Can this exception be made for a Confirmation sponsor?

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Deisegirl

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My 14 year old daughter makes her confirmation in West London, in April this year. We would very much like to ask my future sister-in-law to be her sponsor. She is a fantastic person and has been a tower of strength to my brother and our family during a difficult period recently. She would serve as an excellent Christian role-model for my daughter. However, she is Church of Ireland, not Roman Catholic.

Given that the church requires sponsors, in most cases, to be practising catholics, could we make an exception in this situation?
 
Dear friend,

I don’t doubt that she would make an excellent Anglican role model, but your daughter is a Catholic and needs someone who is a practicing Catholic as a role model. There IS a difference. The last thing your daughter needs at this time in her life is a watered down understanding of what it means to be a Catholic. The Catholic Church insists that the sponsor be a practicing Catholic for a reason. The sacrament of Confirmation is supposed prepare the young person for the challenges to the faith that come with adulthood. The sponsor is present for support in facing such challenges. A non-Catholic simply will not do.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.
 
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