About... Orthodox Godparents (Naşii)

It is a rule of the Orthodox Faith that every person, child or adult, should have a sponsor at Baptism.  It is essential that the function of the sponsors should clearly be understood both by them and by the parents of the child.  The sponsor makes a public profession of the Nicene Creed during the Baptism, in the name of the infant or child who is unable to speak for himself.  His renunciation of the devil is made on behalf of the candidate for Baptism.  He assumes weighty responsibilities of providing for a sound Orthodox religious education in the event that the parents of the child die or fail to fulfill their own duty in this respect.  The Godparent implicitly pledges himself to aid his Godchild in whatever necessities that may arise, but most especially in the giving of a good Orthodox Christian example to the Godchild.  Thus, it should be clear that the sponsor cannot be a non-Orthodox person.  How could someone who is not Orthodox provide the proper religious education, example and inspiration to his Godchild?  Parents must exercise the greatest care in the selection of Godparents for their children.  Certainly they will never select atheists or agnostics, nor persons who show indifference to their Orthodox Church.  The duty of being a sponsor at Baptism does not cease when the Sacrament has been administered; it simply begins there.  As long as a Godparent lives, he or she must take most seriously the obligations they have assumed.

The Church teaches that between the Godparent and the baptized a close spiritual relationship arises.  This relationship is so important and so close that the Church considers it an impediment to marriage between Godparent and Godchild.  It would be well to consider carefully the chief conditions which the Church prescribes for those who are to become Godparents:

1)  The sponsor should have reached the age of reason and moral responsibility (the Godfather not to be under fifteen, and the Godmother not under thirteen years of age)

2)  They must be Orthodox Christians, of good moral character, regular and faithful in attendance at Liturgy and the reception of the Sacraments, and with a sound knowledge of the fundamental teachings of the Orthodox Church.  Non-Orthodox persons may, under extremely exceptional circumstances, be permitted to act as “honorary sponsors” but only on condition that an Orthodox Christian is the first and actual sponsor

3)  The Godparent must be physically able and morally able to perform his obligations of guiding the Godchild in the spiritual life.  For these reasons, persons committed to mental hospitals, prisons, or even monks and nuns who live in monasteries, or persons residing in other countries, are not acceptable as Godparents.  Nor should the sponsors be very aged persons who are in poor health.  There must be at least a fair possibility that the sponsor will live long enough to carry out the obligations assumed

4)  The number of sponsors is not fixed, but the Church recommends one sponsor, of the same sex as the child or adult candidate for the Sacrament, or a married couple.

* from Holy Sacraments for Orthodox Christians (Orthodox Christian Library No. 10, Instructional Series)
published by The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America