition, this is also a way to begin to understand something in church life. But we can no longer count on “suddenly they will start.”

Imagine the feelings of a priest forced to baptize everyone who comes for years. Believe me, it is very difficult and painful for the soul to pray with and for those who themselves do not want anything and simply indifferently defend the time of the Sacrament.

In fact, we don't turn anyone away. If a person has completed the preparation, then he is allowed to be baptized. It’s just that those who have decided for themselves that they don’t need anything from the Church other than the fact of baptism do not come to our conversations and therefore do not come to be baptized or baptize their children.

There were many different cases of baptism, but I don’t remember a single one when a person who initially showed indifference became a parishioner.

In general, over the time that has passed since the introduction of public conversations into church practice, the attitude towards them has become calmer. However, the phrase in the title of this section still occupies a leading place in the list of search queries.

Interview stumbling blocks

In addition to the very fact of their holding, public conversations raise a number of questions.

Firstly, at the very beginning of the conversation, apparently, they were carried out, as they say, “with zeal beyond reason.” The correspondent knows of a case when several years ago in the summer an Orthodox couple from Moscow tried to baptize their third child in Vologda with their parents.

After sitting through a two-hour lecture with three children from zero to four years old in her arms, the mother then tried to talk to the priest about “mitigating the procedure.” To which I received the answer: “Either sit out two more meetings, or go to be baptized at your place of residence.”

In Moscow, after asking the same couple a few questions, the priest told the parents to prepare for communion. The child was baptized on the next convenient day for them.

Priest Dimitry Turkin comments:

The participation (NB, not the presence) of godparents and (or) parents is mandatory in cases where they are not churchgoers or are not parishioners of a given temple. If parishioners who confess and receive communion in church ask for baptism, they receive permission without preparation.

If these are people from another parish, then in a short conversation they must show their degree of church membership and, then, based on the results, they will either receive permission to be baptized, or they will be offered to undergo preparatory conversations.

Cases of a routine attitude towards catechesis (both on the part of participants and on the part of organizers) were also noted in online records:

“It's just something like a lecture. I went for three Saturdays. Dad was sitting with the baby. I don't regret it. At least I took a little nap.”

In other cases, the very content of the conversation raised questions. The Regulations “On Religious-Educational and Catechetical Ministry” provide for:

“The catechumen of adults involves several conversations, including the study of the Creed, selected passages of Holy Scripture, the foundations of Christian morality, including ideas about sins and virtues, and an introduction to the liturgical life of the Church.”

The official document prescribes: when necessary, there should be at least two conversations, but their content and duration are determined by the catechist “with love and prudence.” However, life practice can often differ significantly:

« I went last year, and they gave me videos on my laptop to watch with speeches by clergy about the benefits of the very talk I came to.».

Sometimes the meaning of the conversation, according to the testimonies of those announced, came down to maintaining superstitions associated with baptism:

« The interview was more like a conversation about life. The main thing that worried them was whether we were dating our godfather, whether we were living together as a man and a woman, or whether we were getting married...»

In other cases, the content of the conversation itself is generally difficult to understand:

« The inappropriate lady who conducted this interview took it upon herself to tell why small children die, but there was no logic in it».

Sometimes those who came were clearly not ready for the teaching to move “to a practical level.” Although, perhaps, the tone of the conversation was not entirely correct:

« The abbess of the church (I could be wrong) conducted a monologue about what irresponsible, sinful, low people we all are.

There were a lot of godparents and parents, some tried to ask questions, to which they received short answers in the style of: “There’s a book, everything is written there, what’s not clear?»

True, our godfather, convicted of fornication by the whole crowd (he had already been living with a girl for a long time), got married. Perhaps we are not Orthodox and should not be baptized, but this is not the way to convey it.”

When choosing a church, you should also pay attention to the following:

• Baptism is carried out by complete immersion in the font or by pouring over the head - it is better to choose the first option, since it is considered the most correct. Pouring is used only in cases where immersion is impossible for objective reasons.
• The presence in the temple of a baptismal room (baptistery) - a separate room with a font. If a child over 3 years old is being baptized, then a large font will be needed for immersion.
• Is there heating in the building where the sacrament will be held? During the cold season, it is preferable to baptize babies in a warm room. The water in the font is always heated.
• The presence of a changing table for comfortable dressing/undressing of children up to 6 months.
• Remoteness from home - a long drive can tire a child, and during the sacrament he may begin to be capricious. For the baptism of babies, it is better to choose a church from those that are nearby.

