Sacrament of Baptism
Baptism is the first and most important sacrament in Christianity.
We become members of the church by going through it, and only after baptism can we take part in other existing sacraments, including communion. It gives a person hope for eternal life. The ceremony is carried out while reading certain prayers. The person is either dipped in water three times or sprinkled with water.
Water is a symbol of purity, thereby not only washing away ordinary dirt from us, but also cleansing us morally. Those who are faced with baptism for the first time should know that the whole process consists of interconnected rites.
This ritual was first performed by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, then Jesus Christ was baptized by him. In the modern world, it is carried out by a clergyman specially trained for this purpose. The one who is baptized repents of his sins. As the church explains, a person receives a new spiritual birth, he ceases to exist for a sinful, carnal life and is reborn into a new, eternal, spiritual life.
In ancient times, for example, babies were not baptized. They don’t yet have an awareness of faith. Relatives should take full responsibility for making decisions. Now it is customary for us to baptize young children.
Infants are baptized into the faith followed by their parents. All participants in the ceremony must be fellow believers.
Spiritual successors, godfather and godmother, are responsible for raising the godson within the framework of Christian laws.
Is it worth sticking to the rule nowadays?
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Now we know what the reason for the possible ban was, but the question remains open: is it possible today for a girl with menstruation to appear in the temple and?
After all, in the 21st century there are many hygiene products that will not allow you to desecrate or stain a holy place.
If you believe Archpriest Dionysius Svechnikov, women should still refrain from participating in the sacraments today, but this rule can still be circumvented.
A woman can baptize her child during menstruation if:
- the sacrament cannot be postponed to another day (due to the fact that the child/godmother/godfather/parents are very sick and are near death);
- the woman did not know that on this day her period would begin (there was a malfunction in the body, they began much earlier or later than the expected date).
The concept of female “impurity” in religion
This concept has been known since the Old Testament. Having analyzed it, we can conclude that “impurity” included non-compliance with hygienic and ritual rules. For example, the bodies of dead people, the internal organs of animals, various diseases, especially of the skin, women giving birth, the worship of idols, the sins of the pagans - all this was considered “bad”.
The list also includes any bleeding from the body, including menstrual flow, which is reminiscent of death and original sin. It is quite possible that due to the lack of intimate hygiene products in those days, the woman simply stained the floors in the church with her secretions and therefore it was forbidden to visit it.
The New Testament places the concept of purity on a completely new level - the highest, spiritual.
Christians who live according to the New Testament canons do not consider skin diseases, dead flesh, and blood to be something spiritually unclean. The story even describes an incident in which a very sick woman who was menstruating touched Jesus' clothing and was healed. It can be concluded that no restrictions were established in this matter.
The New Testament does not connect physical and spiritual, prayerful purity. But whether it is possible to baptize a child during menstruation - the question remains open to this day.
Is it possible to be baptized during menstruation?
It happens that a woman decides to be baptized in adulthood, when her reproductive organs are fully functioning and spotting appears monthly. The ritual during menstruation is prohibited because: the holy water will be contaminated with blood and the ritual of purification will be impossible; from a medical point of view, it is during menstruation that the risk of pathogenic bacteria entering the vagina increases.
This video will tell you whether it is possible to baptize a child during menstruation:
The christening must be postponed until the end of the discharge. A woman cannot be a participant in the sacrament, since complete cleansing of the soul becomes impossible.
The godmother is having “critical” days
To carry out or not to carry out baptism, if the godmother has “these very days” worries many. For fear of doing something wrong, every parent seeks the answer to this question. They turn to clergy for clarification and ask friends.
Nobody will give you a definite answer. There is a lot of controversy and discussion on this topic. Opinions are divided: some only allow visiting church, reading prayers and turning to God, others consider even this unacceptable. Today, God's servants have ambivalent opinions about the “woman with menstruation” and her rights in religious life. Exceptions apply to terminally ill women. On critical days they can receive communion and be baptized.
The Orthodox Church has a “Book of Rules”. It also touches on the issue discussed in this article. It is believed that menstruation makes a woman “unclean” only physically. So she can go to church to pray.
As for participation in the sacrament of baptism, in Orthodoxy it is unacceptable to attend it during “women’s” days.
