Christening interview what you need to know. Interview before baptism - the temple of the icon of the mother of God "sign" in Khovrino

14.10.2019

Baptizing a newborn child today is becoming almost a fashion. Sometimes parents themselves do not know why this is necessary and what an important sacrament this is.

The Church strengthens the status of godparents

Baptism - major event v human life. With immersion in water and the invocation of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, there comes death to sin and birth into a holy, spiritual life. The Orthodox Church has been performing this sacrament over babies for a long time, although they are not yet able to understand the importance of what is being performed on them. Therefore, in church practice, a rule has been established to look for adult guarantors for the child. How ready the godparents are for the new role, the interview before the baptism, for which the Russian Orthodox Church has received particular attention lately.

Who are the catechumens

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

The role of godparents in the announcement

Over time, when the position of the church was strengthened, the confession of Christ did not threaten torment and death, the need for lengthy preparation for churching disappeared, babies began to be baptized. But the liturgical rite of announcement, which came from ancient church, has remained so far. Anyone who is about to receive the sacrament of baptism must renounce Satan three times: "Have you renounced Satan?" - "I gave up." Then confirm your faith: "Have you been united with Christ?" - "Combined." Bow to Him and read the Creed. Naturally, the baby is not able to do this. The godfather (for the boy) and the godmother (for the girl) are vouched for and do this. They are required to be interviewed before the child's baptism in order to prepare for the responsible role assigned to them in this ordinance.

Order of the Patriarch

At the end of the last century and the beginning of this century, the Russian Orthodox Church experienced an influx of adults who wanted to become churched, and parents seeking to baptize their children. Moreover, many of them had a very distant idea of faith, of Christ, of spiritual life. These people needed at least a minimum of religious knowledge and an idea of the duties that the Sacrament of Baptism imposes on 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 baptism. It is intended for both parents and foster children of their children. Twice they come to the announcement conversation in order to obtain the necessary knowledge about the upcoming event. Without these conversations, the priest has no right to perform the sacrament.

Catechesis of parents

Catechism - a set of basic rules of the church. If parents bring a child to be baptized not because of their faith, but because everyone else does it, then they will be disturbed by the question that is asked at the interview before baptism. After asking a few questions about how often they go to church, whether they go to confession regularly, whether they take communion, the priest will enlighten them on the basic issues of faith. They learn about the sacraments of the Church, about the obligation to regularly commune their child, to pray for him. The catechist lecturer will tell them that Christ should become the main authority in the family and upbringing. A conversation with parents involves solving practical issues: the date, time of baptism, necessary clothing.

Parents themselves do not participate in the sacrament of baptism and remain mere spectators. But at the last stage of this service, the introduction of the newly baptized into the temple takes place. While the priest brings the boy to the altar, and puts the girl to the holy icons, the mother puts prostrations and pray for your child. In order to be able to participate in the rite of churching, she needs to be clean, so the date of the event must be coordinated with this natural circumstance.

Naming

During the interview before baptism, the name that the baby will take after the sacrament is discussed with the parents. This issue is especially important if the birth certificate says let beautiful name, but not included in the holy calendar. The parents of Eduards and Stanislavs, Oles and Viktory, on the advice of the priest, select the child in advance orthodox name and with him - the heavenly patron. This protector and prayer book accompanies a person throughout life. Usually the person being baptized is given the name of a saint whose memory is celebrated on the day of his baptism.

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

Announcement for godparents

The receiver from the font is a person who takes into his arms a newly consecrated baby. The main role in this sacrament is assigned to the godparents. The father or mother of the baby may be non-church or profess a different faith - this will not prevent their child from becoming a Christian. But the recipients are simply obliged to be religious people. Everything that happens at the sacrament with the baby will happen only according to their faith.

Therefore, the interview of godparents before baptism is a very important moment in 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 a task for them to complete by the second lesson.

