Delay in infant baptism

[TheLittleLady]

I have experience where staff is to be the “bad cop” (telling you that Aunt Suzy who is a baptized Catholic yet is divorced and remarried 3 times all outside of the Church, is living with her now fiancee cannot be baptismal sponsor)

In my experience, most pastors I have worked with have not asked for “documentation”
or “verification” beyond the godparents’ own affirmation. In general, they’ve just asked the godparents or the parents verbally about their suitability.

At our parish, we write verification letters for people who are going to be godparents, it is a routine thing. We also request a letter from a pastor if the sponsor(s) are from another parish.

 

[Horton]

I do work for my parish.

If so you are kind showing the frustrating situations there can be.

In reading my posts carefully you will see how I am advocating for parish staff when they are following the directives of their pastor not that they make things up as they want. If parishioners get frustrated with staff for doing their jobs (as instructed by the priest), then the problem is with them. In our office all staff are more than happy to work with parishioners to get problems resolved, but that does take a willingness on the part of parishioners too.

There seems to be such a common misconception among parishioners regarding what exactly parish staff are instructed to do by the boss, ie. the pastor.

n too many parishes the staff has either been instructed to or taken it upon them selves to “run interference” for father

If the secretary did not “run interference” for father, father would never get anything done. Especially from parishioners who want immediate action from parish staff and don’t get it. If every single call was put back to our priests the parish would fall apart. The priest must have a method of prioritizing calls. The secretary taking good messages is a great way for father to be able to manage his time.

 

[Horton]

We ask for verification for all godparents and sponsors for both baptism and confirmation. As the director of youth ministry, it is part of my job to collect verification for those not known to us.

I am actually surprised this does not happen across the board.

I have experience where staff is to be the “bad cop” (telling you that Aunt Suzy who is a baptized Catholic yet is divorced and remarried 3 times all outside of the Church, is living with her now fiancee cannot be baptismal sponsor)

Yep

 

[Allegra]

There’s certainly not a “rule” that requires or even justifies only scheduling infant Baptisms at very exclusive times so that a child has to wait half a year for sanctifying grace.

 

[Horton]

@Allegra Hopefully this will clear up any issue you have with what I have written about rules.

Can. 874 §1
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]*ttp://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/8B.HTM) 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;

Since there does seem to be a “rule” for who may or may not act as a sponsor, a parish must have some way of knowing this information. If the godparents are well known, then a formal verification doesn’t have to be done. However there are many times the godparents are not known and some form of verification is needed. This is often accomplished by a letter from their home parish stating they are eligible to act as godparents.

 

[Allegra]

The priest of the parish very well may have “hard rules” on how he wants baptism done. But I’ll be sure to tell our priest that you believe it’s wrong to have them.

Who said this? “The priest of the parish very well may have “hard rules” on how he wants baptism done. But I’ll be sure to tell our priest that you believe it’s wrong to have them.”