The teachers of the Orthodox Church also focus on the impossibility of attending absolutely all existing sacraments of a woman during the menstrual cycle. A month consists of thirty days, you are sure to find one that suits you. It is better to wait for a more favorable period and reschedule the ceremony. If it is prohibited, then there is a reason for it.
After all, there are deep-rooted traditions that must be respected and not questioned about their observance. If suddenly the circumstances developed and you were forced to baptize your baby, being “unclean,” be sure to then confess.
What is known from history
The Old Testament says that when a girl sheds blood, she is considered unclean. People and things that a woman touches during her menstrual period also become dirty. Modern scientists believe that this has more to do with sanitary standards rather than divine instructions.
It is known that previously there were no sanitary pads and similar personal hygiene products. In this case, the woman could stain everything with blood. Contact with biological fluid increases the risk of transmission of infection or other pathologies. During menstruation, for this reason, the woman had to stay at home.
It is interesting that in the early days after the birth of Christianity, no restrictions were imposed on the fairer sex. Women could safely participate in any rituals. Only a little later, clergymen forbade girls from visiting sacred places when bleeding.
Church imposes restrictions on girls with menstruation
It is also known that shedding blood in the temple is contraindicated.
This applies not only to women on their menstrual days, but also to people who have injured themselves and experienced bleeding. However, even in past centuries, not all priests supported the ban on visiting Church during menstruation. In their opinion, the divine principle exists in a person at any time and it is impossible to excommunicate a representative of the fairer sex from religion at the time of menstruation. Read also: rules for attending church during menstruation.
Interestingly, the restrictions do not affect terminally ill women. They can attend Church even during critical days.
Some tips
God's servants turn to future godmothers with the following recommendations:
- In order not to find yourself in an awkward situation, calculate your menstrual cycle and discuss this point with your parents.
- Contact your priest, he will tell you what to do in this situation. There are times when they give permission to participate in the ritual.
- Under no circumstances should this fact be hidden from the priest and the child’s parents.
There is definitely a way out of every life circumstance. You need to be honest with yourself and with other people. Weigh the pros and cons, set your priorities, and you will surely make the right decision. As a last resort, without reaching a consensus, you can invite another woman to play the role of godmother.
Recommendations for future godparents from clergy
Becoming a godmother is a responsibility for every woman. She takes upon herself obligations to the Lord for the innocent child, promising to instruct and protect. Before accepting the proposal of young parents, consult a priest.
They have some general recommendations:
- Know the start time of critical days so that the day of the ritual does not fall at this time.
- Talk to the priests chosen to perform the sacrament. He may, on rare occasions, give permission for a woman to be present in the temple even at this time.
- If your period started earlier, do not hide it.
You need to know this
If you decide to baptize a child, it will not be superfluous to familiarize yourself with some points outlined by the Orthodox Church:
- In our state, it is customary to baptize young children, although the age of a person does not matter for baptism. The decision to baptize a child under seven years of age rests with his parents. Until the age of fourteen, his own opinion is already taken into account. Then parental permission is not required.
- There are restrictions when choosing godparents. You cannot invite monks, married men and women, people of other faiths, and minors to fill this role. Father and mother also cannot be recipients. Don't trust your child to people you don't know.
- The mother cannot attend the sacrament, and she also does not need to attend church in the first forty days after the birth of the baby. This ties into the theme of the “impurity” of a woman who has just given birth to a child.
The main thing is that future godfathers must first of all attend church themselves, be able to pray, observe fasts, that is, be believers. Otherwise, how can they guide their godson to the righteous path?
But whether you will baptize a child or not when the godmother is menstruating - everyone decides for himself. Without knowing the entire religious background, you should not be too self-confident and take responsibility for the decision. After all, if we are ignorant in some issues, we also cannot know for sure about the possible consequences if we ignore them. The most important thing is that the baby is healthy!
Is it possible to perform a ritual during menstruation?
It is advisable to agree on the date of baptism with the godmother in advance. So a woman can calculate the days when she will not have her period, unless, of course, there is a disruption in the menstrual cycle.
If the godmother is menstruating, then it is worth telling the priest who will perform the ceremony about it in advance.
We must not forget that under the influence of various factors, critical days can come unexpectedly. In this case, the godson’s parents and the priest must be informed about menstruation. It will be considered a sin if this information is deliberately kept secret.