Requirements for recipients

It is important for the godparent to know if he is to have an interview before the baptism of the child, what the priest asks. And the receiver from the font owes a lot:

Know, understand and apply the Ten Commandments in your life Old Testament and the seven beatitudes of Jesus Christ. This is the basis of Christian morality, which he will form in the future godson.
Regularly participate in worship, confession and communion.
Know the prayers "Our Father" and "Virgin Mother of God". To be able to read the Creed clearly, without hesitation, to understand and explain it.
Know what the New Testament consists of, and read the Gospel of Mark from cover to cover.
On the eve of the sacrament, you must endure a three-day fast, confess and take communion, in order to take responsibility for a new soul with a pure soul and God's help.

Who can't be a godfather

A person who is under church punishment, on whom penance has been imposed, and he is excommunicated from communion, cannot become a recipient from the font.
Close relatives: parents, brother or sister are also not eligible.
Husband and wife cannot baptize the same child.
Monks and those who are preparing for monasticism are not godparents.
Mentally disturbed people do not participate in the sacrament of baptism.

As you can see, a fairly wide range of questions affects the first interview before baptism with the recipients from the font. At the same lesson, a questionnaire is filled out for the child and his godparents, a task is given, the completion of which may take 3-4 weeks.

Why take communion before the sacrament of baptism

In order to prepare for the upcoming event, it is the recipients from the font who must work hard. And not the range of material issues is important in this matter. Buy a christening gown, a towel, a cross, a chain, donate money to the church and cover festive table- all this is external vanity. A terrible thing can hide behind it: the sacrament did not take place, the betrothal to God did not happen. And all because the baby cannot answer for himself, and the recipient does not want to. Well, he does not consider these questions important, he does not have time for them!

Therefore, a very important step in preparing for the upcoming event is the second interview with the priest before baptism. In addition to testing theoretical knowledge ("The Creed", the Gospel, commandments), it necessarily includes a confession. This sacrament will reveal the sincerity and authenticity of the faith of those who will be the main figures in the future baptism. The unwillingness of the godparents to confess and receive communion indicates that they need to be changed, it is impossible to spoil the child’s spiritual life that has not yet begun. And the priest in such cases has the right to postpone baptism until the recipient meets the requirements dictated by the sacraments.

Treasured reference

Parents who have already baptized their children know how hard it is to find a moment when everything is ready in the family, the child is not sick, both recipients are in place and both are free, and there are no obstacles in the church to perform the ceremony. From this point of view, the requirement for compulsory catechesis is an additional obstacle: covenant baptism is postponed for another month and a half, until the priest takes the exam and issues a certificate of successful reading. No references to busyness or lack of time are valid.

If the godparents live in another city, they can be interviewed before the baptism of the child at the place of residence and bring on the day of the sacrament the same certificate of announcement, certified by signature and seal.

Perhaps the child is lucky, and his godfather is really a church person. But even in this case, he must take a written recommendation from the priest of his parish and provide it at the place of baptism. For a person who has agreed to take responsibility for the soul of a little Christian, detours are excluded: either refuse, or go to church.

The last word remains with the father

The priest, like no one else, understands the role of godparents in the life of a baby: this is both an introduction to his prayer life and reading the Bible with him. If something happens to the parents, and if the child is left alone, his godparents from the font adopt him.

It depends on the priest conducting the catechization how the interview before baptism goes. One will ask a couple of questions, wave his hand and christen the baby. The other will ask in all severity, and only after making sure that the child will fall into reliable hands, will he give permission for the sacrament. Perhaps both will be right: the ways of the Lord are inscrutable.

Baptism is the great Church Sacrament for a supernatural birth. Not every person clearly understands its meaning, therefore, public discussions are held in the church before baptism.

What is the conversation for?

Currently, according to the Decree of the Patriarch of All Russia Kirill, a mandatory interview in the church before christening has been established in Orthodox churches.

