Baptism

===Eastern Orthodoxy===
[[File:GreekOrthodoxBaptism1.jpg|thumb|An Orthodox baptism]]

In Eastern Orthodoxy, baptism is considered a sacrament and mystery which transforms the old and sinful person into a new and pure one, where the old life, the sins, any mistakes made are gone and a clean slate is given. In [[Greek Orthodox Church|Greek]] and [[Russian Orthodox]] traditions, it is taught that through Baptism a person is united to the [[Body of Christ]] by becoming an official member of the Orthodox Church. During the service, the Orthodox priest blesses the [[Holy water in Eastern Christianity|water]] to be used. The catechumen (the one baptised) is fully immersed in the water three times in the name of the Trinity. This is considered to be a death of the "old man" by participation in the crucifixion and burial of Christ, and a rebirth into new life in Christ by participation in his resurrection.<ref name=Ware1993>{{Cite book |last= Ware |first=Kallistos |author-link=Timothy Ware |title=The Orthodox Church |publisher= Penguin Books | location =New York |year=1993 |pages=277–278 |isbn=0-14-014656-3 |oclc=263544700}}</ref>{{rp|pp=277–278}} Properly a new name is given, which becomes the person's name.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

Babies of Orthodox families are normally baptized shortly after birth. Older converts to Orthodoxy are usually formally baptized into the Orthodox Church, though exceptions are sometimes made. Those who choose to convert from a different religion to Eastern Orthodoxy typically undergo [[Chrismation]], known as confirmation in the Roman Catholic Church.<ref>{{cite web |title=Christmations |url=https://stjohntpa.org/chrismations/ |website=St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church |access-date=27 October 2022}}</ref>

Properly and generally, the Mystery of Baptism is administered by bishops and other priests; however, in emergencies any Orthodox Christian can baptize.<ref name=Ware1993/>{{rp|p=278}} In such cases, should the person survive the emergency, it is likely that the person will be properly baptized by a priest at some later date. This is not considered to be a second baptism, nor is it imagined that the person is not already Orthodox, but rather it is a fulfillment of the proper form.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

The service of baptism in [[Greek Orthodox]] (and other Eastern Orthodox) churches has remained largely unchanged for over 1500 years. This fact is witnessed to by [[Cyril of Jerusalem]] (d. 386), who, in his ''Discourse on the Sacrament of Baptism'', describes the service in much the same way as is currently in use.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Saint Cyril Bishop of Jerusalem |title=St. Cyril of Jerusalem's lectures on the Christian sacraments: the Procatechesis and the five mystagogical Catecheses |publisher=St. Vladimir's Seminary Press |others=F. L. Cross |year=c. 1986 |isbn=0-913836-39-7 |location=Crestwood, NY |oclc=13498176}}</ref>