Your looking at the wrong code of Canon Law.I was quite sure that I had read only yesterday that a member of an Orthodox church could act as Godparent. However, I cannot find where I read it, so perhaps I’m mixing it up with something else…
Canon Law does appear to support your priest’s stance: [Canon 872 - 874]
"CHAPTER IV.
SPONSORS
Can. 872 Insofar as possible, a person to be baptized is to be given a sponsor who assists an adult in Christian initiation or together with the parents presents an infant for baptism. A sponsor also helps the baptized person to lead a Christian life in keeping with baptism and to fulfill faithfully the obligations inherent in it.
Can. 873 There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each.
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."
Sincere apologies. Thanks for correcting me - I overlooked the O.P. having mentioned that they are Byzantine Catholics. Obviously, disregard what I had posted - I was to late to edit it.Your looking at the wrong code of Canon Law.
Canon 874.2 doesn’t apply because it refers specifically to “non-Catholic ecclesial community.” Ecclesial community doesn’t refer to the Russian Orthodox Church.I was quite sure that I had read only yesterday that a member of an Orthodox church could act as Godparent. However, I cannot find where I read it, so perhaps I’m mixing it up with something else…
Canon Law does appear to support your priest’s stance: [Canon 872 - 874]
"CHAPTER IV.
SPONSORS
Can. 872 Insofar as possible, a person to be baptized is to be given a sponsor who assists an adult in Christian initiation or together with the parents presents an infant for baptism. A sponsor also helps the baptized person to lead a Christian life in keeping with baptism and to fulfill faithfully the obligations inherent in it.
Can. 873 There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each.
Can. 874 §1. To be permitted to take on the function of sponsor a person must:
…
§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."
It seems to me that the obstacle is the “just cause” mentioned in Can.685. I don’t know about your situation, but your priest mustn’t think there’s a just cause! The previous canon, 684 only says that there must be at leastone sponsor - so perhaps the priest’s reasoning is that if the second person you wish to have as sponsor is not a Catholic, and the child is not bound to have more than one sponsor anyway, there is no just cause for having a second sponsor at all?Thank you all for your quick reponses. So does that mean if the GodFather is Catholic, which in the case he is, Then the GodMother can be Russian Orthodox?
That’s what the code says (and readers, please remember this is the Eastern code, the Western code doesn’t apply here). Note, though, that it says it’s licit (it’s legal, it’s permitted), which does not necessarily mean that the pastor must do so–he still has to determine if there is a “just cause.” Also note that while the Catholic canons are quite generous in permitting Catholic ministers in allowing Orthodox faithful to participate in the Sacraments (in various ways), the Orthodox persons are also bound by their own canon laws, which are more strict.Thank you all for your quick reponses. So does that mean if the GodFather is Catholic, which in the case he is, Then the GodMother can be Russian Orthodox?
Christians do NOT “christen” but baptize.I have a question about Godparents…we are having my daughter’s Christening this SUnday and the GodMother we choose is Russian Orthodox. Does that mean she can not be the God Mother? We are Byzantine Catholics and my priest said she can not be the God Mother?
A Byzantine Catholic is in *full communion *with Rome. Although the eastern orthodox churches also use a byzantine rite (among others), they are still separated from the Catholic Church.The priest is correct in telling the family that a Russian orthodox cannot be a godparent.But you are correct in that a person who is Russian orthodox can be a Christian witness *together with *a Catholic who is acting as sponsor.One must be a Catholic to be a sponsor (godparent). A person who is Russian Orthodox can be a Christian witness together with a Catholic who is acting as sponsor.
However, it *seems *Canon Law applicable to the Byzantine Rite (I am no expert on Eastern Rite canon law, I merely looked it up) does allow for an Eastern non-Catholic (I suppose this means Orthodox) to be a sponsor *with *a Catholic for a just cause. I suppose the priest determines “just cause.”
That’s not what the canon law says. The Latin code says that, but that code doesn’t apply here. The Eastern Code says that an Orthodox Christian (such as a Russian Orthodox, from the original post) can indeed be a Godparent along with a Catholic Godparent–and that code is the one which applies because the parents are Eastern Catholic.A Byzantine Catholic is in *full communion *with Rome. Although the eastern orthodox churches also use a byzantine rite (among others), they are still separated from the Catholic Church.The priest is correct in telling the family that a Russian orthodox cannot be a godparent.But you are correct in that a person who is Russian orthodox can be a Christian witness *together with *a Catholic who is acting as sponsor.
I will take your word for it.That’s not what the canon law says. The Latin code says that, but that code doesn’t apply here. The Eastern Code says that an Orthodox Christian (such as a Russian Orthodox, from the original post) can indeed be a Godparent along with a Catholic Godparent–and that code is the one which applies because the parents are Eastern Catholic.
See the Eastern code, canon 685, which has been quoted here a few times,
not the Western code, canon 872–also quoted but not applicable.
Peary,I will take your word for it.
But I found this, Canon 685, 1990 Code of Canon Law on the Oriental (eastern) Churches:
Canon 685 - §1. For a person to fulfill validly the role of a sponsor it is necessary that he or she:
1° be initiated with the three sacraments of baptism, chrismation with holy myron and the Eucharist;
2° belong to the Catholic Church, with due regard for 3;
3° have the intention of carrying out the responsibility of sponsor;
4° be designated by the person to be baptized or the parents or guardians, or, if there are not any, by the minister;
5° not be a father, mother or spouse of the person to be baptized;
6° not be bound by excommunication, even a minor one, suspension, deposition or deprived of the right of acting in the function of a sponsor.
§2. To assume licitly the role of sponsor, in addition to what is required, the sponsor should be of the age required by particular law and lead a life in harmony with the faith and the role to be undertaken.
§3. For a just cause, it is permitted to admit the Christian faithful of another Eastern non-Catholic Church to the function of a sponsor, but always at the same time with a Catholic sponsor.
So, you are correct. But I doubt that a Catholic can be a sponsor in an eastern orthodox church. Is this correct?