Who can become a godfather or godmother in Russia?
Baptism is one of the most important sacraments in the life of an Orthodox person. The obligatory participants in this rite are godparents. These are the people who vouch for a person entering Orthodoxy, those who will instruct in the faith.
There should be one godparent, but, according to established tradition, usually two are chosen – spiritual father and mother.
However, there are a number of restrictions for those who can become godparents.
First of all, the godparent must be an Orthodox Christian themselves, who regularly receives Communion (a sacrament during which believers partake of bread and wine, symbolizing the body and blood of Christ). They must also have reached the age of ecclesiastical adulthood to realize the responsibility they have taken on: 15 years for men and 13 for women.
The status of godparent or spiritual parent implies a willingness to take on the responsibility of raising a child in Orthodoxy and attending church with the godchild.
Monks cannot become godparents, since they have renounced everything worldly upon taking the position nor can biological parents of someone who is entering Orthodoxy.
The status of a godparent has no retroactive effect: no matter what happens in the future, godparents do not change.
