Godparents

[utunumsint]

Hi,

I’d like some advice on interpreting the canon on choosing godparents:

vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P2Y.HTM

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.

Do the parts in bold mean accepting everything the church teaches in the CCC? What if they do not accept teachings on contraception?

God bless,
Ut

 

[Regina7]

Yes, it means accepting all teaching. Why settle for anything less?

 

[PaulfromIowa]

A godparent should obviously be a faithful Catholic who accepts the teachings of the Church. There is no need to quiz them about every paragraph in the Catechism. That would be excessive.

 

[phil19034]

Yes, the would not be eligible.

If the priest knew they disagree with the Church regarding birth control, then they would not be permitted.

NOTE: there is a difference between “struggling with a teaching” and “disagreeing with or rejecting” a teaching. If you have any questions, please feel free to speak with your priest.

 

[utunumsint]

I thank you all for your answers.

I believe these kinds of institutional barriers are meant to protect the faithful. And perhaps that was the effect 50 years ago, but now things are different. What this teaching does is create divisions between those who through no fault of their own, have been raised in a generation that has lost the ability to properly understand what it is that they are rejecting. I, for one, do not think they are culpable for their heresy.

I will go forward with my selection. I have been faithful to the church’s teachings on marriage and human reproduction, but it has come at a cost. One which no other faithful Catholics have been able to help myself and my wife to carry. It is primarily those around me who reject the church’s teachings on human reproduction that have been able to substantially help us. Often this comes in the form of material and financial support. Often babysitting. Often just hosting such a large group during family gatherings and paying for all their food. The godparents I am selecting have basically paid for the clothes on the backs of all of my boys. They have also put their kids through all of the sacraments. I was the sponsor of their son at a wonderful confirmation ceremony three weeks ago, a week after my sixth child was born. I could tell that they were deeply affected by the ceremony. I could also see that they were deeply honoured that my wife and I would choose them as godparents.

They are not perfect Catholics by any means, but I hold to my rational for selecting them. I want to build bridges. I want to encourage the faith that seems to be growing in them and their kids. I want to show them that I think they are doing well and they are on the right path. And, God willing, there will be more opportunities in the future to open their eyes to the beauty of God’s plan for marriage.

God bless,
Ut

 

[phil19034]

I thank you all for your answers.

I believe these kinds of institutional barriers are meant to protect the faithful. And perhaps that was the effect 50 years ago, but now things are different. What this teaching does is create divisions between those who through no fault of their own, have been raised in a generation that has lost the ability to properly understand what it is that they are rejecting. I, for one, do not think they are culpable for their heresy.

I will go forward with my selection. I have been faithful to the church’s teachings on marriage and human reproduction, but it has come at a cost. One which no other faithful Catholics have been able to help myself and my wife to carry. It is primarily those around me who reject the church’s teachings on human reproduction that have been able to substantially help us. Often this comes in the form of material and financial support. Often babysitting. Often just hosting such a large group during family gatherings and paying for all their food. The godparents I am selecting have basically paid for the clothes on the backs of all of my boys. They have also put their kids through all of the sacraments. I was the sponsor of their son at a wonderful confirmation ceremony three weeks ago, a week after my sixth child was born. I could tell that they were deeply affected by the ceremony. I could also see that they were deeply honoured that my wife and I would choose them as godparents.

They are not perfect Catholics by any means, but I hold to my rational for selecting them. I want to build bridges. I want to encourage the faith that seems to be growing in them and their kids. I want to show them that I think they are doing well and they are on the right path. And, God willing, there will be more opportunities in the future to open their eyes to the beauty of God’s plan for marriage.

God bless,
Ut

utunumsint - the way you describe them in this post, makes it sound like they “struggle” with the teaching of contraception vs. totally reject it.

I don’t know if I’m correct, but as I said, there is a difference.

When someone rejects it, they are saying “I’m right, the Church is wrong, end of story.” When someone struggles with it, they often do not understand the teaching, or have difficulty following it; but do not outright reject the Church’s teaching.

It’s kind of like porn:

– there are Catholics who are addicted to porn and know it’s wrong, but they struggle with it.
– then there are dissent Catholics who totally understand that the Church teaches that porn is wrong and they disagree.

God Bless