M
mareian
Guest
Is it a requirement for someone to be a Catholic in order to be a Godparent for a christening of a baby in a Catholic church?
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SuscipeMeDomine
Guest
Yes.
The requirements from canon law:
Can. 874 §1. To be permitted to take on the function of sponsor a person must:
1/ be designated by the one to be baptized, by the parents or the person who takes their place, or in their absence by the pastor or minister and have the aptitude and intention of fulfilling this function;
2/ have completed the sixteenth year of age, unless the diocesan bishop has established another age, or the pastor or minister has granted an exception for a just cause;
3/ be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist and who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on;
4/ not be bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared;
5/ not be the father or mother of the one to be baptized.
§2. A baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community is not to participate except together with a Catholic sponsor and then only as a witness of the baptism.
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need_to_know
Guest
Quick answer - yes, although I believe you may be allowed to choose one Catholic Godparent and one (non-catholic) Christian witness if you want a non-catholic Christian to take that kind of role. Others will hopefully provide you with Canon Law/Catechism references.
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Br.Rich_SFO
Guest
Yes, they must be a practicing, Confirmed Catholic in good standing with the Church. at least 16 years of age. Make sure that you choose someone who will be a good Catholic example for the child. As noted above a Validly Baptized non-Catholic Christian cannot be a Godparent/Sponsor but can be a Witness along with a Catholic Godparent/Sponsor of the opposite gender.
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FrDavid96
Guest
Yes.
Let’s keep the reasons in mind as well:
The role of a Godparent is to assist the parents in raising the baby in the Catholic faith. In order to do that, common sense says that the potential Godparent must necessarily have the Catholic faith and practice the faith. A person who doesn’t have the faith simply can’t make a promise to pass that faith along to the child.
Godparents are also called “sponsors.” This has an important historical significance. In the early Church, when Christians were persecuted, part of the sponsor’s role was to vouch for the candidate, to say that the candidate truly had the intention of joining the Church, as opposed to being a spy for Caesar. Many organizations require that new members be sponsored by existing members. A person who is not a member of the Church cannot sponsor someone else to join the Church. For example, if I’m not a member of the Raccoon Lodge, I can’t possibly approach the Raccoon Lodge and say “I hereby sponsor my friend here for membership in our lodge.” That just wouldn’t make any sense. That’s why non-Catholics cannot be sponsors for baptism into the Church.
I might regret adding this part, because I know what will follow, but here goes:
Members of the Orthodox Church may be Godparents/sponsors at a Catholic baptism, as long as the other Godparent/sponsor is a Catholic.
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mareian
Guest
Thank you for your replies! I know of a situation where a Godparent is not a practicing catholic, however baptized as a child, and was never confirmed.
Would the church confirm if the “Godparent to be” is catholic or not? Will the chosen Godparent(s) of the child just show up at the church? Are all the names of the Godparents recorded officially by the church?
In my experience, when I was asked to be a Godparent last year by my friend and former co-worker, I actually had to attend a seminar before the Baptism took place.
One more thing… the canon law refers to “pastor or minister”. Why doesn’t it refer to a “priest”?
Any thoughts on this? Thank you again.
Would the church confirm if the “Godparent to be” is catholic or not? Will the chosen Godparent(s) of the child just show up at the church? Are all the names of the Godparents recorded officially by the church?
In my experience, when I was asked to be a Godparent last year by my friend and former co-worker, I actually had to attend a seminar before the Baptism took place.
One more thing… the canon law refers to “pastor or minister”. Why doesn’t it refer to a “priest”?
Any thoughts on this? Thank you again.
S
SuscipeMeDomine
Guest
Often, but I suppose not always, the pastor of the prospective godparent is asked to confirm that the person meets the requirements. This may also include stating that the godparent has taken a class offered by the parish to explain the sacrament and the duties of the parents and godparents.
Canon law doesn’t refer to a priest because deacons are also ministers of the sacrament.
