Help with choosing Godparents

[Lilla321]

So, my husband and I will be soon having our baby baptized. We are having trouble deciding what to do about Godparents.

The person I would very much like to be my daughter’s Godmother is a Catholic, went to Catholic school growing up, etc., but she does not regularly attend Mass and was married outside of the Chruch. I am not sure why. But she has been a wonderful friend through thick and thin, and I watch her being a wonderful mother to her son. We have also discussed our faith before, and I know she would make for a great mentor for my daughter.

I have one other friend who is a practicing Catholic, but it would seem forced to ask her as we are not that close. She is a wonderful person, but it would seem like I’m asking her because I have no one else. Since we are new to the faith, we know some great people at our Parish, but don’t yet know them well enough to ask them to do something so important for our baby.

So, what do we do? Do we have to pick Godparents?? Can we just have my friend as a Christian Witness and not have Godparents? We would like to have her baptized as soon as we can, but if we must pick Godparents, I am not sure what we can do.

Thank you for reading!

 

[Suslar]

You need at least 1 Catholic Godparent who is at least 16 years old, has received the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation) and is living a life faithful to the Church// in good standing. You can have 1 Godparent or as many as you’d like (some cultures have multiple sets of Godparents). You can have 1 Godparent and 1 Christian witness so you can ask both of these women if you wish.

IMHO, it’s important to pick someone who is living a Catholic life because that’s the point of the role - to help you bring the baby up in the Faith. You friend might be a great mom, but can she be accountable before God for helping you bring the child up in the Faith? Not if she’s not practicing - but that’s the commitment and promise she’d be making before God. Don’t set her up to fail.

What about family members? Yvor parents maybe? Your spouse’s parents or siblings?

 

[Lilla321]

I understand. We are converts so no family members. They are all Protestant. Maybe we can ask one of our RCIA leaders and then have my friend as a Christian Witness? I just don’t want to pick someone unless we know them very well. I will talk to our Priest and see what he thinks.

 

[Suslar]

Sounds like a great plan to talk to your RCIA leaders and your priest. Maybe they can introduce you to other young couples in the parish as well as an older mentor couple so you can have solid Church family as well.

Good luck to all of you and congratulations on your sweet baby girl’s birth and Baptism!

 

[TCEL]

I sympathize with your predicament. My husband and I are finding ourselves in a similar one. We’re trying to get a young couples bible-study started up when my first tri-mester is done, and after I get over this bug I caught! Thing is, we’re such a mobile society that it’s difficult to form lasting friendships at our age.

 

[Elizium23]

You need at least 1 Catholic Godparent who is at least 16 years old, has received the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation) and is living a life faithful to the Church// in good standing. You can have 1 Godparent or as many as you’d like (some cultures have multiple sets of Godparents). You can have 1 Godparent and 1 Christian witness so you can ask both of these women if you wish.

There cannot be more than two sponsors (godparents).
Code of Canon Law:

Can. 873 One sponsor, male or female, is sufficient; but there may be two, one of each sex.

More than two and the additional ones are Christian witnesses, and probably not recorded in the register.

 

[Corki]

I understand. We are converts so no family members. They are all Protestant. Maybe we can ask one of our RCIA leaders and then** have my friend as a Christian Witness**? I just don’t want to pick someone unless we know them very well. I will talk to our Priest and see what he thinks.

Who are you talking about as the Christian witness? A non practicing Catholic cannot be a Christian witness.

§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.