Is it necessary to have godparents to be baptized?

[ulik]

My friend is having her third baby and she is contemplating on who would be the godparents for her baby. She only has a few friends, some of them are already godparents of her two other kids. She doesn’t get along well with relatives and in-laws so she doesn’t know who could she possibly get as godparents for her youngest.

My question is, is it really necessary to have godparents in order for a baby to be baptized? Can the baby’s grandparents be her godparents as well?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Strictly speaking, godparents are not absolutely necessary for a valid baptism, but having a godparent present (only one is necessary) as a witness at an infant’s baptism is something the Church ordinarily expects.

Although there is no prohibition for a grandparent to be a godparent, a godparent is someone who is expected to help the parent educate the child in the faith throughout his childhood. If the grandparent is elderly or is in delicate physical health, then he or she would not be a good candidate for the job.

I recommend that your friend ask one of her older children’s godparents to act as godparent to this child. There is no rule I am aware of that would prohibit it.