Husband and wife are godparents of one child. Who can be godparents and who can't. What the church says: a child, ex-husband, sister or brother can be godfather. – Which relative can be godfather?

Most of those who have undergone it know nothing about its features, since the moment of the sacrament occurred in early childhood. Therefore, questions about how the ceremony will take place and whether a husband and wife can be godparents are asked only when we are invited to become godparents or there is a need to conduct a ceremony for our child. Since baptism is an extremely important sacrament in the Christian tradition, it is worth allowing all controversial issues in advance.

Is it possible to take a husband and wife as godparents?

Traditionally, strict requirements are imposed on godparents, since the subsequent initiation of the child into the Church depends on them. In addition, they should provide all kinds of help outside of spiritual life. Baptism can only be performed once, so it will not be possible to abandon the godfather (mother) or change them later.

This is also true if the recipients have ceased to be Christians (began to lead an unrighteous lifestyle). So the choice of godparents must be carefully considered; these people will need to meet all the requirements (except in very rare cases) of the Orthodox Christian tradition. But most importantly, future recipients should be close to you; such responsibility should in no case be assigned to random people.

Guided by this rule, many are thinking of inviting close relatives or a well-known married couple to become godparents, but is this possible according to church laws? Can a husband and wife be godparents? There is a clear answer to this question: married people cannot become the adoptive parents of one child. Moreover, if the godparents then begin a relationship, the church will not be able to approve their marriage. If, in consultation with a priest, you answered in the affirmative to the question whether it is possible for a husband and wife to be godparents, then you are dealing with a referral, not approved by the official church, simply put, a sect. But you don’t have to look for a couple, just one recipient whose gender will match the gender of the child is enough. This is a strict church requirement, and the invitation to the ceremony of two godparents is, by and large, only, since initially there was only one recipient.

Can a husband and wife be godparents of opposite-sex children of the same couple? There are no prohibitions in this regard, so if you really want your Good friends become the successors of your son and daughter, then you can invite them to this role, but only at different times.

When a long-awaited baby is born, the parents’ task is to carefully introduce him into the world, protect him from misfortunes, and put him on the righteous path. Orthodox parents share this enormous responsibility with their heavenly patron and godparents. After the baptismal ceremony, the life and fate of the child are entrusted to the aspirations of the Lord and the instructions of the godparents.

How to choose godparents

Baptism is a church sacrament, at the moment of which the future fate of a person’s soul is determined. When a child is baptized, godparents are identified. How to choose godparents for your beloved child, who to entrust such responsibility to, can a husband and wife be godparents?

To be fair, it is worth noting that there is some disagreement within the church on this issue. There is an opinion that in our time a married couple can become godparents, and this is being discussed. But these doubts are theoretical and have practically no impact on the daily life of the church. In the interests of the further well-being of godparents and godchildren, it is better to follow the approved order of things when choosing.

The role of godparents in the life of a godson

According to church rules, adult Orthodox parishioners can be recipients of baptism. After all, godfathers and mothers should become spiritual mentors to the child for life. For example, will the husband and wife you know be able to be worthy godparents for your child? After all, their role only begins after baptism: they must introduce the godson to the church, introduce him to Christian virtue, and teach the basics of religion. These must be responsible, sincerely believing people, because it is their prayers for their godson throughout his life that are paramount to the Lord. Choosing godparents for a child is a responsible step. The main thing is the ability of these people to be responsible for their godson before God, take care of his spiritual development and guide him on the righteous path. The Church believes that a godfather must take upon himself all the sins of a godson under 16 years of age.

Who should not be chosen as a godparent?

When choosing godparents, the child's family is puzzled by the problem: can a husband and wife be godparents? For example, a familiar married couple, close to the godson’s family in spirit and in church, is ideally suited to the role of mentors. Their family is a model of harmony, their relationships are imbued with love and mutual understanding. But is it possible for this husband and wife to be godparents?

Can a husband and wife be godparents for one child? No, according to church laws this is unacceptable. For the spiritual connection that arises between the recipients at baptism gives rise to a close spiritual union, which is higher than any other, including love and marriage. It is unacceptable for spouses to become godparents; this would jeopardize the continued existence of their marriage.

If the husband and wife are in a civil marriage

The church clearly decides in the negative whether a husband and wife in a civil marriage can be godparents. According to church rules, neither a husband and wife, nor a couple on the threshold of marriage can become godparents. While preaching to Orthodox people the need to enter into a church marriage, the church at the same time considers a civil marriage, that is, registered in the registry office, to be legal. Therefore, the doubt whether a husband and wife who have approved their union by registration in the registry office can be godparents is resolved by a negative answer.

Engaged couples cannot become godparents because they are on the verge of marriage, as well as couples living together outside of marriage, since these unions are considered sinful.

Who can become a godfather

Can a husband and wife be godparents to different children? Yes, this is a completely acceptable option. The husband, for example, will become the godfather of the son of loved ones, and the wife will become the godfather of her daughter. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, older sisters and brothers can also become godparents. The main thing is that he is a worthy Orthodox Christian, ready to help the child grow in the Orthodox faith. Choosing a godfather is a truly responsible decision, because it is made for life. The godfather cannot be changed in the future. If the godfather stumbles on the path of life, goes astray from the righteous direction, the godson should take care of him with prayers.

Baptismal rules

Before the ceremony, future godparents undergo training in the church and become familiar with the basic rules:

Before the sacrament of baptism, they observe a three-day fast, confess and receive communion;

Be sure to wear an Orthodox cross;

Dress appropriately for the ceremony; women wear a skirt below the knees and be sure to cover their heads; do not use lipstick;

Godparents must know and understand the meaning of “Our Father” and “Creed”, as these prayers are said during the ceremony.