The interview is with:

Parents.
Recipients.
By those who are baptized over the age of 15.

Many visitors to the temples do not understand the meaning of innovation, because before everything was much simpler.

The conversations are conducted by a catechist, their purpose is to increase the level of conscious readiness to receive the Sacrament of both the baptized themselves and their godparents.

Rules of the Sacrament of Baptism

During the Sacrament, a person is immersed in baptismal water, thereby symbolically dying to live in sin and resurrecting to a new, holy, sinless life. Just as Jesus died on the Cross and rose three days later to a new, glorified life, so, being baptized after a threefold immersion, comes out of the font different.

For those who want to take Holy Baptism adults, the following requirements are mandatory:

acceptance and fulfillment of the Commandments of God;
agreement with the dogmas of the Orthodox dogma;
awareness of the need for constant participation in parish life;
acquisition of basic skills of attending worship services;
knowledge of basic prayers;
familiarity with the text of the Gospel.

Before performing Baptism, an adult must necessarily confess, and the next day take communion at the Liturgy.

When Baptizing infants and youths (up to 15 years old), at least one godfather is required:

boys have a man;
girls have a woman.

Preparatory conversations with godparents

For godparents, the ROC puts forward the same requirements as for those who are baptized. But shortly before the celebration of the Sacrament, they should confess their sins and take communion.

There are a number of restrictions for receivers:

they should not be the biological parents of the baptized, their siblings and half-brothers and sisters;
it is forbidden to choose monastics as godparents;
people with mental illnesses as sponsors are not allowed.

If the godfather is a permanent parishioner of any of the churches of the Russian Orthodox Church, then it is not necessary for him to undergo an announcement. But the very fact of belonging to the Faith of Christ must be confirmed by a document signed by the rector of the temple or confessor, with an imprint of the seal of the specified temple.

Preparatory conversation with parents

Before baptism, the clergyman must discuss the following points with parents:

Set a date and time for the sacrament.
What clothes do parents and the person being baptized need to have for baptism.
Choose church name who is baptized.

Responsibilities of parents:

there must be believers themselves;
attend a service
take communion.

Responsibilities of parents after the baptism of a child:

Attend worship services.
Take to communion.
To live and raise a child according to Orthodox canons.

An example of an open conversation

In the Orthodox Church, it is customary to baptize children according to the religion of their parents. The latter bring an obligation before God to teach children faith, to educate them in the spirit of Orthodoxy.

Baptism is the very first sacrament that was established for entry into the Church.

Announcements before baptism, interview before baptism

In this Sacrament, the believer dies for the worldly life of the flesh and is born into a spiritual life. An important turning point is taking place in human life for the sake of salvation into eternal life.

Why do we need salvation?

All people descended from Adam, who sinned against God. Therefore, all people are sinners from birth, spiritual life is alien to them.

And in Baptism a person:

dies;
renounces passions and sins;
resurrects in a new life leading to eternity;
cleansed from original sin.

The Creator gave Adam and Eve a commandment to establish the soul in obedience, but they violated it and departed from Him. Then they tasted the forbidden fruit and they were overtaken by a feeling of loss of the Grace of God. Their descendants became slaves of passions, and the devil subdued them. For the sake of union with the Heavenly Father, we accept Baptism.

Spiritual ties arise between him and the newly baptized, no less strong than those of blood.

The Sacrament of Baptism introduces a person into the Church, and now one can offer prayers to Heaven for him and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. The Lord gives the newly baptized Guardian Angel, who will:

protect a person;
pray for him;
upon death will help his soul ascend to Heaven to his Creator.

Being godparents is a great responsibility for a newborn member of the Church.

