Ukrainian Orthodoxy		Orthodoxie ukrainienne

Newborn Children in Church

Question:

My wife and I are expecting a child in the coming days. We would like to know what are the procedures we should go through for the child's first visit to church (do we wait until after the child is baptised before its first visit during church service)? What are the Ukrainian Orthodox traditions parents traditionally go through during the first few weeks of a child's life?

Answer:

Very Reverend Ihor Kutash kutash@unicorne.org

It is not necessary to wait until after the child is baptized but you should advise the Pastor that you are coming and he will probably want to read a prayer over mother and child in the Church vestibule when you come. You should also stand beside them.

It used to be the case that the naming of the child was also done by the Priest's prayer shortly after birth. However in my 38 years of priesthood I have rarely done this. It is probably best not to put off the Baptism too long.

Incidentally, in the Orthodox Church, as you may already know, Chrismation or Confirmation is administered immediately after the Baptism (during the same Service).

My practice (adopted many years ago at the advice of a keen fellow-Pastor and quite in keeping with Orthodox tradition as I understand it) is to also immediately give the newly baptized and confirmed tiny Brother or Sister in the Lord their First Communion: a drop of the consecrated Wine, the Most Precious Blood of Christ, with perhaps the smallest crumb of the consecrated Bread, the Most Precious Body of Christ, if the Mysteries of Baptism and Chrismation are not administered during or immediately after a Liturgy.

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