Can an ex-husband wife be godparents. Can a husband and wife be godparents? Can a husband and wife be godparents of the same child, for different children from the same family? - And which of the relatives can be a godfather

Most of those who passed through do not know anything about its features, since the moment of the sacrament took place 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 your child. Since in Christian tradition baptism is an extremely important sacrament, then it is worth resolving all controversial issues in advance.

Is it possible to take husband and wife as godparents?

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

This is also true if the recipients ceased to be Christians (began to lead an unrighteous lifestyle). So the choice of godparents should be well thought out, these people will need to meet all the requirements (with the exception of very rare cases) of the Orthodox Christian tradition. But most importantly, future recipients should be close to you, in no case should such responsibility be placed on 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? An unequivocal answer is given to this question: people who are married cannot become foster parents of one child. Moreover, if the godparents later start a relationship, the church will not be able to approve their marriage. If, in consultation with a priest, you were answered in the affirmative to the question of whether it is possible to be godparents to a husband and wife, then you are dealing with a direction, not approved by the official church, simply speaking, by a sect. But you do not have to look for a couple, just one successor, whose gender will match the gender of the child, is enough. This is a strict church requirement, and by and large, an invitation to the ceremony of two godparents is only, since initially there was one godfather.

Can a husband and wife be godparents of children of the same sex of the same sex? There are no prohibitions on this subject, so if you really want your Good friends became the godparents of your son and daughter, you can invite them to this role, but only at different times.

Parents who want to baptize a child often wonder if a husband and wife can be godparents. Disputes on this topic arise in Orthodox forums and among priests, since there are both opponents and supporters of this opinion.

Why can't a husband and wife baptize the same child?

First of all, the parents of the child himself absolutely cannot be godparents. As for other married couples, after marriage, the husband and wife are one, and therefore cannot be godparents for one child.

However, there is an opinion that is based on explanations to the decree of the Holy Synod of 1837. The canons say that to perform the sacrament of baptism, one perceiving godfather is enough, according to the sex of the child - a godfather for boys and a godmother for girls. The presence of a second godfather is optional, thus, two godparents do not have a spiritual relationship with each other, and therefore they can be married to each other.

In most cases, the church allows spouses to baptize one child if they have not been married, that is, their marriage is fixed only legally, in the registry office, but not according to Orthodox rites. Also, godparents are allowed to marry after baptism, this will not destroy the sacrament.

It is worth noting that unconfirmed superstitions circulate among the people, according to which a husband and wife cannot baptize one child, since as a result of this their marriage will break up and they will part, or trouble will come to the child - he will become seriously ill or die.

Who can become a godfather

The person they want to see as a godfather must have some important qualities. First of all, he must be Orthodox. A person of another religion or an atheist is not allowed to the sacrament, since the essence of baptism and the appointment of a sponsor is the upbringing of a child in Orthodoxy. The only exception is a person of the Catholic or Protestant faith, but only if there are no relatives of the Orthodox who want to baptize the child.

It is not enough to be Orthodox, you also need to have a really strong faith, to be church-going, to be ready to tell your godson about religion, to take him to church. An important role is played by a personal acquaintance with this person, since you trust him with your child.

As already mentioned, parents cannot become godparents, like an outside married couple (with the exception of the cases specified above). However, other close relatives, even older siblings, fit the role. But do not lose sight of the fact that over time, in some situations, it would be easier for a teenager to seek help and advice from his godfather if he is not part of the family.

It is important to remember that subsequently the child cannot be baptized, since the sacrament is performed only once, respectively, and the godfather cannot be changed.

If the beneficiary has abandoned his duty of religious instruction to the child, or if he manifests himself in some other bad way, then nothing can be done. One can only pray for him and hope that he will take the right path.

There are superstitions according to which an unmarried woman should not become godmother, as this will negatively affect the possibility of future marriage. They are also apprehensive about the idea of ​​choosing a pregnant woman as a godparent. Such superstitions are categorically rejected by the church, they have no basis. However, you should really think about whether a pregnant woman or an unmarried girl will be able to approach the upbringing of her godson with all responsibility, because one will soon have her own worries, and the second may not have enough life experience.

The offer to be godparents is a sign that you have been recognized as worthy to raise a new person who has just been born, in Christian morality. So, your future parents do not doubt your religiosity. But more and more often the number of godparents for one child becomes between parents and the church. How many should a husband and wife have for one child? How many spiritual parents can a person have?

The question of whether a husband and wife can be godparents at the same time torments the minds of Orthodox people and causes debate even in religious forums and in disputes between priests. By Orthodox canon, in order for the rite to be considered perfect in accordance with all the rules, one perceiving spiritual parent is enough - for male babies this should be the godfather, and for girls - the godmother, respectively. The second godfather does not have to be, it is only at the request of the parents.