According to the Decree of the Patriarch and with the blessing
clergy of the Northern Vicariate, in our Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign" in Khovrino, public conversations are held with adults who wish to receive Holy Baptism, as well as with parents and future godparents who have babies and children under 15 years of age to be baptized. The purpose of the conversations conducted by the full-time catechist of the parish is to check and possibly increase the level of conscious readiness both to receive the Sacrament on the part of those being baptized, and to participate in it as godparents. In the absence of circumstances that threaten the life and health of those wishing to be baptized, interviews are considered mandatory. In our Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign" in Khovrino, the decision to set the date of Baptism is made by the rector of the temple or the serving priest replacing him, based on the results of the interview. Attendance at least two interviews is required.

For baptized adults, the following requirements are recognized as mandatory :

2. Awareness of the need for everyone Orthodox Christian regular and constant participation in the sacramental life of the Church.

3. Acquiring the basic skills of attending Orthodox services (presence at the Divine Liturgy).

4. Knowledge of fundamental Christian prayers, such as "Our Father ..." and "The Creed."

5. Preliminary acquaintance with the text of the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament (at least, reading from the beginning to the end of the Gospel of Mark).

The baptism of adults should also be preceded by a conversation with a priest of a repentant (confessional) nature.

In the case of the baptism of infants, as well as children under the age of 15, it is recognized that it is mandatory to have at least one godfather (godfather) of the same sex with the baptized child. If said person is a permanent parishioner of any other parish of the Russian Orthodox Church, then he may be exempted from the interview upon presentation of the relevant supporting document (certificate signed by the rector or confessor with the seal of the specified church). Also, godparents have the right to take advantage of the opportunity to have a categorical conversation in any church of subordination of the Moscow Patriarchate, subject to the subsequent provision of a properly executed supporting document (see above).

For godparents (grandparents) of a baptized child, it is obligatory :

1. Understanding and acceptance of the Commandments of God, agreement with the main provisions of Christian doctrine and church ethics.

2. Conscious and regular participation in the Church Sacraments (primarily in the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion), as well as in the prayer life of the Church.

3. In addition to the satisfactory reading aloud of such prayers as “Our Father ...” and the Song of the Most Holy Theotokos (“Virgin Mary, Rejoice ...”), during the interview, special attention is paid to teaching the godparents to read clearly and properly comprehend dogmatically important prayer"Symbol of faith".

4. Sufficient familiarity with the text Holy Scripture New Testament (at least reading from the beginning to the end of the Gospel of Mark).

5. Shortly before Baptism, godparents need to confess and Communion of the holy Mysteries of Christ.

6. The absence of unlifted church prohibitions (excommunication from Communion, as a rule, also means a ban on reception).

When choosing godparents, some statutory restrictions should be taken into account, namely :

Parents of those being baptized, as well as siblings and half-brothers and sisters, cannot be godparents.

Spouses should not be godparents the same child; young people who have become godfather and godfather cannot be married to each other.

Monastics cannot become godparents.

Persons suffering from mental illness are not allowed to participate in the Sacrament as godparents.

For baptized (except infants), parents and godparents (godparents) mandatory participation in at least two public speaking. At the first conversation, the catechist must fill out a questionnaire for the baptized and the recipients, and also give individual recommendations and instructions for implementation. , which all need to be done before the second conversation starts.

Interviews in our Znamensky parish are held:
every Thursday at 18:20,
every Saturday at 15:00
in the Nikolsky (lower) church.

For those wishing to attend these Announcements, please arrive early without delay.

Attention! On the appointed days, interviews may be canceled if they are on the eve or on the day of the Twelfth and Great Feasts.

If you have been interviewed in another church, then you need to bring to the beginning of our interviews on Saturday at 15:00 the original Certificate (certificate) of the passage of catechumensal conversations with the signature of the person in charge and necessarily with the seal of the temple where you had these conversations.

Baptisms in our church take place only on Sundays in the first half of the day. Registration for baptism is carried out only one day in advance on Saturdays at 15:00 in the premises of the lower church. For registration, it is necessary to have an identity document of the person being baptized (birth certificate or passport).

