Once I was helping a priest during baptism. When
the mystery ritual was over a woman with a small boy entered the baptismal room
accompanied by a man who looked Asiatic. The woman started asking to baptize
the boy as they were leaving the town that day. The man introduced himself as a
godfather-to-be. "Are you wearing a cross?" asked the priest of the
man. "What for?" was the reply. "What do you mean — what for? Aren’t
you an Orthodox believer?" — "No, I am Muslim," — replied the
man.
This anecdotal episode shows vividly how lightly
people take the task of choosing godparents. A large majority of them do not
comply with the minimal requirements of the Church: they do not know a single
prayer or how to cross themselves, they did not read the Gospel, they do not wear a cross. Some godfathers think it proper to
"have a glass for bravery" before coming to church, godmothers are
sometimes dressed immodestly and overusing cosmetics. And almost nobody knows
anything about what the role and responsibilities of godparents are, or what
they should be at all.
According to the traditions of the Church an
infant should be baptized on the 8th or the 40th day
after birth. Clearly, to demand at this age faith and repentance — the two main
requirements for unity with God — is impossible.
Therefore, "godparents" have existed since ancient times — people,
who according to their faith baptize the child. (In passing one must note that
godparents are not necessary for those over 18 years of age.)
The godparent can only be an Orthodox believer,
able to prove his faith. In fact a boy needs only a godfather and a girl — only
a godmother. But due to an ancient Russian tradition both are usually invited
to be godparents. Birth parents cannot become godparents of their child.
Spouses cannot be godparents of the same child. Grandparents, brothers and
sisters can surely be godparents of the baby.
After the baby is immersed in the font a
godparent is to take it in his or her arms from the priest. That’s why in
Slavonic a godparent is called a "recipient." Doing so, a godparent
assumes responsibility to bring the child up in the spirit of Orthodoxy and
will be held accountable for the upbringing at the Last Judgment. To their last
day, godparents pray for their godchildren, they teach them to be faithful and
devout, and they introduce them to the mysteries of the Church. That kind of
connection between children and godparents is deeper and more everlasting than
between birthparents and children. Both the destinies of the child and the
godparent depend on how thoroughly those obligations are fulfilled by the
godparent.
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