Can i change godparents?

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i’m very, very disappointed that the person we got as my son’s godfather now attends a protestant service.

can i call the parish and have his name changed from the records?
 
I tried to find this out myself and I think the answer is no, you can’t.

I didn’t know my daughter’s godparents well (they were my husband’s choice). They were deceptive, they claimed to belong to a Catholic church but there really didn’t. Since becoming my daughter’s godparents, they had children and don’t have any of their own children baptized, don’t go to mass, and actively protest the Catholic Church (they are pro-abortion and attend rallies in support of the abortion side). They also tease me about going to Church–well, used to. I don’t see them any longer.

Why did they want to be godparents then? They liked the idea of the title 😦

My mother is acting godparent now (in as far as helping me by supporting my child’s growth in the Catholic Church).
 
choy said:
i’m very, very disappointed that the person we got as my son’s godfather now attends a protestant service.

can i call the parish and have his name changed from the records?
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No, you cannot officially change. But this is what we did with our oldest. We just asked someone who was true to their faith and close to us, my sister, to sponsor him in confirmation. His official God father has never asked why we didn’t ask him, he probably never figured it out.

I have been asked by others to “stand in” as God parent for a child who was not actually my God child. As the parent you know who you want in your child’s life, it doesn’t matter if you find out later that you chose poorly, it happens to many of us don’t sweat it.👍
 
my son had intestinal malrotation (blockage) when he was born and underwent surgery at 5 days old. he was baptized in the hospital and the priest also confirmed him. so he’s already been confirmed. we had the godparents names added to the baptismal certificate later on. but my sister who is the godmother was present during the completion of the Baptismal Rite in our parish. the godfather wasn’t there for a valid reason (they live in another part of the country)
 
Unfortunately, a godparent was there at a moment in time (or was represented by a proxy) and unless you have found a way to go back in time and do things differently there’s no way of changing that.

As was said in other posts you can always feel free to invite a good Catholic man to play the role of Godfather in your son’s life. I’m sure any man you invited to do that would be delighted that you want him to assume such an important place.
 
Phemie said:
Unfortunately, a godparent was there at a moment in time (or was represented by a proxy) and unless you have found a way to go back in time and do things differently there’s no way of changing that.

As was said in other posts you can always feel free to invite a good Catholic man to play the role of Godfather in your son’s life. I’m sure any man you invited to do that would be delighted that you want him to assume such an important place.
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how i wish there’s a godparent annulment of some sort :ouch:
 
see, thats why i like our little tradition in the Philippines of having a horde of godparents

out of the one dozen godfathers and one dozen godmothers, you’re bound to get one good one 😃
 
choy said:
see, thats why i like our little tradition in the Philippines of having a horde of godparents

out of the one dozen godfathers and one dozen godmothers, you’re bound to get one good one 😃
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That is absolute genius!
 
My godparents are no longer married and no longer Catholic. And my confirmation sponsor only goes to mass when its convenient 😦

Moral of the story: Choose godparents/sponsors wisely!

I think I’ll go start a thread on the prayer intentions board for all those godparents who have fallen away from the faith… :newidea:
 
choy said:
see, thats why i like our little tradition in the Philippines of having a horde of godparents

out of the one dozen godfathers and one dozen godmothers, you’re bound to get one good one 😃
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More than 2 Godparents is forbidden by the Church. It does not matter that families call lots of people Godparents the number above two are NOT Godparents.

Canon law:

Can. 873 One sponsor, male or female, is sufficient; but there may be two, one of each sex.
 
thistle said:
More than 2 Godparents is forbidden by the Church. It does not matter that families call lots of people Godparents the number above two are NOT Godparents.

Canon law:

Can. 873 One sponsor, male or female, is sufficient; but there may be two, one of each sex.
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you’re there, you know it happens

Canonically yes, only two godparents go on the Baptismal Certificate and are recognized as official. but thats not how the family nor the godparents would treat it. i’ve been a godfather so many times, but canonically, i’ve not been even once
 
choy said:
you’re there, you know it happens

Canonically yes, only two godparents go on the Baptismal Certificate and are recognized as official. but thats not how the family nor the godparents would treat it. i’ve been a godfather so many times, but canonically, i’ve not been even once
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Yes I know it happens. I think I’m Godfather to half the country by now but only twice in reallity according to the Church rules. Basically any number above two should simply be construed as Christian witnesses. I haven’t actually seen a baptismal certificate with more than two sponsors on it. The custom is a nice idea, I admit, as it means there are plenty of folks willing to step up in case of any tragedy.
 
You may not be able to change them by removing them from the register, but could you change them?
Surely you could direct them back, in doing so changing them. So, can you? Yes.
It is a possibility at least.
 
thistle said:
Yes I know it happens. I think I’m Godfather to half the country by now but only twice in reallity according to the Church rules. Basically any number above two should simply be construed as Christian witnesses. I haven’t actually seen a baptismal certificate with more than two sponsors on it. The custom is a nice idea, I admit, as it means there are plenty of folks willing to step up in case of any tragedy.
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hahah, you know the custom isn’t for that. its more of having more people to visit during Christmas and ask for gifts 😃

i remember that only the “primary” or canonical godparents get to go up to the baptismal font with the baby, although it depends to parish to parish. some ceremonies are more private, with just one baby at a time. others have several babies at a time
 
StrawberryJam said:
You may not be able to change them by removing them from the register, but could you change them?
Surely you could direct them back, in doing so changing them. So, can you? Yes.
It is a possibility at least.
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i guess, unofficially

i guess my desire to change them also stems from the fact that i’m pissed off at them for abandoning the faith. and its not like years after the baptism. they moved to this country and they arrived the same day my son was born. and they haven’t attended a Catholic Mass since.
 
choy said:
hahah, you know the custom isn’t for that. its more of having more people to visit during Christmas and ask for gifts 😃

i remember that only the “primary” or canonical godparents get to go up to the baptismal font with the baby, although it depends to parish to parish. some ceremonies are more private, with just one baby at a time. others have several babies at a time
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Thats true. Thats how I found out I was Godfather to children I had never seen before! 🙂
 
choy said:
my son had intestinal malrotation (blockage) when he was born and underwent surgery at 5 days old. he was baptized in the hospital and the priest also confirmed him.
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Can you really confirm an infant? What would be the purpose of doing it?
 
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