No godparents out there

[UpUpAndAway]

Nevertheless, your response is true for those of us who are Catholic

 

[adgloriam]

You should actually use the term sponsor. Godparent is not an official Church term.

Depends on what country you are in. Godparent is a transliteration of the term used in latin based languages. My catechism doesn’t have “sponsor” in it, and I think folks here would be shocked if they heard someone use that term.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Canon law uses the term “sponsor” in English, the English does use the term in the CCC:

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/1311.htm

1311 Candidates for Confirmation, as for Baptism, fittingly seek the spiritual help of a sponsor . To emphasize the unity of the two sacraments, it is appropriate that this be one of the baptismal godparents.

 

[adgloriam]

1311 Candidates for Confirmation, as for Baptism, fittingly seek the spiritual help of a sponsor

1311 conviene que los candidatos busquen la ayuda espiritual de un padrino o de una madrina.

Can. 873 - Patrinus unus tantum vel matrina una vel etiam unus et una assumantur.

Canon law uses the term “sponsor” in English

It’s my understanding canon law’s only official language is latin. The CCC edition is adapted by the bishops to best suit local culture. Coincidentally, the US is close 50% Spanish speaking, I assume both forms are current.

 

[adgloriam]

German bishops actually chose the lovely option to derive from the Latin, in what are perhaps the loveliest -and certainly cutest- forms of the word I’ve ever seen.

Pate oder die Patin

KATECHISMUS DER KATHOLISCHEN KIRCHE KOMPENDIUM

259. (…) Auch der Pate oder die Patin und die ganze kirchliche Gemeinschaft tragen Mitverantwortung für die Vorbereitung auf die Taufe (Katechumenat) sowie für die Entfaltung des Glaubens und der Taufgnade.

 

[Anicette]

I have thé same problem!

A newborn a Moving
No family or catholic Friends available!

 

[Augustinian]

No family or catholic Friends available!

Depends on what you mean by “available”.

If you just mean unavailable for the baptism ceremony, but available for godparent duties- it isn’t a problem.
You can still have the sponsors of your choice even if they can’t make the trip to Duluth this January for the actual baptism.

 

[Anicette]

I mean no catholic family member
And no catholic friend closer enough to us.

I juste don t want godparents who are not fullfilling their religious duties.

 

[Anicette]

Distance is not thé Real problème. WE need someone who keep in touch with us And catholic practicing

 

[Allegra]

Yeah, we haven’t even discussed Godparents for our baby that is due in March. It’s too stressful. If we could have a Baptism without Godparents, we would. There is simply no way to satisfy the needs of the Church without deeply hurting our family. We don’t have any practicing Catholics in our family or close friends and they take it as an insult that we’d choose a virtual stranger over a family member that truly loves and will always be a part of our baby’s life, and I can’t say that I blame them. If anyone wants to know, this practice is the “Church rule” that I suck up out of pure obedience. If there was anyway out of it, I would take it.

 

[Anicette]

Yes, it is a hard and stressfull situation to find someone!

My husband share some of your concerned for the family members. As for me, i would prefered family member over friends, because we will stayed in touch with family members, and not sure with friends. But I will take without complex a catholic close friend over a family member.
For my baptism I have a family member + a friend. i have no longer contact with the “friend”.
We choose the same schedule with our first born. Yet, I am disapointed a little, because the family member, even if he brings presents to the child, do not go to mass except for Christmas and no longer take communion.

For this one, It is the complete frogg for our choice. No other family member who is practicing. No close friend who is practicing.Because of the moving is the lost of catholic friends (which illustrated the problem with friends!). The bad impact, is that the baptism will be delated. It is bad.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Moving has not lost friends for us. We keep in touch with letters and phone calls, and now with the internet and texting.

 

[Anicette]

Yes…
We not moove far away, but moving prevent us to visit them. And many don’t come if we invited them because of the distance (more than 1 hour drive).
The closer friends stayed, but we do not have many contacts with the more casual catholic friends… We do not evolved in the same activities anymore. that’s sad, because of our age and our localisation, there is fewer chances to found some close friends anymore.

 

[TheLittleLady]

My son is an adult, has not been in the physical presence of his godparents for half of his life. They love him, pray for him, have Masses said for him, I’d not trade them for anything.

 

[Anicette]

That’s wonfderfull!

 

[13pollitos]

I have never met my Godparents. Most likely never will. I hope they pray for me. I think probably they do because I’m still Catholic. I have a Godson that I met the day he was baptized and have heard nothing from his parents again. I do pray for him and hope he is well. Sometimes good Godparents are not involved for reasons beyond everyone’s control.