Is it possible to baptize a second time in the church. Is it possible to baptize a child? Archpriest Andrey Efanov answers

Most Orthodox Christians were baptized in unconscious childhood. Many grew up unchurched, came to the faith as adults and ask questions: “Is it possible to be baptized a second time?”, “Is it possible to be baptized in a different name?”

People want to be baptized a second time because of superstition and general church illiteracy

Why do people have a demand for re-baptism? Priests explain this by insufficient church literacy and superstitions.

For example, like this:

if you cross a child for the second time, he will get rid of damage or the evil eye;
I have so many sins that a second baptism is needed to wash away all these sins;
if you cross yourself in another name, no evil eye or curse will work;
if you baptize a child with a different name, his fate will change, like that of the saint in whose name he was named.

Such thoughts are a great sin for Orthodox Christians.

According to the canons of the Orthodox Church

Baptism is the spiritual birth of a person, it is possible only once in a lifetime.

And the apostle Paul said:

"One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism"

Christianity is based on the Creed, which contains in sentence 10 the indisputable truth - “I profess one baptism ...”

Text of the Creed:

I believe in one God the Father, the Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, of everything visible and invisible.
And in the one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages: Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not created, one being with the Father, by Him all things were created.
For the sake of us people and for the sake of our salvation, he descended from heaven, and took flesh from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, and became a man.
Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffering, and buried.
And risen on the third day according to the Scriptures.
And ascended into heaven, and sitting on the right side of the Father.
And coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who is worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son, who spoke through the prophets.
Into one holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen

When a person who believes in Jesus Christ comes to confession in time, repents of sins and takes communion, no magic demonic rites affect him.

Therefore, re-baptism or a change of name, according to the priests, is simply unacceptable. And all such desires are sinful, this is the influence of Satan.

The opinions of the clergy about the second baptism are quite categorical - this is bad

“A person tries to isolate himself from damage by performing a magical act.

And in order for the rite to “act” exactly, they advise to commit a sin, they advise to lie in the temple.

As we know, the evil one needs one sacrifice - human sin.

Alexander Ermolin

teacher

Priest Alexander Ermolin, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Theology and Philosophy, Dean of St. rights. John of Kronstadt at the Kazan Orthodox Theological Seminary.

Source - in the Orthodox encyclopedia Azbyka.Ru

Hegumen German (Skrypnik) from the Rovenky diocese says this:

“You can baptize a child a second time, but after you give birth to the same child again, again.

After all, this is also an irreversible process.

Herman (Skrypnik)

Source - the answer of the priest on the website of the St. Elisabeth Monastery.

If a person wants to be baptized a second time, it is best to advise him to repentance and confession

Various problems and sorrows happen in life, but Orthodox Christians must understand that trials are sent by the Lord for the sake of our souls.

Otherwise, the devil penetrates the soul and inclines believers to all sorts of witchcraft rites, such as protection from corruption.

One must live the church life, with Christ and in Christ, accumulating spiritual experience.

If a person, due to his illiteracy, wants to wash away his sins by re-baptism, then it is necessary to advise repentance and the sacrament of confession.

At the same time, the priest reads a permissive prayer and with the help of the Holy Spirit all sins are forgiven him, provided that the repentance is sincere.

Even Catholic Christians who have renounced their errors and wish to convert to the Orthodox faith are not baptized, but accepted into the Church by chrismation. Since they have already been baptized in the Catholic Church.

Mystery of chrismation. It is used for Catholics who want to convert to Orthodoxy - that is, they are not re-baptized, but anointed with the world

Re-baptism is possible if a person does not remember whether he was baptized in childhood or not

It happens that people do not remember whether they were baptized in childhood or not. Then the priest can go forward and baptize them, but during Baptism he adds to the prayer the words “If not baptized,” that is, “if he has not been baptized.”

Whatever the reason for re-baptism, it is always a desire to solve life's difficulties. What does the Bible say:

“Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

(Rom. 6:3-4)

That is, those who believe in Jesus Christ are baptized into His death in order to be resurrected after suffering with Him in life.

Godparents must be chosen responsibly. They are changed only as a last resort.

Often parishioners also ask: “Is it possible to be a godmother 2 times?”