Orthodox priests are hotly arguing on this topic. Definitely, only the mother and father of the child himself cannot be godparents. From the point of view of the opponents of the fact that the godparents husband and wife were in a real marriage, the spouses after marriage are a single entity, and if both of them are godparents, this is wrong. But this cannot become an obstacle for them in the baptism of different children from the same family. Supporters of what could be godparents appeal to the fact that they made clarifications in the decree of December 31, 1837. They said that according to the Treasury, one godchild is enough, depending on the sex of the godson, that is, there is no reason to consider godparents as people, consisting in some kind of spiritual relationship and therefore forbid them to marry among themselves.

It is possible to formulate the answer to the question whether a husband and wife can be godparents, as follows. If their marriage is registered only in the registry office, and was not consecrated by the church, then most likely the priest of the Orthodox Church will not object to the fact that the spouses become both godparents at baptism, because according to the laws of the church, their marriage is not sealed in heaven. The same applies to the following cases when it is possible to be spiritual parents - godparents husband and wife can enter into their marriage later and still remain godparents.

Modern parents, of course, want to be close to the godson's family, and choose godchildren from among friends or relatives. The usual number of godparents during the ceremony is two people of different sexes. Rarely does anyone get by with one godfather. The reason for this lies not so much in the spiritual as in the material aspect. Baptisms impose duties on spiritual parents not only religious and educational, but also material - for example, they must congratulate spiritual child happy holidays, which means giving gifts. And, of course, it is believed that the more successful the godfather or godmother, the better for the child.

In the outback, with the question of whether a husband and wife can be godparents, the situation is even simpler. Often in the villages you can even come across the tradition of four or more godfathers. There they choose two or four married couples, and they don’t bother with such questions at all - is it right or not, from the point of view of religion. But if questions of Orthodoxy are important to you, it is better, of course, to consult with a priest, and then choose godparents. And it is best to choose them not according to the wallet, but according to the heart. Really believing people, even without being godparents according to the rite, will always support your child in difficult times and guide him on the true path, and whether they will be husband and wife is not so important. For your child and the godparent's spouse will automatically be the godparent.

Who can be the godfather of a baby? Can a husband and wife be godparents to a child? Is it possible to take close relatives as godparents - sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, grandfathers and grandmothers? Is it true that a pregnant or unmarried woman should not have children baptized? In our article you will find answers to these questions.

An adult doesn't need a receiver

If a person is baptized at a conscious age, then no questions arise with the choice of recipients. An adult is responsible for his own decision. He certainly consciously came to the faith and wanted to join the Church. Most often, those who wish to be baptized, before accepting the Sacrament, undergo a course of categorical conversations, in which they are told about the foundations of the Orthodox faith.

He himself knows the main dogmas of the Church - the Creed - and can declare a renunciation of Satan and a desire to join Christ.

Who can become a godfather to a baby?

Baptism in infancy occurs according to the faith of the child's parents and godparents.

Godfather - baptized, believer, churched

A godfather or mother can be a believer, baptized in Orthodoxy, a churched person.

He is not needed to hold a child in church. The godfather vouches for the spiritual upbringing of this person before God, on behalf of the baby the godfather declares his devotion to Christ and renunciation of Satan. Agree, this is a very serious statement. And it presupposes the fulfillment of assigned duties: the communion of an infant, spiritual conversations in a relaxed manner, one's own example of living in virtue.

A baptized, but unchurched person is unlikely to be able to cope with such functions.

Who cannot become a godfather?

An atheist, non-believer, or excommunicated from the Church cannot be a godfather: if he is outside the Church, how can he help others enter it? How can he teach others to believe if he himself does not believe in God?

Can a pregnant woman baptize a child?

There is a superstition that an unmarried or pregnant woman cannot be a godparent. There are no such restrictions in the Church. You never know what a grandmother in the temple can tell you?! Sometimes you even have to listen to what unmarried girl Be sure to first become a godmother to a boy. If she does this, her guys will love her. Well, if you baptize the first girl, then what? Century in the girls to sit? This is another ridiculous superstition.

Actually, in Trebnik - liturgical book according to which the priests serve the rites - it is indicated that only one godfather is needed for the baptized, while for a girl - a woman, and for a boy - a man. It was only later that a tradition appeared to take a couple of successors. If you take only one godfather, then there is nothing forbidden in this. Unfortunately, grandmothers in the temple do not always know the history of the Church well and often fall for the hook of superstition.

In our time, monks and nuns also cannot become godparents. Previously, there was no such prohibition. But what is the reason for this practice? It is done so as not to distract the monk from monastic life, not to tempt him with worldly things (family, children, family celebrations and celebrations).

Also, parents do not become godparents to their child. They already have a huge responsibility for the versatile upbringing of their son or daughter.

Other relatives can easily become godparents, whether they are grandparents, aunts, uncles, or even older brothers and sisters.

Can a husband and wife be godparents to a child?

In our time, there is no unequivocal opinion about whether a husband and wife can baptize the same baby.