Controversial cases

In exceptional cases, situations arise when parents have no other choice for godparents other than a single married couple. Doubts whether a husband and wife can be godparents for a child are more than relevant in this case. We must remember that, according to church rules, it is quite enough to assign only one godfather to the child, but of the same sex, that is, we choose a godfather for a boy, and a godmother for a girl.

In each case, when parents have individual questions or doubts about whether a husband and wife can be godparents, they should be discussed with the priest during preparation for baptism. Rarely, but still there are cases when the question of whether a husband and wife can be godparents is decided positively by the church by special permission and due to exceptional circumstances.

Baptism is an important process in Russia. Even those couples who do not believe in God or believe, simply because they have to, baptize their children. From a religious point of view, baptism is the process of cleansing a newborn from original sin. The child thus connects with God. At the same time, parents think about who to make a spiritual mentor for their child. And the question is often raised about whether a husband and wife can be godparents.

Why can't husband and wife be godparents?

Our church has a negative attitude towards this situation and prohibits a married couple from becoming the adoptive parents of one child. In this case, a couple can baptize different children from the same family.

A husband and wife cannot be godparents to the same child.

The Orthodox Church explains this prohibition by the fact that there is already a spiritual connection between husband and wife. During baptism, the bond between husband and wife can weaken, since the bond that is formed with the child during this process is the strongest.

At the same time, it is possible that the priest will turn a blind eye to this if the couple has not been married or is not yet married. But it is not advisable to do this. If you are a believer, then know that your connection with your husband at the wedding will be weak.

This is also explained by the fact that the husband and wife are already one, so neither of them can form one with the child.

Who can be godfather

Godparents can be:

• Relatives of children: grandparents, sisters, brothers and so on.
• People whose children you are a successor to.
• Godparents of your first child. If you have already baptized the first child, then when baptizing the second, you can ask the same people to become the second’s successors.
• Priest. If you don’t have really close people to whom you could entrust this, then a priest can do it.
• There are superstitions that believe that a pregnant or unmarried woman without children will bring bad luck to her newborn. Don’t believe it, such girls can become godparents.

Take the choice of a spiritual mentor for your son or daughter responsibly, since it will no longer be possible to change your choice.

Baptism is an important process. Remember also that if the parents are divorced, then the stepfather cannot become a stepfather. This is an important choice, so choose people who truly care about your son or daughter. Godparents should be mentors to children and help them develop spiritually. Therefore, take this seriously.

With the adoption of Christianity in Rus' at the end of the 10th century, along with a new faith and religion, the rituals and traditions of Christianity came into the lives of our ancestors and ours, respectively. Mass baptism of people was carried out - standard practice of Byzantium in relation to pagan peoples.

Thus, through the baptism of the ruling elite, the Byzantine state secured the pagans in its sphere of influence and tried to reduce the danger of military conflicts in the area of ​​its borders. Now the tradition of baptizing a newborn baby is preserved and observed in almost all Orthodox families, only, perhaps, real atheists do not do this.

This rite is church and carries the meaning of the sacrament of spiritual birth. It can be performed at any age, but most often the rite (sacrament) of baptism takes place at a very early age, in infancy. They prepare for christenings carefully and in advance; the most important thing is to choose the right godfather and mother. Often the choice is difficult, because the candidate must be a trustworthy and decent person with developed spiritual personality traits. In addition, not everyone will agree to take on such responsibility. The Church believes that anyone can become a godparent, provided that he becomes a true parent from the holy spirit throughout his life.

There are many nuances in performing the sacrament of baptism, which must be learned in advance from the priest in the church and must be observed.

In addition to the rules and standard points (godparents must be baptized themselves, know basic prayers and attend church), there are also prohibitions. One of the most important is that according to church canons spouses cannot be godparents one child. This is due to the fact that those who are married are already a single whole, and the spiritual kinship established during the sacrament is higher than any other union, even marriage. In this case, you will have to end all relationships except spiritual kinship. Only some priests look at this moment loyally, if the marriage is not concluded in the church.

If the situation is such that the parents have no choice and there is only one married couple in mind, then, as an exception, it is quite enough to choose one godparent for the child, but of the same sex. For a boy - a godfather, for a girl - a mother.

There is another side to the question of why spouses cannot be godparents - these are superstitions and signs.

Although the church condemns signs and superstitions, they are firmly present in the lives of many people. So, it is believed that if a husband and wife baptize one child, then either their marriage will break up or the child may die. A real life incident confirms this sign. When my sister was born, my parents agreed with their friends - another married couple - and baptized the baby. Of course, they heard that it was impossible, but it was the 70s, everything was done quietly, where to look for candidates, after all, they were communists!

A few years later, my sister became seriously ill - suspected of having blood cancer. Shock, tests, hospitals. Mom prayed in her own words, as best she could, from the bottom of her heart; she didn’t know any prayers. After another round of tests, the doctors reassured me that the diagnosis was not confirmed. We returned home from the regional hospital and found out the news: there was discord in the family of the godfathers (the daughter’s godparents), and they were filing for divorce.

As a result, the child survived, and the godparents divorced. 35 years later, my godfather dies of cancer, and a year later my sister (the surviving child) died of cancer. At that time she was 42. Coincidence you say? Maybe. But maybe you should follow the rules and not take risks. In exceptional cases, the priest himself becomes the godfather; this is also possible.

There are rules and traditions that have been observed for hundreds of years; they were not created by us, but since we live by them, in the faith of our ancestors, let us observe them to the end.