(Orthodox Missionary Fraternity) - Christening is the most important moment of one’s life. It’s the moment when they leave the delusion of idols and the world and they enter the family of God, they become children of the Most High.
This is the commandment given by our Lord Jesus Christ to his disciples, before he ascended to heaven:
Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
Obedient to His word, the Orthodox missionaries visit unknown places to preach, catechize those who will believe in the gospel and baptize them.
Please, help our missionaries to keep on their efforts. Become a “godfather” or “godmother” and pay for the cost of the Mission and catechism. Every godparent may choose the name to be given to the catechumene and after the baptism takes a photo of their christening, with no additional obligation. The nominal amount for each christening is 150 €. It’s a small contribution to the salvation of a soul.
Go fill out a godparent form!
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This is kind of creepy.
ReplyDelete"I've got six little black Cordelia's."
ReplyDeletechoose a name for other person? sounds not proper
ReplyDeleteIf I understand this "advertisement" correctly, I am disturbed by it. It is written as if modeled directly upon an advertisement from one of the Protestant organizations that seek "sponsors" for a child from an economically disadvantaged society in a distant country.
ReplyDeleteA godparent/godchild relationship is a personal relationship. A godchild is not a mail-order product. Sometimes the catechumen asks an individual whom he or she respects as a model in the faith to stand as sponsor. Sometimes the priest selects the sponsor, as in instances when the catechumen has not yet formed a close relationship with someone in the parish.
The godparent does not choose the baptismal name for the godchild. Often the name is requested by the catechumen who feels drawn toward a particular Orthodox saint. Sometimes the name is selected by the baptizing priest, who has chosen a particular name through prayer, based on knowing the character and personality of the catechumen.
Again, the godparent/godchild relationship is supposed to be personal, a lifelong interaction grounded in the faith cherished by both people.
I visited the organization's website after reading this blog post, and I retain the same distaste. This "method" demeans the newly-baptized Christian, as well as trivializes what is intended as a strong spiritual connection between Orthodox faithful.
I'm sure the organization is aware of what a real godparent is. Hence they use "godparent" in scare quotes. If we would be more generous with missions, they would not need to resort to such gimmicks to attract funding.
DeleteThe history of the Orthodox Church when it comes to missionary work is sadly not very impressive. As long as this organization is above board and operating under the authority of a canonical church (Greece?) I applaud their efforts.
ReplyDelete