Adult baptism: why and how

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

How is it that the baptism of an adult is often necessary, because in Orthodoxy children are baptized immediately after birth, in infancy? To do this, you need to remember the history of the country, because during the Soviet era there was an active attack on the church, and many people could not be baptized or baptize their children. Now that it has become possible, most people want to catch up. Another group of people who are baptized as adults are Protestants. In their understanding, the baptism of an infant is the choice of his parents, and not the child himself. Therefore, an adult person who made this choice consciously should be baptized.

What precedes baptism

As the ministers of the church say, the baptism of an adult should not be a mere formality for him. A person must come to this consciously, understand that already as a true Christian he will need to live according to the laws of faith, fulfill all the necessary prescriptions, dogmas, etc. First of all, a person needs to talk to a priest, explain his situation anda wish. Further, the priest may invite him to hold public discussions, which are designed specifically for those who want to be baptized. You should also read spiritual literature, although much depends on your level of readiness for baptism.

But all these are only auxiliary factors, the most important thing is the true desire of a person, which is not a tribute to fashion or anything like that.

The rite of baptism for an adult

Let's dwell on this important point. The baptism of an adult is different from the usual. By virtue of his age, a person can pronounce the words he needs at baptism, he understands and realizes his actions, respectively, you can do without godparents who do everything instead of babies. If an adult is being baptized, what is needed for this? You should take a pectoral cross (no matter how expensive), a christening shirt, a large white sheet and slippers with you. The priest performs the necessary ceremony, the person’s head is washed three times or immersed in the font. During the ceremony, a person holds a lit candle, and then a cross is drawn on his forehead with oil.

Protestant Baptism

Already for the reasons indicated at the beginning of the article, it is clear why Protestants adopted the baptism of an adult. At the same time, the rite itself can be carried out in different ways. Some must plunge into the water completely in a special pool or river. Some are sure that it should be an exclusively open body of water. For others, it is enough, as in Orthodoxy, to simply sprinkle water on the head. Baptism in a pond can also take place in different ways: some clergy dip a person once, others three times. The way of dipping can also vary: face up or face down. According to some Protestants, all these differences are not very significant, while others are firmly convinced that only their opinion is correct. Protestant baptized, as well as Orthodox, must dress in white clothes.