One of my godparents isn't Catholic, is this bad?

[theoda]

Hi! I am a teenager and I was baptized as a baby and don’t remember anything about it. My parents aren’t really religious and I am quite sure they aren’t in a state of grace. I know that in order to be a godparent, one has to be Catholic. Well one of my godparents is a Mormon. I don’t know how this was allowed to happen, but how bad is this? Surely I’m still validly baptized?

 

[Usige]

First, don’t worry; your baptism is valid. You only have to have one Catholic Godparent. A second person only must be of the opposite sex from the first Godparent (i.e. you cannot have two Godmothers or Godfathers). A second sponsor isn’t even required.

Normally I would say the second person would technically be considered a Christian witness, not a Godparent. In this case that might not apply. To be a Christian witness the person must be validly baptized. Mormon baptisms are not considered valid so they cannot serve as a Christian witness. None of this matters since you do have one Catholic Godparent.

 

[phil19034]

You technically only have one sponsor (aka godparent). Only one sponsor/godparent is required. A non-Catholic can be named as a “Christian Witness.” But if you have two Godparents, they must be man and woman.

However, that said, I’m not 100% how a Mormon classifies as a “Christian Witness” unless the priest or deacon who baptized you was confused regarding what Mormons teach. Or, your Mormon “godparent” could be in name only, meaning they were not technically your sponsor or witness, but just there and you parents called that person your godparent.

I hope this makes sense. Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

[ChurchSoldier]

I wouldn’t be concerned. The Godparents job is to ensure the person is raised in the faith if something happens to the parents. It sounds like you are well formed in your consciousness of the need for connectedness to the church.

 

[theoda]

Ok. I understand now. Thank you all for the replies!