Confirmation Question

[Phemie]

Why? Did I say something wrong? Does my Baptism not count? If not, why? I was going to RCIA classes and they asked me about my Baptism as well.

Your Baptism absolutely does count! It’s the one thing we share in common. Both our Churches baptize in the Trinitarian fashion (Father, Son & Holy Spirit) and the Catholic Church recognizes the baptism of other Churches that baptize this way (Anglicans, Lutherans, etc.)

Unfortunately, in some areas Catholics are not taught what they ought to be and one of those areas is the subject of godparents (or sponsors). Often they will ask if they can have a non-Catholic godparent and the answer will be 'yes, as long as there is a Catholic godparent." Unfortunately, that’s not what the Church teaches. Only the Catholic is considered a ‘godparent’ or ‘sponsor’. The validly baptized non-Catholic is strictly a Christian witness.

Not explaining that up front makes for misunderstanding and often hurt feelings, which is why I’m sorry I responded.

Now, the role you play in your goddaughter’s life may well be as involved as any Catholic godparent’s would be, and more power to you if it is. It looks as though you approached it that way. But it’s unfortunate that the distinction wasn’t made in the baptismal preparation.

I go to great lengths to explain the difference when I’m preparing parents and sponsors/witnesses. It’s tough, because we’ve gone through decades without this explanation. We tell parents that they are free to call the non-Catholic a ‘godparent’ if they wish but that they are not that as far as the Church is concerned. It’s even harder, in a town with a high population of ‘non-baptized Christians’ to convince parents that the ‘Christian witness’ they’ve chosen is not, in fact, qualified to be one.

 

[puzzleannie]

I am the godparent of a close friend’s child and I am not Catholic. The other godparent is but I’m not. I was involved in the Baptism ceremony and everything.

you were actually a Christian witness, and the Catholic party is the godparent and is recorded as such in the permanent record. this is common for instance if a married couple is chosen as sponsors and one spouse is not Catholic, that way both can stand up for the child, and the aspect we share in common, our baptism, is recognized. It is also possible that the person who handled the paperwork and the person who did the actual baptism are not the same, and that they did not communicate, or that the baby’s parents never told anyone the actual situation. No problema, but to be precise, you are a Christian witness, which is always a good thing to be.

 

[kage_ar]

Well me and my fiance both haven’t attended masses as much as we should be. She’s actually has record of her baptizm, 1st communion, and confirmation. As for myself I’m just blank about the confirmation part.

What exactly is involved? Is it bascially just knowing the religion and getting tested? Not sure if that was the right way to say that. I apologize. I recall friends/family years years ago going away to a camp or something like that when they did their confirmation. At least I think that was confirmation.

"Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds. "

The Catechism on Confirmation, this gives you an overview of the Sacrament (begins at 1285 goes through 1321)

scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c1a2.htm#1285

 

[Baldie]

Confirmation is required to become a godparent, but not to be married. My now ex (marriage was annulled) was confirmed several years after we got married.

If you have taken the classes and do some brushing up on Catholicism, you may be able to meet with your parish priest and get confirmed when the next group of students gets confirmed.

Good Luck.

Just an update, I was able to take the godparenting class and was a primary godparent in the baptism and my confirmation status was not questioned. I took the godparenting class in at a catholic church in the bay area and the baptism took place in another catholic church in Southern California.

 

[basilisk]

Just an update, I was able to take the godparenting class and was a primary godparent in the baptism and my confirmation status was not questioned. I took the godparenting class in at a catholic church in the bay area and the baptism took place in another catholic church in Southern California.

Knowing that confirmation was required, I think it was deceptive of you not to offer the information and ask the question to those in charge. Not a great start teaching Catholic values…

 

[Baldie]

Knowing that confirmation was required, I think it was deceptive of you not to offer the information and ask the question to those in charge. Not a great start teaching Catholic values…

Actually the parents of the child new my status which they told me not to worry about it as long as I was baptized and had communion and I asked the godparenting instructor prior to registering for the class that if I needed to be confirmed prior and was told it was fine.

 

[basilisk]

Well, OK, but you said

my confirmation status was not questioned.

so I thought it had not been discussed.

And the instructor was WRONG. How sad… I hate it when parishes damage our faith by misleading people! The Code of Canon Law is very clear that confirmation is REQUIRED for godparents, here called sponsors:

*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.*

Whoever is running that parish’s Catechetical Ministry should be fired!

 

[Phemie]

Well, OK, but you said

so I thought it had not been discussed.

And the instructor was WRONG. How sad… I hate it when parishes damage our faith by misleading people! The Code of Canon Law is very clear that confirmation is REQUIRED for godparents, here called sponsors:

*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.

Whoever is running that parish’s Catechetical Ministry should be fired!

You’d be surprised at how few people know about this requirement. The people on the team didn’t until I joined and they don’t seem to care now that they know. The only thing they seem to care less about is the part about ‘leads a life of faith’.

 

[basilisk]

You’d be surprised at how few people know about this requirement. The people on the team didn’t until I joined and they don’t seem to care now that they know.

Gosh, our parish is strict. Guess I should be thankful for our dedicated, orthodox pastor, and for our bishop who insists upon compliance!