What is spiritual kinship? How can couples in the Old Believer tradition avoid becoming spiritual relatives before marriage? #

Spiritual kinship, often referred to as “kinship through the cross,” typically arises through baptism, when godparents are appointed for the baptized individual. A spiritual kinship exists between the godfather (or godmother) and their godchild, equated by Church rules to the relationship between a biological parent and child. The Sixth Ecumenical Council, in its 53rd canon, states that spiritual kinship is even greater than physical kinship.

Accordingly, the Church established a prohibition on marriages between a godfather and goddaughter, a godmother and godson, as well as their descendants up to the eighth degree of kinship.

Additionally, godparenthood (kumovstvo) constitutes spiritual kinship. For example, a godfather cannot marry the mother of his godson or goddaughter, and a godmother cannot marry the father of her godson or goddaughter. Furthermore, if a man and woman are godparents to the same godchild, they also share spiritual kinship (as “kumm” and “kumma” to one another), preventing them from entering into marriage.

Those who share the same godparent are also considered spiritual relatives (godbrothers or godsisters) and are forbidden to marry each other, as are their descendants (up to the eighth degree of kinship).

Since a child’s grandparents are direct ancestors in the ascending line, they should not serve as the godparents of their grandchild. Otherwise, this creates kinship ties between the parents of the child, as the son or daughter of a godparent cannot be married to the “kumm” or “kumma” of their parent.

To avoid such non-canonical situations, spiritual kinship between those entering into marriage and their direct ancestors should be examined. When selecting godparents, care must be taken to ensure that they do not create kinship ties among the baptized child’s parents. It is most practical to appoint relatives of the baptized child from the collateral line (e.g., uncles, aunts, cousins). Collateral kinship does not result in spiritual kinship through baptism.

Additionally, spiritual kinship includes cases of ecclesiastical adoption of a child (through the “Rite of Adoption,” see the Great Potrebnik) or brotherhood (through the “Rite of Brotherhood,” which is no longer practiced). In such cases, the relationship between the adoptive parent and the adopted child is equivalent to that of a biological parent and child, with all its consequences. This means that the adoptive parent and adopted child, as well as their descendants, cannot marry each other (up to the eighth degree of kinship in their lineage).

— Archpriest Vadim Korovin