Today there is no strict ban on baptism during menstruation. This is due to the emergence of various personal hygiene products. Some priests allow women to participate in the ritual even during menstruation. The main thing is to discuss the current situation in advance.
The sacrament has some nuances. During menstruation, a woman should simply attend the ceremony. She should not hold the child at the same time. There is also a less common option - holding the ceremony at home.
While in the Church, a woman should stand aside. Despite this, she is recognized as a godmother. It is also worth noting that some priests categorically prohibit resorting to the ritual during menstrual flow.
The likelihood of baptism is considered individually. It all depends on the priest. Some allow the presence of a godmother on her period, while others consider this unacceptable.
Sometimes it is better to postpone the christening date
If critical days suddenly come, you should:
- reschedule the christening date;
- take another woman as godmother;
- talk to the priest.
A woman is considered unclean until the very last day of her period. This should always be remembered and reported about critical days, even if they are already ending.
How to proceed
If the date of the child’s christening falls on menstruation, but it is not possible to choose another date, you can simply write down the godmother. And also when a boy is baptized, her presence is not necessary. A woman must understand that her future participation in the child’s life is much more important, and not her presence at the sacrament.
Don't forget one important point. If you do not know whether it is possible to baptize a child with menstruation, then doubts arise about your preparedness to fulfill your future obligations to the baby. Godparents who do not go to church and do not follow the rules cannot help the child in spiritual matters.
Is it possible to baptize a child without godparents?
Is it possible to baptize a child without his godparents? This is a fairly frequently asked question nowadays. To be a godfather means to be responsible for a baptized son or daughter, to educate and instruct, to pray for him and to systematically attend church. Usually, the parents of a child who is about to be baptized simply will not be able to find such people among friends and relatives, and this presents a difficult situation - since without the godparents of their parents, the sacrament is unrealistic. If there is no such reliable and Orthodox Christian from your closest circle of friends, then you should not rush to baptism; it would be better if a little time passes, but this event will remain unforgettable and joyful in your life and the life of your child. Do not forget that for the search for your parents’ godparents and their choice, the responsibility mainly falls on your shoulders, based on this, approach this as calmly as possible. Godmothers and fathers are not a formality that can supposedly be forgotten after the baptism is over. In addition, godparents are strictly not allowed to be in a family relationship or to be a married couple, since spiritual intimacy is established between them, which implies the absence of any other.
Modern approach
How to conduct a christening is decided on an individual basis. A specific church organization has the right to establish rules of conduct for its parishioners based on its own interpretation of the Holy Scriptures.
Therefore, the priest’s answer about whether it is possible to be a godmother during menstruation in one church will be positive, and negative in another.
The Catholic Church has long abolished outdated prohibitions. Only conservatives associate menstruation with “uncleanness.”
Father's opinion:
“Today it is easier for a woman to observe the rules of personal hygiene. Therefore, I don’t see any reasons that would prohibit visiting the temple and taking part in worship during menstruation.”
Another priest gives this interesting information:
“Why can’t you baptize a menstruating baby or go to church? All this is a common historical misunderstanding. I believe that natural processes in the body cannot defile a person in any way. Only sinful actions can do this. Therefore, it is not prohibited to lead a full church life.”
Is it possible to baptize a child during menstruation?
Only sin makes a woman bad. It is more important to organize the preparation time in such a way as to avoid, if possible, entertainment, vain thoughts and calculations, empty chatter, and quarrels.
If the future godmother or mother enters the temple before the Sacrament, and their mind is busy counting the guests or the mother-in-law’s new skirt, this will have a much worse effect on Baptism than the female impurity of one of those present. Therefore, it is good if it is possible to limit communication and visiting public places for at least one or two days. It is best to stay at home and read the Gospel, prepare for confession, and carefully examine yourself from the inside. Source:
Teachers of the Holy Church about the problem
In the sixth century lived Saint Gregory the Dvoeslov. He said that women should not be prohibited from visiting the temple during their periods. This is a natural feature of the body and its natural cleansing. Everything that the Almighty has given cannot be considered dirty. If participation in the sacrament is expected, then it is necessary to repent during confession.
Saint Athanasius the Great said that all people were created by God and cannot have anything unclean in themselves. Defilement occurs during the commission of sin, and not through natural necessity. Saint John Chrysostom thought the same.
Only Saint Dionysius of Alexandria held the opposite strict opinion. His opinion is also authoritative for the church.
