Olga Yaroshevskaya, Ph. D. in Medicine, Associate Professor, Hospital Pediatrics Department, Russian National Research Medical University (RNRMU) (Moscow)
pp. 61–71
The article analyses the explanatory notes “On Infant Baptism” and “On Baptising Weird-Looking Newborns” in the Priest’s Service Book by Metropolitan Peter (Mogila). On the one hand, these arguments clearly indicate the meaning of baptism has been distorted from the original understanding and perceived as a magical action to secure a favorable fate for a non-viable baby in the afterlife. On the other hand, the question arises with no decisive answer yet: how can the church bear witness to the human dignity of children with severe malformations.
Keywords: baptismal rite, Metropolitan Peter (Mogila), infant baptism, severe malformations.