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Question: We have already scheduled the Sacrament of Baptism in another church the very next day. Can I go through one interview in your temple and immediately get a certificate?
Answer : No, It is Immpossible; since this is a direct violation of the patriarchal order. Be sure to adequately prepare for the Sacrament and go through at least two categorical conversations. At the first conversation, after the lecture, the catechist must fill out a questionnaire for the baptized and the recipients, and also give individual recommendations and instructions for implementation. At the second conversation, these instructions you followed are checked and, based on the results, a decision is made on admission. In your case, it is better to transfer the Sacrament of Baptism.

Question: How long does it take to go through all the conversations and prepare to become a godfather at the Sacrament of Baptism?
Answer : It is necessary to pass at least two interviews at which lectures are given on the basics of the Christian life; as well as to follow the individual recommendations and instructions that will be given to you. As a rule, it takes 2-4 weeks to fully prepare to become a godfather.

Question: I am a busy person. Is it possible to have an interview in absentia or at another time?
Answer : No, It is Immpossible. You must be present in person at all interviews, and only at the specified time.

Question: We want to baptize a baby in your church, the godfather was interviewed in another church. He was given a certificate of the passage of catechetical conversations, it bears the signature of the catechist, but it does not have the seal of the temple. Can you accept such a certificate?
Answer : No we can not. We cannot accept a certificate that does not have the seal of the church where the talks were held. Since the seal confirms the authenticity of the signature of the catechist who issued the certificate, and without the seal, the certificate cannot be considered a properly executed document. In addition to this, the Patriarchal Order clearly states that the document is certified by the seal of the church. In your case, you need to go to the parish administration of the church where the interviews took place and ask them to put a stamp on your certificate.

Question: Our godfather lives in another city, and he was interviewed at the temple in his place of residence. We currently only have a copy of this certificate. Is it possible to bring a copy of the interview certificate instead of the original to apply for Baptism in your church?
Answer : No. For registration, we need to bring one day before the Sacrament of Baptism, namely on Saturday at 15:00, only the original certificate, which remains with us. Moreover, any of the persons trusted by you can bring this certificate.

Question: I passed an interview in another church, but they didn’t give me a certificate of passing catechumens. What should I do?
Answer : If, after successfully passing the categorical conversations in another church, you were not issued a certificate, then this is the basis for filing a complaint with the local diocese or patriarchy. Since this is a direct violation of the Patriarchal Decree No. R-01/12 of April 3, 2013 No.

Question: We have already successfully passed the interview. How do we set the day of baptism?
Answer : Baptisms in our church take place only on Sundays in the morning ( exact time appointed catechist). Registration for baptism is carried out only one day in advance on Saturdays at 15:00 in the premises of the lower church. For registration, it is necessary to have an identity document of the person being baptized (birth certificate or passport).

Baptizing a newborn child today is becoming almost a fashion. Sometimes parents themselves do not know why this is necessary and what an important sacrament this is.

The Church strengthens the status of godparents

Baptism is the most important event in human life. With immersion in water and the invocation of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, there comes death to sin and birth into a holy, spiritual life. The Orthodox Church has been performing this sacrament over babies for a long time, although they are not yet able to understand the importance of what is being performed on them. Therefore, in church practice, a rule has been established to look for adult guarantors for the child. How ready the godparents are for the new role, the interview before baptism, to which the Russian Orthodox Church has recently paid special attention, should be clarified.

Who are the catechumens

At the very beginning of the existence of the church, when only adults were baptized into the faith, who most often became martyrs, the preparation for this sacrament was serious and lengthy. Within 1-3 years, such people "announced", that is, they got acquainted with the basics of religion, passed more than one interview before baptism. For a long time they studied the Gospel, participated in joint prayers and even in the exorcism of evil spirits. But their participation in the divine service had limits: after the exclamation of the priest: "Catechumens, depart!" they had to leave the premises where the Liturgy of the Faithful, the Sacrament of Confession began and which, as a rule, took place on Easter, people who passed such a long test became real Christians and were ready to die for their convictions.

