Name: P
Subject: ortodox baptism
Question: If mother is catholic and father serbian ortodox and they want their children baptiesd in ortodox church. What is the rules? Who can be the godmother and gotfather. Do they must be from same religion how is father or they can be from mother religion also? What is the rules for ortodox baptism etc.?How should be child old when is baptised in
ortodox church?
Thank you for your anser. P
Answer: Hello P,
This question is a bit beyond my expertise. Having spoken with an Orthodox (Greek, I have no Serbian contacts I'm afraid) and a Roman Catholic priest, following is my understanding. You may well wish to speak with your own priests before going forward. This is NOT an official opinion from either Church, but only my take on the question.As a Roman Catholic, you are bound to raise your children in that Church. As a Serbian Orthodox Christian, your husband is bound to raise the children in that Church.
However, unlike the case with Protestants, the Roman and Eastern Orthodox Churches have stated bonds of mutual communions that should apply here.
Having the children baptized in the Orthodox Church, the church of their father, should therefore be deemed acceptable by Roman Catholicism, although not ideal (from their perspective). As the kids will presumably be raised in the Orthodox faith (albeit with a deep relationship to the Roman), this arrangement should also be acceptable to the Orthodox. As other Orthodox Christians, in due time the children should be entitled to Roman communion etc should that be desired.
As for the godparents, I think the same would apply. Their selection should be your choise.
This is my understanding, but again, I am not an expert in this area.
You will want to check with your own priests before making you decisions.
May the blessings of the Christ be yours,
-
~John of AllFaith
Follow-up
Hi again P,
From John of AllFaith:
I sometimes like to consult more knowledgable people when addressing certain questions. I asked Father Alexei about yours (without disclosing anything about you of course). I received the following note that I thought you might be interested in.
===
Dear Pastor John,
Thank you for your e-mail. I am the secretary of the Mission and I will forward your message to our priest. He, Father Alexei, will probably write to you as well.
The answer to your question is yes, the children of the couple should be Baptized as Orthodox Christians. The Orthodox use the highest standards for this Sacrament including triple immersion and the Seal of the Holy Spirit with Holy Chrism. So, most parents typically want the real thing for their kid, not a watered (pun intended) down version.
My husband is Roman Catholic and I am Orthodox. He had no objections to our children being baptized in the Orthodox manner. He said that he wished he had been Baptized in this way. In his words, "it's better to be safe than sorry".
Take a look at;
-
http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/baptism_e.htm
This link has the Orthodox Baptismal service, in full.
Because the mother is Catholic, in your example, the Godparents will have a huge responsibility for the child. Their job will be much more difficult than God parents of a child with an Orthodox mother. Tell the dad to be sure he chooses God parents wisely. At the Dread Judgment Seat of Christ, we are held more accountable for our God children than for our own children, and the Godparents should understand this.
As far as age goes, the sooner the better. A Baptism can be performed even one hour after a child is born, in cases when the baby is not expected to survive. If the baby is healthy, as soon as possible.
A child only needs one God parent. If it is a girl, it must have a God mother. If it is a boy, it must have a God father. It is best to have both a God father and God mother, but only one is required. Yes, the God parents must be Orthodox.
Let me know if you would like me to help you guide these people to an Orthodox Spiritual Father. All I would need to know is the city and state they live in, and then I can give you my recommendation of a good priest to go to. My father is a priest, my God father is a priest, I know lots of priests.
Thank you for allowing me to read your web site.... [cut]
With Love in Christ,
-
Christina Seidl
Secretary of the Holy Trinity Orthodox Mission.
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