How old to be a godparent? and can siblings?

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duskyjewel

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I have this wild idea in my head to let my oldest be godmother to her sister who is about to be born.

She was confirmed this past spring. So she is a confirmed and practicing Catholic.

However, I am not sure if she would be allowed to do that, as she is 9 years old. I am also not sure if that would place extra and possibly unfair burdens on their sister relationship.

We just are so short on family members to be godparents, and while we have friends at our parish, we have only been here for three years. I think I would have to have a deep, longstanding friendship with someone before I could ask them to be a godparent. And we have not had enough time here to develop any friendships that serious, nor have we met people with whom we felt that connection.

🤷
 
😦 Didn’t know that. Thanks, rayne. Well, the search continues. 🤷
 
They must fully initiated in to the church meaning baptised, communion, confirmation. SIblings can be godparents but they must be at least 16.
 
And some dioceses make the age even older, 18.

The good news: Being a sibling makes no difference. So if God sends you a baby in 7 years or so, and your diocese goes with canon law and nothing stronger, then you have a godmother in your daughter at that time!

if you have a deep, longstanding friendship with somebody who is not going to be able to attend the baptism, and who is a practicing Catholic, that person can be godparent by proxy.
 
The priest waived the age requirement for me so I could be godparent to one of my little sisters…I was 14 (and confirmed).

IMO, so long as she understands her responsibility to help raise her sister in the Catholic faith, so long as she’s mature, so long as she wants to do it, then she should be able to. But as always, go with what the priest says. I was like the unofficial godparent to my other (all younger) siblings for a long time before that. My dad always told me that if he and Mom were out of the picture for whatever reason, we would go to family friends, who are not Catholic. They would raise us and take care of our physical and emotional needs, and I was in charge of my siblings’ and my own spiritual needs. So, yeah, we can understand that from an early age. And no, it’s not too much to ask of her.

Well, good luck in your search! It’s difficult finding somebody to stay godparent. Four out of the 6 kids in the family, we sorta drifted out of touch with our godparents. My parents and they just didn’t stay friends. So, there’s a legitimate reason to want your daughter to be godparent. You can always make her the “unofficial” godparent like I was for a long time, in case the original ones don’t work out. 🤷
 
I was thirteen when I was Godmother for my younger brother.
Kathy
 
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