Atheist godparent?

[T1Catholic]

I have been asked to be the god-mother of my brother’s first child and I’m so happy to do so. His wife’s brother is going to be the god-father. The thing is, this man is not only not Catholic, but he is an admitted atheist. My sister-in-law is a convert to the Church (she did it for the marriage) and my brother is not really devout but they do go to mass every week. I know they see baptism more of a symbolic ritual than a sacred sacrament and when I try to explain the seriousness of it, they kind of brush me off a bit as I’m seen as the over-the-top Catholic in the family. I know non-Catholics can be god-parents, but can atheists be god-parents?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I have been asked to be the god-mother of my brother’s first child and I’m so happy to do so. His wife’s brother is going to be the god-father. The thing is, this man is not only not Catholic, but he is an admitted atheist. My sister-in-law is a convert to the Church (she did it for the marriage) and my brother is not really devout but they do go to mass every week. I know they see baptism more of a symbolic ritual than a sacred sacrament and when I try to explain the seriousness of it, they kind of brush me off a bit as I’m seen as the over-the-top Catholic in the family. I know non-Catholics can be god-parents, but can atheists be god-parents?

“… this man is not only not Catholic, but he is an admitted atheist.”

Then this person neither qualifies as a Godparent which requires a persoon to be a Confirmed Catholic in good standing with the Church.

He would not qualify even as a Christian Witness which requires them to be a validly Baptized Christian in good standing with their Christian Community.

 

[tee_eff_em]

I have been asked to be the god-mother of my brother’s first child and I’m so happy to do so. His wife’s brother is going to be the god-father. The thing is, this man is not only not Catholic, but he is an admitted atheist.

Atheist or no, if the gentleman is not Catholic he cannot be a baptismal sponsor. If he is baptized he may be accorded as a witness (whether an atheist in this role is prudent aside). If he is not baptized, I know of know canonical role he may take.

You, as a Catholic, are the only sponsor necessary.

[With **emphases added:]

Can. 873 One sponsor, male or female, is sufficient; but there may be two, one of each sex.

Can. 874 §1 To be admitted to undertake the office of sponsor, a person must:
1° be appointed by the candidate for baptism, or by the parents or whoever stands in their place, or failing these, by the parish priest or the minister; to be appointed the person must be suitable for this role and have the intention of fulfilling it;
2° be not less than sixteen years of age, unless a different age has been stipulated by the diocesan Bishop, or unless the parish priest or the minister considers that there is a just reason for an exception to be made;
3° be a catholic who has been confirmed and has received the blessed Eucharist, and who lives a life of faith which befits the role to be undertaken;
4° not labour under a canonical penalty, whether imposed or declared;
5° not be either the father or the mother of the person to be baptised.

§2 A baptised person who belongs to a non-catholic ecclesial community may be admitted only in company with a catholic sponsor, and then simply as a witness to the baptism.

tee

 

[mommyaprilj]

THERE IS NO SUCH THING

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

I have been asked to be the god-mother of my brother’s first child and I’m so happy to do so. His wife’s brother is going to be the god-father. The thing is, this man is not only not Catholic, but he is an admitted atheist. My sister-in-law is a convert to the Church (she did it for the marriage) and my brother is not really devout but they do go to mass every week. I know they see baptism more of a symbolic ritual than a sacred sacrament and when I try to explain the seriousness of it, they kind of brush me off a bit as I’m seen as the over-the-top Catholic in the family. I know non-Catholics can be god-parents, but can atheists be god-parents?

Only if practicing Catholics can be members of comittees of Humanist Associations , or Baptists become Chief Rabbis.​

Being a god-parent is not primarily a social function, important as that is. It is a Christian thing: god-parents are meant to help ensure that their god-children, or those adults whose sponsors they are, develop as Christians. To be a god-parent, involves witnessing to the Christian faith, by passing it on to the person sponsored or to the god-child. Those without faith, can (rather obviously, surely?) not pass it on.

