wcknight:
I wouldn’t do it… at least not promise to guide the child towards Lutheranism… I would tell the parent the only way I would be a godparent is if the child was being baptized Catholic, and I would be allowed to guide the child in the Catholic faith.
How can anyone guide a child into a faith they themselves don’t believe in or do not even agree with ??
wc
First of all the godparents don’t have primary responsibility for raising the child in faith. That rests on the parents. The godparent’s role is to support the parents’ efforts in this regard.
For a Catholic godparent to a Protestant godson that means not actively contradicting what the parents are teaching that child. Since the two religions are ecclesiastical there should be minimal conflict in the basic teachings. I would not have the right to insist on teaching the godchild about the rosary but if he were to ask me about it then I could respond according to Catholic teaching.
My godchild has not asked me any questions with regard to faith yet, and he’s 17 years old. His parents have done a wonderful job raising him, he is growing into a moral young man I am proud to be associated with him.
The key for us and his parents was IF something were to happen to either of us (both his parents die, or both my husband and I die) then we agreed to make sure the children would remain taught in their respective faiths by whomoever their legal guardians would be.
If my husband and I died before our children reached 18 they would go to my sister and her family. My sister’s family is of some baptist type religion, but they know we are active Catholics. In this situation, my son’s Protestant godparents know they would take on the responsibility of securing Catholic religious ed classes, that they would receive all their sacraments, etc. My sister’s family knew to defer to my son’s godparents in that regard and they promised to respect our wishes.
Should my godson’s parents have died before he reached 18, then I and his godfather (not my husband) would work together to make sure he completed his training in the Lutheran faith no matter who he would be living with.
Fortunately, with both boys at age 17 so far, both families have been blessed with good health and security and it hasn’t been an issue.
who shopped around for the Religion that they like…The Godparents are practicing Catholics who did this so they would not hurt their family members feelings. Just Curious…is this a really allowed???