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KC91
Guest
Since I am a Catuchumen, the Godparent I chose was a Dutch Catholic doctor I knew well.
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quiet52
Guest
Because either a priest or deacon may administer the sacrament of Baptism.
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FrDavid96
Guest
Yes, there is an obligation to confirm the status of potential Godparents.
Yes, the names of the Godparents are recorded in the person’s baptismal record.
“Minister” refers to the one who “performs” the baptism. This can be a bishop, priest, or deacon.
When you see the word “pastor” in the baptismal canons, that word is used to refer specifically to the pastor of the local parish–in other words, the priest-pastor as distinct from another priest, or a deacon. For example, it is the pastor’s responsibility to make sure that the Godparents are practicing Catholics, but the pastor might delegate the actual ceremony of baptism to another priest, or a deacon who would then be the “minister” of the Sacrament. Every pastor is a priest, but not every priest is a pastor.
If you have specific examples of where the words pastor, priest, minister, etc. are causing some confusion, please quote the sentence for us and we can explain it.
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Cornbread
Guest
This is a question I’ve been wondering about too. I joined teh Catholic Church last year (2008) at Easter Vigil. My husband and I are expecting our first child this year, next week actually (April 22 EDD). He is Mormon but I will be baptizing our daughter in the catholic Church (he is okay with this, he supports me in my faith and we attend church with each other at both churches). I’ve been thinking about the whol Baptism thing for my daughter, and I’m having trouble deciding who to ask to be her Godparents. Reason being, I am the only Catholic in my family, we’re still relatively new to this area (he’s military) and most of our friends are either not Catholic or not practicing Catholic. My few Catholic friends are all out of th area and not in our parish or even Diocese, so I’m not sure what I’m going to do. 
Anyways, I had been wondering too if both Godparents had to be practicing Catholics, so I was glad to see someone else had asked this question.
Anyways, I had been wondering too if both Godparents had to be practicing Catholics, so I was glad to see someone else had asked this question.
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SuscipeMeDomine
Guest
You might talk with the pastor of your parish and see if he can suggest some possible godparents. This would be a good chance for you to expand your number of Catholic friends in the area.My few Catholic friends are all out of th area and not in our parish or even Diocese, so I’m not sure what I’m going to do.
Prayers for a safe delivery and healthy baby!
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Br.Rich_SFO
Guest
Would the church confirm if the “Godparent to be” is catholic or not?
More and more they are. It used to be that the Church trusted that a person would not lie about this.
Will the chosen Godparent(s) of the child just show up at the church?
Sometimes.
Are all the names of the Godparents recorded officially by the church?
Yes
In my experience, when I was asked to be a Godparent last year by my friend and former co-worker, I actually had to attend a seminar before the Baptism took place.
One more thing… the canon law refers to “pastor or minister”. Why doesn’t it refer to a “priest”?
Because the persons pastor is the proper minister of Solemn Baptism in his parish. He can delegate this to another priest or deacon. Another priest or deacon cannot celebrate solemn Baptisn without the pastors permission.
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Br.Rich_SFO
Guest
Catholic friends not in the local area can still be the official Godparents. This is done by proxy, having someone stand in their place, their names will be entered in the Baptismal register. Speak with the priest at the parish.This is a question I’ve been wondering about too. I joined teh Catholic Church last year (2008) at Easter Vigil. My husband and I are expecting our first child this year, next week actually (April 22 EDD). He is Mormon but I will be baptizing our daughter in the catholic Church (he is okay with this, he supports me in my faith and we attend church with each other at both churches). I’ve been thinking about the whol Baptism thing for my daughter, and I’m having trouble deciding who to ask to be her Godparents. Reason being, I am the only Catholic in my family, we’re still relatively new to this area (he’s military) and most of our friends are either not Catholic or not practicing Catholic. My few Catholic friends are all out of th area and not in our parish or even Diocese, so I’m not sure what I’m going to do.
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