The role of godparents in the announcement

Naturally, the baby is not able to do this. The godfather (for the boy) and the godmother (for the girl) are vouched for and do this. They need to pass an interview before baptism child to prepare for the responsible role assigned to them in this ordinance.

Order of the Patriarch

Catechesis of parents

Catechism - a set of basic rules of the church. If parents bring a child to be baptized not because of their faith, but because everyone else does it, then they will be disturbed by the question that is asked at the interview before baptism. After asking a few questions about how often they go to church, whether they go to confession regularly, whether they take communion, the priest will enlighten them on the basic issues of faith. They learn about the sacraments of the Church, about the obligation to regularly commune their child, to pray for him. The catechist lecturer will tell them that Christ should become the main authority in the family and upbringing. involves the solution of practical issues: the date, time of baptism, necessary clothing.

Parents themselves do not participate in the sacrament of baptism and remain mere spectators. But at the last stage of this service, the introduction of the newly baptized into the temple takes place. While the priest brings the boy to the altar, and puts the girl to the holy icons, the mother makes prostrations and prays for her child. In order to be able to participate in the rite of churching, she needs to be clean, so the date of the event must be coordinated with this natural circumstance.

Naming

During the interview before baptism, the name that the baby will take after the sacrament is discussed with the parents. This issue is especially important if the birth certificate contains a beautiful name, but not included in the calendar. The parents of Eduards and Stanislavs, Oles and Viktory, on the advice of the priest, choose in advance an Orthodox name for the child and, together with him, a heavenly patron. This protector and prayer book accompanies a person throughout life. Usually the person being baptized is given the name of a saint whose memory is celebrated on the day of his baptism.

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

Announcement for godparents

Requirements for recipients

It is important for the godparent to know if he is to have an interview before the baptism of the child, what the priest asks. And the receiver from the font owes a lot:

Know, understand and apply in your life the ten commandments of the Old Testament and the seven beatitudes of Jesus Christ. This is the basis of Christian morality, which he will form in the future godson.
Regularly participate in worship, confession and communion.
Know and "Virgin Virgin". To be able to read the Creed clearly, without hesitation, to understand and explain it.
Know what the New Testament consists of, and read the Gospel of Mark from cover to cover.
On the eve of the sacrament, you must endure a three-day fast, confess and take communion, in order to take responsibility for a new soul with a pure soul and God's help.

Who can't be a godfather

A person who is under church punishment, on whom penance has been imposed, and he is excommunicated from communion, cannot become a recipient from the font.
Close relatives: parents, brother or sister are also not eligible.
Husband and wife cannot baptize the same child.
Monks and those who are preparing for monasticism are not godparents.
Mentally disturbed people do not participate in the sacrament of baptism.

Why take communion before the sacrament of baptism

In order to prepare for the upcoming event, it is the recipients from the font who must work hard. And not the range of material issues is important in this matter. Buying a christening shirt, a towel, a cross, a chain, donating money to the church and laying a festive table - all this is external fuss. A terrible thing can hide behind it: the sacrament did not take place, the betrothal to God did not happen. And all because the baby cannot answer for himself, and the recipient does not want to. Well, he does not consider these questions important, he does not have time for them!

Treasured reference

The last word remains with the father

It largely depends on the priest conducting the catechesis before baptism. One will ask a couple of questions, wave his hand and christen the baby. The other will ask in all severity, and only after making sure that the child will fall into reliable hands, will he give permission for the sacrament. Perhaps both will be right: the ways of the Lord are inscrutable.

Went for an interview. Not only a job seeker can say this, but also God. Conduct interview before baptism ordered by Patriarch Kirill. He revived the lost tradition of preparing those wishing to join the Orthodox community. Checking the work done is the main part of the training. What is it and what is it called?

