A message from Anonymous

Hello, I'm a greek Orthodox girl, living in Australia and my boyfriend is Roman Catholic. We've recently been discussing marriage/children and reached a gridlock when it comes to deciding which religion to baptise children. I'm not sure if I'm in a position to compromise and I don't think he is either, if you have any advice it would be great.

Hello my dear friend,

This is definatelly something you have to discuss with your spiritual father, he’s the one that can tell you how to handle this. So, ask his guidance before taking any decisions about this issue, as, under no circumstances the Orthodox faith of the children cannot be compromised, even if it is for the sake of the love for your future husband.

I hope this helps! I haven’t been in a situation like this, but if I was you, the first thing I’d do it would be to ask my spiritual father.

God bless you, blessed remain of the Lent!

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slavicpride said: Its difficult problem, but you must know that Orthodox faith is one and only!That is all i can say to you.

A message from Anonymous

I am an older adult who is converting to Orthodox. In researching the role of sponsor I was under the impression that this is a very serious, life long relationship. That you will be like family with your sponsor-helping each other over the years,etc. Some people are saying it's no big deal-it's just a person who stands for you at Crismation. This is mixing me up.

Hello dear friend,

First of all, I am sorry for the late reply but I am a little busy currently.

Indeed, the role of the Sponsor (Godparent) in Orthodoxy is really important and it lasts a lifetime. All those who support that his/her role is not serious are misinformed about the teachings of the Orthodox Church concerning it.

Since the introduction of infant Baptism, the Godparent has assumed the important obligation, together with the parents, of ensuring that the infant is brought up within the Orthodox Church and in the life of Christ. It is precisely on account of this obligation that the baptismal sponsor is called the ‘parent-in-God’. The task of steering a child along the narrow path, and bringing them up according to the law of God is perhaps the greatest of all things in life.

St. Theophan the Recluse says that there is no holier act:

While it is an honor to be asked to be a godparent, one should make sure that the potential sponsor will be committed to the responsibility. The role must be honored and not taken lightly. Every godparent will be accountable to God as to whether or not he or she has fulfilled their duties. Prospective godparents must know their faith, or at least be in the process of learning their faith and be committed to a life in Christ. One problem today is that people who are called upon to be godparents do not know their faith and are not regular participants in the life of the Church. This is also true for some parents. Consequently a child who is baptized may never know anything about Jesus Christ and the Church. In the early Church heavy emphasis was placed on the educating of the faithful and those who desired to come into the Christian faith. As Christianity spread in a pagan world, the need to teach individuals before their baptisms became crucial. The systematic instruction, which was a preparatory stage for baptism was and is called “catechism.

You can find out more about the important role of the Godparents in the following links:

Sponsors at Baptism

Godparent (OrthodoxWiki)

The Role of Godparent is an Awesome Responsibility

I hope it helps. God bless you.

A message from Anonymous

Hello! If you find any information about being a Godparent, can you post it? : )

Hello! Sure :)

The institution of sponsors (god-parents), who serve as witnesses and guarantors for the faith of the person being baptized and are obligated to edify him in the rules of Christian life, has existed since the first century of the Christian era.

It is a rule of the Orthodox Faith that every person, child or adult, should have a Godparent at Baptism. To serve as a Godparent is both a special honor and imposes responsibilities, which last a lifetime. Along with the parents, the Godparent is charged with the responsibility of assisting in the spiritual development of the child. In some cultures the Godparent is addressed by a special name (an example is nouno/nouna in Greek.) Whether a blood relative or not, the Godparent becomes a part of the “spiritual family” of that Godchild.

Since the introduction of infant Baptism, the godparent has assumed the important obligation, together with the parents, of ensuring that the infant is brought up within the Orthodox Church and in the life of Christ. It is precisely on account of this obligation that the baptismal sponsor is called the ‘parent-in-God’. The task of steering a child along the narrow path, and bringing them up according to the law of God is perhaps the greatest of all things in life. St. Theophan the Recluse says that there is no holier act.

While it is an honor to be asked to be a godparent, one should make sure that the potential sponsor will be committed to the responsibility. The role must be honored and not taken lightly. Every godparent will be accountable to God as to whether or not he or she has fulfilled their duties. Prospective godparents must know their faith, or at least be in the process of learning their faith and be committed to a life in Christ. One problem today is that people who are called upon to be godparents do not know their faith and are not regular participants in the life of the Church. This is also true for some parents. Consequently a child who is baptized may never know anything about Jesus Christ and the Church…

About the responsibilities of the Godfather/Godmother, you can check out the following links:

About being a Godparent

Godparenting 101

I lope this helps! God bless you…!