What to consider when baptizing in a temple

First of all, the priest will invite you and future recipients to undergo public conversations, which are mandatory. In large temples such classes are held regularly on certain days. In small churches, the date and time can be agreed upon individually.

How to pass an interview

The number of classes is determined by the priest after the first conversation: For people who constantly go to church, regularly confess and receive communion, one or two meetings are usually enough; those who are not very church-going may need three to five. During the catechetical conversations, the priest once again reminds the basics of the Orthodox faith, explains the meaning of the rite of baptism, and tells the recipients about their role during the sacrament and after it. Particular emphasis is placed on the responsibility that is assigned to godparents in terms of the spiritual education of the godson: they, together with the parents, will have to instill in the child a love of the Christian faith, teach him to pray, confess, take communion, fast, and adhere to church canons. But the main thing is that the godchildren must constantly mention their godchildren in their prayers at home, in church, and ask God for their health and well-being.

What day to choose for baptism

The sacrament is performed on any day, both holiday and fast. In many churches with large parishes, they mainly baptize on Saturday and Sunday, and usually several children at the same time.

If parents want the sacrament to be individual, to take place in a calmer atmosphere, without strangers and the feeling of a queue, then the priest can suggest a weekday. Or you can choose a small church that does not have a set schedule for baptisms, and arrange a convenient day and time.

How much does baptism cost?

The amount of donation in each temple may be different. In some it is a fixed amount, in others the godfather himself decides how much he can give to the needs of the church after the sacrament. Usually the cost of the ceremony already includes: a certificate of Baptism and a simple consecrated cross. If desired, the godfather can buy another cross: or. Also in the church store you will need to purchase:

• candles - the number is determined by the number of guests;
• personalized icon with the image of the baby’s heavenly patron;
• an icon of the Guardian Angel to a child as a gift from his godparents.

Is it possible to photograph the baptism ceremony?

It is better to coordinate video and photography with the priest and get his blessing for this, then you can count on more successful shots with the participation of the priest. In addition, the photo session should be entrusted professional photographer, with experience in filming in a church, since the following are of great importance: understanding that the clergyman will not stop the ceremony to capture beautiful angles; ability to work in low light conditions; the ability to create shots that convey the beauty and atmosphere of a bright event; availability of professional equipment. It is better for photography when the sacrament takes place in the main hall of the temple, and not in a separate baptismal chamber. It is ideal if the room itself is bright, since the flash distorts the appearance of church decoration in photographs, and not all churches allow its use. For greater solemnity, the clothes of godparents, parents and other guests should also be light.

Peculiarities of baptism in a monastery

Previously, churches at monasteries were closed to everyone except monks and those wishing to take monastic vows. The servants strictly adhered to the main rule: “Let them observe silence, and adhere only to fasting and prayer”. In turn, daily prayer services, confessions, and church sacraments performed with ordinary parishioners would be contrary to this law.

Today, monasteries are allowed to provide spiritual assistance to the laity, that is, to have a parish. In such a temple, services are held for parishioners, baptismal and wedding ceremonies are performed. Regardless of whether it is a male or female monastery, both boys and girls can be baptized. But it is worth noting that not all monastery churches have a parish, so this issue must be clarified in advance in a specific monastery.

Baptism of children at home

The rite of baptism at home is practically no different from the sacrament performed in the temple, but priests advise resorting to it only as a last resort, for example, in the presence of a serious illness or the impossibility of transporting a small child to the temple from remote settlements, particularly in winter.

The differences are as follows: Baptism at home is always carried out by sprinkling over the head, without immersion in the font, which is preferable; The rite is considered “incomplete” due to the impossibility of churching a newly baptized person - the parents will still have to take the child to the temple later in order to present the girl to the image of the Mother of God on the Royal Doors, and to bring the boy into the altar and attach it to the icon of the Savior; Communion is also held exclusively in the church, sometimes immediately after the baptismal ceremony, sometimes on another designated day. An infirm or dying person can receive Holy Communion at home, as an exception. The priest reads a prayer for the healing of the sick person and the forgiveness of his sins. This has nothing to do with healthy babies. The same rules apply to the baptismal ceremony in the hospital.