It is allowed to become godmother or godmother for different children as many times as you like. The main thing is to weigh whether a person is ready to bear responsibility for this. One's godchildren should be helped in Christian upbringing and everyday matters.

Godfather and mother are called godparents. Their choice must be approached very responsibly.

During the sacrament, they swear before God that they will help the child grow up to be a true Christian. All life godparents should teach the child to avoid sins.

Like natural parents, they can be only one - only those who participated in the sacrament. You can’t change godparents if you suddenly don’t like them.

In the most extreme cases, if there is a really weighty reason to change the godfather, the priest can entrust the care of the godfather to one of the witnesses who are at baptism.

It is not necessary to choose two godparents at once. For a boy, one successor is enough - a man. For girls - women. Husband and wife cannot be godparents to the same child.

In rare exceptions, it is allowed to baptize a person without godparents, while the priest is considered the godfather.

The rite of baptism appeared more than two thousand years ago. Until now, not all Orthodox know exactly the meaning and significance of this sacrament.
It is simple: it is the first meeting with the Church and God, which gives access to all other sacraments.

After Baptism, a person begins a new relationship with the Lord - pure, with love, humility and devotion. They are baptized not in order to solve everyday problems or recover, but in order to join the Church, save their souls and receive Eternal Life with God.

You don't need to be baptized twice to get out of trouble. It is better to turn to the Lord with repentant prayer and receive forgiveness and the Grace of the Holy Spirit from Him. God bless us all.

Recently, the question has become frequent: is it possible to baptize a child a second time? The reason for such thoughts and desires is mostly superstition. Believers under the guidance of psychics, sorcerers and magicians become confident that all troubles, hardships, damage, conspiracies, money and family problems in life are nothing but the action of black magical forces. And in order to save yourself from these hardships, you need to be baptized a second time with a different name, which only God will know. Thus, the magical forces will continue their negative actions already in the old name, and the person will improve his life.

Spiritual birth of man

The people to whom most of the population communicates for imaginary help in their own problems and hardships are occultists. They sinfully use the powers of black magic and sorcery, turning to the devil. A spiritually literate person will not indulge in low deeds.

In the Old Testament, it was forbidden to engage in the occult or seek help from these people. This sin is punishable.

If we go into the details of the definition of baptism as such, we learn that this is the spiritual birth of a person, which, similarly to the physical, is possible only once in a lifetime.

Therefore, re-baptism is impossible under any circumstances for a Christian. This Sacrament occurs once in a lifetime, being the birth for spiritual life in Christ. And if you want to conduct the Sacrament again, you will be categorically denied in the church.

Choose the right godparents

Baptism is necessary for born children to accept the faith and be the Son of God. For this rite, the presence of spiritual parents is necessary. For girls, the main thing is to find a godmother suitable for fulfilling their spiritual obligations. It is important for a boy to have a godfather. Not necessarily the strict presence of two spiritual mentors at once, but with such an opportunity, this moment will only be approved.

Approach the issue of choosing second parents for a child seriously so that later there are no questions about how to baptize a child with other godparents. It is necessary that they be believers, spiritually literate and responsible for obligations. Otherwise, if you make a mistake with the choice, then in the future a situation may arise when the child does not have spiritual support and assistance in education. Then this issue will have to be resolved again by choosing a mentor, since you will no longer be able to cross your baby.

Prayer at the baptism of a child

The Creed (prayer at the baptism of a child) is divided into 12 parts - brief statements about what Christians should believe, namely about God the Father, about God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, about the Church, about Baptism, about the resurrection of the dead, about the eternal life. Since this prayer was compiled by the fathers of the 1st and 2nd Ecumenical Councils, it has the full name - the Nicene-Tsaregrad Creed.

Baptism of a child: rules for parents

In order to properly prepare parents for the baptism of their child, it is necessary to be knowledgeable in this topic and prepare well, remembering many signs, rules and traditions.

