Many parents are only new-church members of their church (that is, those who attend the church, but do not live the lives of believers), therefore not everyone knows how to properly act in a particular situation according to the church statute. So, parents who want to baptize a child often ask whether it is possible to baptize a child in fasting.
Yes, the baptism of a child in the post is permitted by the statute. The sacrament of baptism can occur both on a fast day, and in a usual or festive. However, before you set a specific date, you need to consult with the priest of the church where you are going to baptize the child - whether it will be convenient for him to be baptized on this or that day.
Requirements for the godparents
In addition to the question of whether children are baptized in fasting, another arises: what are the features of the celebration these days and how to prepare for it. If you plan to baptize a child on a fasting day (for example, in a Christmas fast), try to explain to the godparents of the baby how important it is for them to fast on the eve of baptism. Since before the baptism of the biological parents of the baby the Orthodox Church does not impose any special responsibility, at the same time the following requirements are imposed on the godparents:
- they must be believers, parishioners of the Orthodox Church,
- they must fast (especially if baptism is scheduled for fasting days),
- on the eve of the confession and communion,
- In addition, they need to learn the Orthodox "Symbol of Faith" by heart.
Observance of fasting is a test for the believer, which proves the sincerity of his beliefs. But since the rite of baptism is often perceived as a tribute to tradition, the test of the godparents for the ability to observe fast is perceived by many as an unreasonable claim. However, this is not so, this condition is the simplest test of whether a person is able to become a true spiritual instructor of your baby, or the sacrament of baptism for your godparents is just a beautiful rite.