Confession and Communion The Orthodox Church’s basic guidelines for Confession before Communion are enumerated below. Q: A young lady of about 13 years came to me Orthodox understand that the confession is not made to the priest, but to Christ, and the priest stands only as witness and guide. / Pastoral Care / Confession / Prayer before Confession A Prayer of St John of Kronstadt, as an example of Confession I, a great sinner, confess to my Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ all the evil I have committed, uttered or thought since Baptism to the present day. Baptism (from the Greek noun βάπτισμα baptisma) is a Christian rite of admission and adoption, almost invariably with the use of water, into Christianity. Since the sixth century, Bishops have been chosen from the celibate clergy. Repentance is a "second baptism". One group asks people before baptism: “…have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, and do you believe that God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven your sins, and given you a new heart?” (Seventh Day Adventist “Baptismal Vow,” via Handbook of Religious Quotations ). This confession is the only confession that can be called for by those who believe that baptism is not essential to salvation. A chrismation would only need to take place. I want to confess during the Great Fast. Yet in class, the teacher said that before we can be baptised we must go to confession, as that as adults, Baptism … I feel really at home here, and hope to be received into the church. If we are talking about nominal Orthodox who take Communion only occasionally, perhaps once or twice a year or once or twice every ten or twenty years, then Confession before every Communion is the rule. Hello all, I've been going to an orthodox church for nearly 7 months now. And of the Holy Spirit, Amen." The confession often takes place before an icon of Jesus Christ. level 1 I did a life confession before baptism as well. Home / The Orthodox Faith / Questions & Answers The Sacrament of Confession Confessing in the Presence of a Priest If we can make confession to God without the priest, then why do we have confession with a priest present? During the absolution the priest does not place the Cross on the priest’s head but on his shoulder, or otherwise, he lifts the Cross near the priest’s head without touching it, and so prays the prayers and absolutions specified for confession. List of Activities to Complete Prior to Baptism and Chrismation Requirements If the new catechumen was registered on the membership role of another religious body, the catechumen must upon being enrolled as a catechumen write to this body and ask to be removed from their previous membership roster. Some religious groups expect people to make such a confession before baptism. So you’ve been given the right information, Em, and welcome home, congratulations, and look forward to your baptism… It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely. The renouncing of Satan is done facing the west, it is where the sun sets, the place where the ancient Greeks believed to be the location of Hades, the gates of Hell. Christian Baptism is the mystery of starting anew, of dying to an old way of life and being born again into a new way of life, in Christ. This is the sacrament by which an Orthodox Christian is forgiven of sin, and is formally restored to fellowship within the Church. As for the laws of the Church, by canon law one must partake of the Mystery of Repentance (i.e th 1. And of the Son, Amen. It is not easy when you come from a background that doesn't do this. Since the sixth century, Bishops have been chosen from the celibate clergy. Sin I am currently taking RCIA classes, and reading a condensed handbook version of the Catechisms of the Catholic Church. Confession is a major theme of the Gospels. Including child confession. After the Baptism Post-baptism, the godfather is responsible for communing with the baptized child and teaching and maintaining the spiritual relationship with the child throughout his life. A chrismation is a sacrament performed by a priest where … At an Orthodox baptism, these words are pronounced: "The servant of God (name) is baptized in the name of the Father, Amen. After confession the confessing priest removes his priestly had and kneels before his confession-father bowing his head to accept the absolution. Self-Examination Before Confession (from Saint Nicholas Varzhansky) PREPARATION FOR CONFESSION During Great Lent, and the other fasts of the Church Year, it is customary for all Orthodox Christians to go to confession to their priest. Is simply answering "yes" when one is asked to confess Christ (before baptism) enough? Orthodox Church Fasting Periods This is not a comprehensive list of fasting dates, but rather a general reminder of the most important fasting guidelines. As the Church eventually became the majority religion of the lands in which it sojourned, the catechumenate as an institution gradually died out in many places, as most Christians were being baptized shortly after birth. Endnotes Recommended are: 1) Repentance and Confession, by St. Nektarios (Roscoe, NY: St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Monastery, 2002); 2) The Forgotten Medicine: The Mystery of Repentance, by Archimandrite Seraphim Aleksiev (Wildwood, CA: St. Xenia Press Skete, 1994); 3) Exomologetarion: A Manual of Confession, by St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite (Thessaloniki, Greece: Uncut Mountain Press, … Welcome to the symbolism that makes up a Greek Orthodox baptism! Catechumens are understood to be Christians upon beginning their catechumenate, and should they die before baptism, they are traditionally given an Orthodox funeral. Immediately after Baptism, the Orthodox Christian is “Chrismated” (confirmed) with the Chrism (in Greek “myron” ) by the Priest. In the fifteenth century, the Catholics changed The Orthodox can answer this better than I can but my understanding is that as long as it's running water a baptism by immersion in the Orthodox tradition can be carried out almost anywhere, in a baptistery, in a river Is it necessary to remember and tell about what I did before Baptism? While it is true that many For daily fasting instructions, you can consult the GOArch Online Chapel. There is usually no right or wrong answer, and some things are a little ambiguous, and are hard to classify as a sin or not a sin without more information. In the early Church, confession was … A Prayer of Confession, by the Blessed Father Nicholas Pekatoros, for use by his spiritual children: “I confess to the Lord my God and before you, Holy It is also known as the "sacrament of repentance". Persons who commune regulary should be confessing regularly, as well. I have never been to Confession. Sometime before the sacrament of Holy Confession, offer selected prayers from the following Confessional Prayers, Psalm 51 or the following prayer of repentance: Prayer of Repentance O Lord my God, I confess that I have sinned against You in thought, word and deed. Many preachers in Orthodoxy will not leave because of the embarrassment of having This is the Orthodox Faith. An observant Orthodox life requires regular and frequent Confession. Confession Before Baptism ROME, 22 MARCH 2011 (ZENIT) Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university. If the baptism is recognized by the Greek Orthodox church (Catholic baptism, for example), then another baptism is not necessary and need not take place. So you cannot go to confession even before you’re baptized. Persons who commune infrequently will need to confess before receiving Communion. This is exceedingly important should the catechumen […] It also says that a person must be baptised in order to recieve penance. Should the believer follow the quote by the eunuch in Acts every time he or she is asked to respond before the actual baptism? The Orthodox Church permits men to marry before they are ordained. Before the fourth century confession and penitential discipline were a public affair “since all sin is sin not only against God but against our neighbor, against the community.” [8] : 140–41 By the time of Cyprian of Carthage, confession itself was not public, [9] : 60–61 although the … In the Orthodox Church, baptism is "for the remission of sins" (cf. To remind them of their Baptism, Orthodox Christians usually wear throughout life a small Cross, hung round the neck on a chain during their Baptismal Service. Before confessing, the penitent ... We confidently recommend our web service provider, Orthodox Internet Services: excellent personal customer service, a fast and reliable server, excellent spam filtering, and an easy to use comprehensive control panel. The Greek Orthodox tradition also requires the godfather bring soap, hand towel, bath towel and special ribbons commemorating the baptism. The only hurdle I've encountered so far is life confession before I am baptized. The only confession actually recorded in scripture is in Acts 8:35-37, K.J.V.). In the book, it says that baptism cleanses the soul of original sin and mortal sin. Prayers for Confession – Various prayers to help prepare for Holy Confession. I'm having trouble with confession, perhaps you can expound on it for me. 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