Baptism of a child is best done on the 40th day after birth. Before the Sacrament, it is better for parents not to show their baby to anyone, since he still does not have any protection from the evil eye.
In cases where the baby has health problems, it is advisable to conduct the first part of the rite to a sick child, and after the cure, continue the second part - Anointing - joining the Church.
You can baptize a child at any time of the year.
It is advisable to give donations to the temple for conducting the ceremony, but in the absence of financial possibilities, they are obliged to baptize the child for free, otherwise complain to the dean.
Choose the temple for the Sacrament to your liking. Preferably one where there is a separate room for the ceremony.
Specify in advance how many children are going to be baptized on the same day. It is advisable to perform this Sacrament individually, so that your child is the only one who bathes in the font at the time of its performance.
Specify in advance whether it is possible to make video and photography during baptism.
Choose the second parents according to the general rules:
- they can only be Orthodox people;
- you cannot baptize your child;
- husband and wife do not have the right to be second parents for one child;
- monastics cannot be godparents.
Parents and godparents before baptism should come to church for a conversation.
Find out in advance what name your child will be baptized with. In the absence of his name in the calendar, it is necessary to prepare a similar sound.
Before the Sacrament, feed the child so that he feels calm.
It is desirable to wear a cross constantly on a short string.
An accessory for the ceremony, clothes remain in the duties of the godparents. Do not buy a gold cross for christening. This metal has bad energy.
After the sacrament, do not forget to give communion to the child.

This is how a child is baptized. The rules for parents, which are presented to the attention of the reader above, it is advisable to follow in order to introduce the child "into the Cross" correctly, according to all the laws of God.

Signs during the ceremony

We already know the rules of baptism. Now let's talk about the signs that relate to the ceremony:

it’s bad if the appointed day of the ceremony has to be canceled;
it is better to baptize a baby in white clothes and, after the Sacrament, do not wash it, but store it for healing during illness;
do not buy a gold amulet for christening;
you can’t take a pregnant woman as a second mother, this can have a bad effect on the health of both her future baby and the godson;
it is believed that the cry of children during the ceremony indicates the exit of evil spirits from it, due to which it will become much calmer;
do not wipe the child's face after the font, as the sacred water must dry itself;
after the Sacrament, during the celebration, the godparents must try absolutely all the dishes on the table - this is a sign of the future abundance of the child's life;
it is better if a woman baptizes a boy for the first time, and a man a girl, so that there is luck in their personal lives;
do not argue with the priest about choosing a name for your child, accept what he chose for the baby;
keep secret the name given during the performance of the Sacrament, only God, the child, parents and godparents should know it;
godparents in church should not sit down;
there should not be any red elements on your baby's clothes;
you can show your child to others only after the Sacrament;
there is a belief that if you are asked to become a godfather, you cannot refuse.

Is it possible to baptize a baby with other godparents?

Is it possible to baptize a child with other godparents? There are moments in life when, for various reasons, communication with the second parents is lost, or they themselves refuse their duty and obligations for the godson before God. And parents or already adult children may have a desire to find other godparents and perform the ceremony a second time.

The question of whether it is possible to baptize a child with other godparents automatically disappears. In this case, you will be categorically refused to perform this sacrament again, since this happens only once in life.

The rules of baptism allow you to get a blessing from your spiritual mentor to take a godparent as an assistant to raise a baby, choosing a more worthy person for this role.

The sin of rebaptism

Is it possible to baptize a child? No, do not commit a great sin, concealing the presence of this rite in the past, wanting to baptize a child in another temple. In this case, the blame for the committed misconduct will be borne not only by the parents who concealed this situation, but also by the future godparents.

If it suddenly happened that the godfather changed his faith, refused to independently fulfill the obligation in raising the godson, or simply disappeared forever from the life of your child, then in this case there is only one way out - pray for his sins, and look for the baby a spiritual mentor who will take on the obligations on the introduction of the baby into church life, namely, he will teach him to take communion and attend services.

Second baptism

Is it possible to be baptized a second time with a different name? The answer to this question in the church you will receive is unambiguously negative, since the repeated sacrament is prohibited. Therefore, the question of changing the name in re-baptism disappears by itself.

When performing the ceremony, the child is called either by a consonant name, or by the one that was named by the parents. This question must be discussed with the priest in advance.

So is it possible to be baptized a second time? Don't even think about it! People who have a desire to change the name given at baptism need psychological and spiritual help. The name given to a person from birth cannot cause problems in the life of a child. The whole problem lies within ourselves. Change your spiritual life - and the world will become kinder and easier.

