New Godparents

[squirt22]

We would like to change the godparents we originally chose for our son. He will be 6 very soon. The people we chose have recently revealed to us that they are really not people we want to have in the role of godparent. Is there anything we can do about this? Thanks!

 

[Will]

I believe that all you have to do is pick someone else. (Let them know of course )

There isn’t anything offical in the Chuch, like paperwork, I believe.

But you might want to let you Preist know just in case.

 

[atsheeran]

I don’t think you can “switch” godparents after baptism.

Canon Law says that the role of the godparent is “together with the parents to present the child for baptism, and to help it to live a christian life befitting the baptised and faithfully to fulfil the duties inherent in baptism.” (Can. 872). Based on this, it seems like godparent selection can only really take place before baptism.

It looks like you have a case of godparents not fulfilling the second half of their role. That’s too bad. There is nothing to prevent you from having other people in your child’s life that can play the same role that a godparent would. I just don’t think that there can be an official switch. It would be like switching your best man (even though that is not a canonical role) ten years after your wedding because he wasn’t your friend anymore.

 

[puzzleannie]

you can’t switch godparents. Those are the people who witnessed the baptism and whose names are recorded on the baptismal register of the church. That record cannot be changed (unless to correct an error, add adoptive parents and a few other rare cases, in which case the new information is added with a note, the old record is not erased). What you can do is invite others who believe as you do to be part of of your life, and hopefully invite one of them to be a sponsor for your child’s confirmation in due course.