Education before baptism

The preparation for the ceremony includes chants before baptism. The process itself is called disclosure. This tradition of the Mother See was fully preserved only in Catholicism. There training lasts about 3 months.

In Orthodoxy, education was forgotten for several centuries. For a long time, citizens consciously continued to go through the catechumens, voluntarily attending, for example, parish schools and services. But, over time, some began to perceive it as a tribute to traditions, and not knowledge of God.

As a result, they began to come to churches for the sake of pro forma, without having studied the Holy Scriptures, without having a firm faith. Patriarch Kirill decided to stop this trend. It doesn’t take several months for an announcement in Orthodoxy, but several conversations with the priest will be required.

Conversations before baptism children under 15 and seriously ill do not pass. Godparents are responsible for babies and teenagers. They are announced. The catechist of the parish communicates with the faithful. So in churches they call employees who specialize in conducting lectures. Bible knowledge is tested.

The minimum set for "entry" into the community is a reading from cover to cover of the Gospel of Mark. The church is also convinced of the understanding and acceptance of the commandments, the awareness of the need for constant participation in the life of the Orthodox community.

The announcer is told What do you need before baptism attend the liturgy. So a person is instilled with the initial skills of attending worship services. The catechist is given the same way prayer before baptism Or rather, two texts. During the time it is necessary to say "Our Father" and "Symbol of Faith". Prayers are written church language. Not everyone takes it easy. Therefore, an employee of the parish explains at the interview the essence, the meaning of the lines.

The last point of preparation is confession. The priest listens to her. Repentance for sins, of course, is asked only from adults, including godfathers and mothers. They pass pre-christening interview to whom they will become spiritual guides.

Announcement system

In many parishes conversations before the baptism of the child, or an adult, special days and hours are allotted. For example, in the capital's Church of the Icon of the Mother of God, classes are scheduled for 18:20 on Thursdays and 15:00 on Saturdays. Thus, those wishing to be baptized gather in groups. Joint classes save the catechist's time and facilitate the assimilation of the material. In the "class" there are always successful students who are able to suggest something, to explain to the "lagging behind".

There is also a system of individual training in churches, for example, on Sundays. At certain hours they are waiting for those who, on duty, or for other reasons, cannot come on weekdays or Saturdays. You can come to interviews even at late hours. But, such classes are separately agreed with the priest.

Fasting before baptism

Conversation before the baptism of a child, or an adult is not the only condition for passing the sacrament. Another three days is required. It is allowed not to pass pregnant, sick and weakened. Healthy people are required to purify the body and spirit in anticipation of the sacrament.

What you need to know before baptism? First, you can not eat food of animal origin. Secondly, the priests are asked to give up carnal pleasures, for example, having sex. Efforts of the will aimed at abstinence give scope for the action of the Holy Spirit on a person.

This is how the requirement in the temples is explained. The essence of baptism is to receive grace from God in a mysterious way. In order for this grace to freely enter the believer, he must be pure in spirit. The goal can be achieved only through the symbolic mortification of the flesh - the deprivation of its pleasures and food.

Fasting before baptism do not ask and from children. Their flesh is already pure, their spirit is sinless. Therefore, godfathers go through restrictions for the kids. Godparents are entrusted to educate the ward in the framework of the Orthodox faith.

Therefore, godfathers must believe themselves and observe the foundations of the church. The baptism of a child in an unbelieving family does not make sense. The child does not realize the meaning of what is happening and will not be able to realize in the future if there are no Christian teachers nearby.

Understanding the responsibility, those who are offered to be godparents have the right to refuse. In this case, a mentor can be proclaimed, for example, a priest. Church canons do not forbid him to be a godfather.

Some are looking for godparents at public talks. Many people make friends with them. This means that the spiritual mentor will be close to the family. There is no reason to doubt his faith, because the person himself decided to undergo training to be a Christian.