It is not unfriendly, unkind, or anti-social to insist on this - it just happens to be a fact, just as gravity is a fact - no one complains (not yet, anyway) of the unfairness of gravity to human beings in not letting them fly like eagles. Certain things need certain qualities if one is to do them - & prospective godparents need to have faith in God as mediated by Jesus Christ. No one would have much time for a vegan who complained of not being invited to a dinner where roast pork, sausages, steaks, lamb cutlets & other meats were on the menu - so with certain religious functions: those functions cannot be undertaken by people whose basic outlook is incompatible with them.

Christianity is inclusive, it is catholic - but not in ways which undermine or are counter to its character as a revelation of God. It makes no sense, it is a form of cheating, it is a distortion of faith in Christ, for an atheist to be given a function in a Christian service which he can by the very fact of his being an atheist not possibly perform. This is not something that depends on the Church, or is a result of the Church’s whims or mean-spiritedness - it is a consequence of the Church’s being a Christian thing in the first place. It’s Christian, so it has no business to pretend it is anything else. ##

 

[netmilsmom]

My sister turned lesbian after she became my daughter’s Godmother. Ugh.
My BIL (although he goes to church with my SIL) is now an atheist.

My poor daughter has no Godparents left. Our Holy Mother will watch over her, though.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

My sister turned lesbian after she became my daughter’s Godmother. Ugh.
My BIL (although he goes to church with my SIL) is now an atheist.

My poor daughter has no Godparents left. Our Holy Mother will watch over her, though.

Well now is the time to start looking for potential Confirmation Sponsors and get them involved in her spiritual life.

 

[djrakowski]

My sister turned lesbian after she became my daughter’s Godmother. Ugh.
My BIL (although he goes to church with my SIL) is now an atheist.

My poor daughter has no Godparents left. Our Holy Mother will watch over her, though.

We’d gladly substitute, if necessary. Sorry to hear about their original god-parents

 

[1ke]

I have been asked to be the god-mother of my brother’s first child and I’m so happy to do so. His wife’s brother is going to be the god-father. The thing is, this man is not only not Catholic, but he is an admitted atheist. My sister-in-law is a convert to the Church (she did it for the marriage) and my brother is not really devout but they do go to mass every week. I know they see baptism more of a symbolic ritual than a sacred sacrament and when I try to explain the seriousness of it, they kind of brush me off a bit as I’m seen as the over-the-top Catholic in the family. I know non-Catholics can be god-parents, but can atheists be god-parents?

No, he cannot be a sponsor or a Christian witness. I would inform the parish priest.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

No, he cannot be a sponsor or a Christian witness. I would inform the parish priest.

ditto
The priest needs informed there may be a serious flaw in the Baptism as planned.

 

[netmilsmom]

We’d gladly substitute, if necessary. Sorry to hear about their original god-parents

Aw thanks!
We feel the same about yours!

(she doesn’t know any of this so we are just kind of hush hush about it)

 

[djrakowski]

Aw thanks!
We feel the same about yours!

(she doesn’t know any of this so we are just kind of hush hush about it)

We can still substitute without telling her. Actually, at our parish, there’s no shortage of folks who act as ‘replacement’ godparents (which is just one of the 1,000,000,000 reasons I love our parish so much!)

 

[netmilsmom]

Well now is the time to start looking for potential Confirmation Sponsors and get them involved in her spiritual life.

That is great advice!
I think I’ll push her toward my youngest Goddaughter. She got a full scholarship to a Catholic High School and just came back from seeing the Vatican.

And my daughter loves her!

 

[T1Catholic]

ditto
The priest needs informed there may be a serious flaw in the Baptism as planned.

Do you mean the baptism would be invalid?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Do you mean the baptism would be invalid?

No because a Godparent(s) are not needed for validity. they are needed for licitness. Which is the priests reaponsibility to insure that Sacraments are celebrated in a licit manner. Please let him know all the facts. What he does with them is on him.