To believe that damage is directed at the name and if you hide it from others, then they will not be able to jinx you - this is a big delusion. Everything is the will of the Lord God. And, committing a sin by believing in satanic rites, a person will be punished for these deeds.

Do not commit sins, prosper spiritually, read the canons of God and follow them, and you will be strong in spirit and in your faith.

There are irreversible processes. For example, cut off a man's leg by train. What to do? Whatever you do, but the new leg will not grow, you need to somehow adapt to live without it, look for some kind of prosthesis or crutches. The example is rough, but understandable. It can be softer: the ringer hit the bell - you can’t return the sound back, as in the proverb “The word is not a sparrow, it will fly out - you won’t catch it.”

As yet another proof of the profanation of the sacraments of the Church (their lawless performance of them over unprepared people), I was recently asked once again the question: “Can I baptize (correctly - baptize) a child a second time, we don’t like the godfather?”

This is despite the fact that before christening a child, his parents and godparents must know the "Creed". These are short, consisting of 12 sentences, the main articles of faith: about God, in whom a person believes, and about the Church, to which he wants to join. In the tenth sentence of the Creed, there is this statement: “I confess one baptism…”

Answering the question of whether it is possible to be baptized a second time with a different name, I say that, of course, you can baptize a child a second time, but after you give birth to the same child again, again. After all, this is also an irreversible process. Even if a baptized person renounces the faith, and then, let’s say, comes to his senses and wants to return to the Church, he will not be baptized a second time, but will be joined back to the Church through repentance, since the process of baptism is irreversible.

Therefore, when choosing godparents, remember - this is once and for all, and you should be guided not by whether he will give gifts for a name day, but by whether he is a church person, whether he can fulfill his duties and teach the child the basics of faith. And if it so happened that the godfather needs to be replaced for good reasons, then you can contact the priest, he will tell you how to get out of this situation. For example, at baptism there can be not only godparents, but also as many witnesses as you like, one of them can be entrusted with the functions of godparents by reading a prayer for adoption.

According to the Trebnik, only one godparent is considered necessary - a man for a male person being baptized or a woman for a female person. But according to an ingrained tradition, there are two recipients: a man and a woman.

Parents cannot be godparents of their own children. In general, spouses cannot be godparents at the baptism of one baby, but at the same time, a husband and wife are allowed to be godparents of different children of the same parents, only at different times.

In extreme cases, baptism is allowed without a godparent, then the priest himself is considered the godfather of the newly enlightened. The custom of not allowing a father to baptize his own child has no canonical basis. The mother of the baptized is allowed to baptize her child if the prayer of the 40th day is read over her. The mother and father of a teenager or an adult being baptized, of course, can be present at the sacrament and pray for their son or daughter.

If it is not known for certain whether a person is baptized or not, then the sacrament of Baptism is performed with the reservation: "if not baptized yet." In case of extreme need, for example, because of the danger of the death of a seriously ill child, baptism can be performed by a lay person - a man or a woman. He must be a believing Christian and correctly pronounce the sacramental words: “The servant of God is baptized (the servant of God name) in the name of the Father (first immersion), and the Son (second immersion), and the Holy Spirit" (third immersion).

Hegumen German (Skrypnik)

In life, different situations happen, we make mistakes, contact the wrong people. It often happens that during the christening of our child we make a mistake with the choice of godparents, which we begin to regret in the future. And the obvious question that arises in such a situation is the interest in whether it is possible to baptize a child and change godparents.

We want to try to sort out this issue.

Over the years, many people change their outlook on life, habits, they become less responsible or completely withdraw into themselves, into their goals. That is why it also happens that our close friends, acquaintances, whom we once entrusted with the opportunity to become godparents for our children, move away from us and no longer fit this role at all.

What the Church Says

If for any of the reasons you have come to the conclusion that the godfather or mother is not suitable for your child and decide to take up his rebaptism, then if you contact the clergy, you will certainly receive an answer that such a procedure is impossible.

This is because it is these people (the godfather and mother) who should be some kind of mentors for the baby all his life, help him in everything, and also be responsible for his actions before God.

However, if suddenly you firmly stand on the fact that the re-baptism procedure is mandatory, you will surely find a clergyman who will be ready to conduct this ceremony again.

