Can a Catholic refuse to be a godparent?

[spectre88]

Apologist Michelle Arnold recently answered a question stating that a priest can postpone a baptism if he has reason to believe the parents will not practice the faith.

I know many people who are starting to have children that will want baptism but do not practice the faith. Would it be appropriate for me to decline being a godparent or sponsor if asked because of my knowledge or suspicions of them raising the child fully in the Church?

I ask because I know of at least two of my godchildren whose parents are not practicing Catholics. The reasons I accepted were: If the priest was willing to baptize I should be willing to accept, and I would hate for the child to possibly die without being baptized and risk not going into heaven.

Did I do something wrong here?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

A Catholic is not obliged to accept the responsibility to be a godparent, and may decline a request to do so if he wishes. He is not even required to give a reason for his refusal, and indeed it might be better for him not to do so if his reasons could be construed as “judgmental” by parents already granted permission by the Church to have their child baptized.

I think your first reason for accepting the godparent responsibility was basically sound. If the parents have been granted baptism for the child, it is not for a potential godparent to say that they do not qualify. That doesn’t mean the candidate for godparenthood must accept; only that, generally speaking, he should trust the baptismal celebrant’s judgment in allowing the baptism. As for the second reason, we entrust the fate of the unbaptized to God, understanding that God does not punish the innocent for the sins of others.