Supporters of the “no” option believe that godparents are spiritually close people, and a husband and wife are also physically close. You can find more than one story about how the priest forbade the spouses to be godparents to the child. But do such prohibitions exist at the canonical level?

But what if the guy and the girl first baptized one baby, and then fell in love with each other and wanted to get married? Suffer and blame the godson's parents for such a "setup"?

Instead of suffering, let's better turn to the book by Sergei Grigorovsky "Obstacles to wedding and reception at baptism", published even with the blessing His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II. It focuses on marriage between godparents:

At present, Article 211 of the Nomocanon [which points out the inadmissibility of marriage between godparents] has no practical significance and should be considered cancelled... in any spiritual relationship and therefore forbid them to marry among themselves.

You can also find older sources that positively answer the question “Can a husband and wife be godparents to a child?”.

The recipient and the recipient (godfather and godfather) are related to themselves; Because at Baptism, the holy one is a person necessary and really: male for the baptized male, and female for the baptized female.

In a decree dated December 31, 1837, the Holy Synod again appeals to the ancient decrees about one godparent for an infant:

As for the second beneficiary, he does not create spiritual kinship with either the baptized or the first beneficiary, therefore marriage between the beneficiaries (godparents) of one baptized infant is considered possible from a theological point of view.

For those who nevertheless continued to doubt whether a husband and wife could be godparents to a child, another synodal decree appeared, already dated April 19, 1873:

A godfather and a godfather (godfather and mother of the same baby) can marry only after the permission of the diocesan bishop.

I must say that the ban on marriage between godparents used to exist in the Russian Church, in others Orthodox churches did not know about this practice.

The only prohibition that has come down to us since Ecumenical Councils, - this is Rule 53 of the Sixth (Constantinople) Council . It speaks of the impossibility of marriages between a child's godfather/godmother and his widowed mother/widowed father.

It is also considered impossible to marry a godson and his godson. But this question cannot even arise if the baby has one godfather, of his own gender.

We invite you to see how Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov answers the question of whether a husband and wife can be godparents to a child:

Take it, tell your friends!

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Baptism day - significant event in a person's life, even if it happened in infancy. On this day, a person becomes a full-fledged Orthodox Christian. The rite, through triple immersion in water, invokes the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

When a long-awaited baby is born, the task of parents is to carefully introduce him into the world, protect him from misfortunes, put him on the righteous path. Orthodox parents share this enormous responsibility with heavenly patron and godparents. After the rite of baptism, 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 further fate of the human soul is determined. At baptism, the child's godparents are determined. How to choose godparents for your beloved child, to whom to entrust such responsibility, can a husband and wife be godparents?

In fairness, it should be noted that there are some disagreements 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 on Everyday life Churches are practically not reflected. 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, godparents at the rite of baptism can be adult Orthodox parishioners. After all, the godfather and mother should become spiritual mentors to the child for life. Can, for example, your friends husband and wife be worthy godparents for your child? After all, their role only begins after baptism: they must introduce the godson to the church, introduce Christian virtue teach the basics of religion. These should be responsible, sincerely believing people, because it is their prayers for the godson throughout his life that are paramount to the Lord. The choice of godparents for a child is a responsible step. The main thing is the ability of these people to answer for the godson before God, to take care of him spiritual development and guide him to the right path. The Church believes that the godfather should take all the sins of the godchild, who has not reached the age of 16, onto himself.

Who should not be chosen as godparents

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 the church, is the best suited for the role of mentors. Their family is a model of harmony, their relationship is permeated with love and mutual understanding. But can this husband and wife be godparents?

Can a husband and wife have the same child as godparents? 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 that spouses could become godparents, this will jeopardize the further existence of their marriage.

If the husband and wife are in a civil marriage

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

Engaged couples cannot become godparents, as they are on the eve 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 close people, and the wife - the goddaughter. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, older sisters and brothers can also become godparents. The main thing is that it be worthy Orthodox Christian ready to help the child grow into Orthodox faith. Choosing a godfather is a really responsible decision, because it is done for life. The godfather cannot be changed later. If the godfather stumbles on life path, descends from the righteous direction, it is fitting for the godson to take care of him with prayers.

Rules for the rite of baptism

Before the ceremony, future godparents are trained in the church, get acquainted with the basic rules:

Before the sacrament of baptism they observe three day post, confess and take communion;

Be sure to put on a pectoral Orthodox cross;

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

Godparents must know and understand the meaning of "Our Father" and "Symbol of Faith", as these prayers are pronounced during the ceremony.

Controversial cases

In exceptional cases, situations arise when parents have no other choice for godparents, except for a single married couple. Doubts whether a husband and wife can be godparents for a child are more than relevant in this case. It must be remembered that, according to church rules, it is quite enough to determine for a child only one godfather, 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 it is possible for a husband and wife to 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, with special permission and in view of exceptional circumstances, is resolved positively by the church.