Must the confirmation sponsor be the same sex as the candidate?

[jerome_ky]

I was reading about the Sacrament of Confirmation when I came across this statement in the online Catholic Encyclopedia:

“The Church prescribes under pain of grievous sin that a sponsor, or godparent, shall stand for the person confirmed. The sponsor should be at least fourteen years of age, of the same sex as the candidate, should have already received the Sacrament of Confirmation, and be well instructed in the Catholic Faith.”

This caught my eye, as my sponsor was female and I am male. I have seen several examples of opposite sex sponsors. I looked in the Code of Canon Law (872-4) and it does not stipulate the sex of the sponsor.

So, my question is, was this rule abrogated since the 1910 Catholic Encyclopedia, and if so, where?

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

The 1917 Code of Canon Law required that the confirmation sponsor be the same sex as the candidate (canon 796, 2). However,as you noted, the 1983 Code of Canon Law does not require it. Therefore the previous law is abrogated.

1983 Code of Canon Law:

Can. 6 §1. When this Code takes force, the following are abrogated:

1/ the Code of Canon Law promulgated in 1917;

2/ other universal or particular laws contrary to the prescripts of this Code unless other provision is expressly made for particular laws;

3/ any universal or particular penal laws whatsoever issued by the Apostolic See unless they are contained in this Code;

4/ other universal disciplinary laws regarding matter which this Code completely reorders.