GOD PARENT

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Please let me know if anyone has the Church Teaching on a Catholic being a God parent to a baby in a Episcopal Church Baptism? This is a matter within the family and I do not want to say no to my sister and hurt anyones feelings if it is allowed by our Catholic Church to be a God parent in this Christian Baptism. And it is know that if God for bid that I would become a guardian of this child I would bring him into the Church.

Thanks be to God for this Forum and may He continue to help it grow 👍

Bill
 
Hi,

I was asked by my sister to be Godfather to my niece and she was being baptised in the Anglican Church, I asked my Priest if this is allowed and he said that since an Anglican baptisim is reccognised by the Catholic church then it would be o.k for me to be a Godfather to my niece.

But I stressed to my sister that I would raise the child a Catholic if anything were to happen to her and her husband, to which they agreed.

I have also recently been asked by my nephew to be the Godfather of his unborn child (he and his partener have decided on the Anglican Church :rolleyes: ) and I have stated the same to them, that I will raise the child in the Catholic faith.

You have been asked because they know you are a good Christian and a good role model for their child.

You are free to participate in the baptismal ceremony but you are not to recieve their Communion.

Yours in the Spirit

Pious
 
No, a Catholic can not take on the role of Godparent at a Baptism that takes place in a separated Christian Community. Unitatis Redintegratio #57
 
“No, a Catholic may not be a sponsor for a protestant baptism, even if the baptism is valid. That would be taking a religious part in a religious ceremony that is not Catholic. Such participation is forbidden to Catholics. One may, however, be present for the baptism and serve as a witness to it.”

This is a quote from Fr. Auman on www.catholic.org
 
Ah,

This is interesting, probably the Priest meant a Christian witness and I misunderstood it to mean Godparent :o
I can not ask the Priest as this was over 15yrs ago and he has since left our parish.

But I would suggest you talk to your Priest 🙂

Yours in the Spirit

Pious 🙂
 
Ahh, interesting. I hope this is not out of line, since I don’t want to have this question stray from the original thread…but what if the situation is switched? I have already asked my girlfriend, who is a Lutheran, to be my baby’s Godmother. The Baptism is going to be Catholic, of course, in a Byzantine Catholic church. The Godfather is going to be my brother, a Byzantine Catholic priest. I asked my brother if there was a problem, and he told me that, (I guess this is according to Canon Law) there has to be atleast one practicing Catholic as a Godparent.
I don’t know if the term ‘Godparent’ is accurate for her either (or if ‘Christian Witness’ would be more appropriate). However, I wouldn’t verbalize the difference to her anyhow. She’s a good Christian, and a great friend, and that’s why I chose her.
What does Canon Law state about this, and the other situation mentioned originally?
 
In the reverse situation, I believe that a non-Catholic cannot actually be a child’s sponsor, but may be a witness. At least one Catholic sponsor is required. (The witness takes part in the ceremony just like the sponsor does.)

The reason is simple. The Godparents need to promise that they are going to encourage and be an example of the child in the Catholic faith. While I think we wouold all recognize that many of our Protestant brothers and sisters are wonderful Christians, it simply doesn’t make sense to have a Godparent who doesn’t accept the Eucharist for what it is, or other important Catholic teachings.
 
gomer tree:
In the reverse situation, I believe that a non-Catholic cannot actually be a child’s sponsor, but may be a witness. At least one Catholic sponsor is required. (The witness takes part in the ceremony just like the sponsor does.)

The reason is simple. The Godparents need to promise that they are going to encourage and be an example of the child in the Catholic faith. While I think we wouold all recognize that many of our Protestant brothers and sisters are wonderful Christians, it simply doesn’t make sense to have a Godparent who doesn’t accept the Eucharist for what it is, or other important Catholic teachings.
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I agree with what you said. So, it isn’t against the rules, it’s just a matter of the terminology (‘witness’ versus Godparent), correct?
I don’t think I’ll make that distinction obvious to her, but I would agree that it is NOT my intent to have her push any Lutheran teachings upon my child (I very much doubt that anyhow).
I would like to say that it’s very difficult, sadly, to find any practicing Catholics, even within our two families that would fit the role. My husband’s family is Catholic in name only. His one brother is an Evangelical, and the rest either attend Protestant churches now or do not have an inkling what the Catholic Church teaches in regards to anything, let alone the Eucharist. My brothers were both chosen as Godfathers, because they are good, practicing Catholics. That leaves little choice. I cannot think of anyone who is an orthodox-style, practicing Catholic for Godmother. So, I chose my best friend, who, under the circumstances, is a good Christian, and a practicing Lutheran. Perhaps it’s not the perfect scenario, and indicates that things are very much in a bad way when you can’t find any good Catholic candidates!!!
 
I read over my post and realized that I wasn’t very clear. I DO understand that it’s more than JUST terminology.
I just hope that, in the future, it will be easier to find good Catholics to fit the role of ‘Godparent’ is all.
 
It should also be pointed out that you do not have to have but one Godparent, of either gender. The second Catholic Godparent or non-Catholic Christian witness must be of the opposite gender from the first. In many parishes only the Catholic Gosparent(s) are listed on the Baptismal certificate the Christian witness is not.
 
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