How to Influence the Godfather

If the root of the problem is that the acting godfather is not fulfilling his duties, rebaptizing the child is not the best solution. You can find some loopholes, as well as ways to approach the father in order to influence his attitude towards such an honorary status.

In such a situation, it is necessary by all possible actions to convince a person that he has a rare and happy chance to influence a person’s life, to become a real mentor for him, an idol to follow, to explain that in case of any trouble with blood parents, it is the godfather must be the one to help the child.

It is quite possible that these arguments will somehow affect the godfather, and he will realize his mistake, change his views and begin to try to acquire the status of an exemplary mentor for the child, for his godson.

Deception

Some people do not listen to the recommendations and do not take into account the information that baptism is carried out for children only once in a lifetime, and they try to baptize their child in all existing ways. One of these methods is deception, which consists in baptizing a child in another church, where the clergyman may not know that the baby has already been baptized at one time.

Yes, of course, the procedure will be carried out in accordance with all the rules, and the holy father will fulfill all his obligations as it is done in every such event, but this does not mean that the problem has been solved.

Re-baptism, a deceit that parents could go to, is a huge sin, which in the future can only result in trouble. Therefore, think several times before making such a decision related to the deception of the clergy.

Removal of spoilage

Finally, we note another option in which the child may need to be re-baptized. We are talking about cases where the initial procedure was not performed correctly, or when the child's health begins to deteriorate for no reason.

In this case, it can be assumed that damage has been imposed on the baby, and re-baptism can save him. If you suspect this particular case, you need to contact the church, where you can explain the whole situation to the priest. It is quite possible that he will bless the little one, and agree to become his spiritual mentor.

Spiritual birth of man

In the Old Testament, it was forbidden to engage in the occult or seek help from these people. This sin is punishable.

If we go into the details of the definition of baptism as such, we learn that this is the spiritual birth of a person, which, similarly to the physical, is possible only once in a lifetime.

Choose the right godparents

Baptism is necessary for born children to accept the faith and be the Son of God. For this rite, the presence of spiritual parents is necessary. For girls, the main thing is to find a godmother suitable for fulfilling their spiritual obligations. It is important for a boy to have a godfather. Not necessarily the strict presence of two at once, but with such an opportunity, this moment will only be approved.

Prayer at the baptism of a child

The Creed is divided into 12 parts - brief statements about what Christians should believe, namely about God the Father, about God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, about the Church, about Baptism, about the resurrection of the dead, about eternal life. Since this prayer was compiled by the fathers of the 1st and 2nd Ecumenical Councils, it has the full name - the Nicene-Tsaregrad Creed.

for parents

In order to properly prepare parents for the baptism of their child, it is necessary to be knowledgeable in this topic and prepare well, remembering many signs, rules and traditions.

it is better to carry out on the 40th day after birth. Before the Sacrament, it is better for parents not to show their baby to anyone, since he still does not have any protection from the evil eye.
In cases where the baby has health problems, it is advisable to conduct the first part of the rite to a sick child, and after the cure, continue the second part - Anointing - joining the Church.
possible at any time of the year.
It is advisable to give donations to the temple for conducting the ceremony, but in the absence of financial possibilities, they are obliged to baptize the child for free, otherwise complain to the dean.
Choose the temple for the Sacrament to your liking. Preferably one where there is a separate room for the ceremony.
Specify in advance how many children are going to be baptized on the same day. It is advisable to perform this Sacrament individually, so that your child is the only one who bathes in the font at the time of its performance.
Specify in advance whether it is possible to make video and photography during baptism.
Choose the second parents according to the general rules:

they can only be Orthodox people;
you cannot baptize your child;
husband and wife do not have the right to be second parents for one child;
monastics cannot be godparents.

Parents and godparents before baptism should come to church for a conversation.

Find out in advance what name your child will be baptized with. In the absence of his name in the calendar, it is necessary to prepare a similar sound.

Before the Sacrament, feed the child so that he feels calm.

It is desirable to wear a cross constantly on a short string.

An accessory for the ceremony, clothes remain in the duties of the godparents. Do not buy a gold cross for christening. This metal has bad energy.

After the sacrament, do not forget to give communion to the child.

This is how the Rules for Parents, which are presented to the attention of the reader above, pass, it is advisable to observe in order to introduce the child "into the Cross" correctly, according to all the laws of God.