Parents acted as godparents

  • Thread starter Thread starter UC22
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
U

UC22

Guest
Hello,
I was baptised last night into the Ukranian Catholic church:byzsoc: and in the ceremony my parents acted as godparents.It was the priest idea not mine since I wanted to keep it private.What i am asking is would my baptism cetificate be vailed, even thought my parents were my godparents?
 
UC22 said:
Hello,
I was baptised last night into the Ukranian Catholic church:byzsoc: and in the ceremony my parents acted as godparents.It was the priest idea not mine since I wanted to keep it private.What i am asking is would my baptism cetificate be vailed, even thought my parents were my godparents?
Click to expand...
I’m not an expert on the canon law of either the Latin Church or the Eastern Catholic Churches, but I think the situation is as follows:

By the terms of canon 685 of the 1990 Code of Canon Law of the Eastern Churches, a parent or parents should not sponsor someone being baptised. This should not affect the validity of the baptism, however, but perhaps brings into question its liceity. A sacrament that was valid but not licit has all of the expected sacramental benefits even though one or more of the less significant rules involved may have been broken. This is regrettable, but is not crucial to the receiving of God’s grace through the sacrament.

As I understand it, this is identical to the terms of the 1983 Code of Canon Law of the Latin Church, whereby a sponsor is not required for a baptism to be valid or licit, but is seen as desirable. (See canons 872-874). Thus where a sponsor is present, but perhaps in a manner that contravenes the legal norms, the sacrament may be illicit but should not be invalid.

Since, as I repeat, I am not an expert, it would be a good idea to check this with someone who is rather than by receiving anonymous advice from people over the internet. 🙂 The situation should be easy to resolve, but is too important to be dealt with informally like this.

Best wishes.
 
I don’t believe a godparent or sponsor is needed if you are already an adult.
 
UC22 said:
Hello,
I was baptised last night into the Ukranian Catholic church:byzsoc: and in the ceremony my parents acted as godparents.It was the priest idea not mine since I wanted to keep it private.What i am asking is would my baptism cetificate be vailed, even thought my parents were my godparents?
Click to expand...
God grant you many years! 😃
Congratulations on your baptism and chrismation (I assume both happened last night).

The canons seem to make this question a good one.

I imagine Formosus or any other UGC will clarify this.

What I always remember about sponsors under the CCEO concerns impediments to marriage. One cannot marry their sponsor, nor can their parent marry that sponsor. C 811

Welcome to the CAF Eastern Catholicism section! 🙂
 
ciero said:
I don’t believe a godparent or sponsor is needed if you are already an adult.
Click to expand...
The CCEO doesn’t stipulate age only says “the person who is to be baptized”. The canon does sound like a sponsor is required
Canon 684 §1. According to the most ancient tradition of the Churches** the person who is to be baptized should have at least one sponsor. **
§2. In fulfilling the function of a sponsor,** the sponsor is to assist in the Christian initiation for a person who is no longer an infant;** or to present the infant to be baptized and to help the baptized person lead a Christian life in harmony with baptism and to fulfill faithfully the obligations connected with it.
Click to expand...
Canon 685 §1. For a person to fulfill validly the role of a sponsor it is necessary that he or she****: (1) be initiated with the three sacraments of baptism, chrismation with holy myron and the Eucharist; (2) belong to the Catholic Church, with due regard for 3; (3) have the intention of carrying out the responsibility of sponsor; (4) be designated by the person to be baptized or the parents or guardians, or, if there are not any, by the minister; (5) not be a father, mother or spouse of the person to be baptized; (6) not be bound by excommunication, even a minor one,
Click to expand...
The CCEO codes very often end with a phrase like “according to the norm of particular law of his own Church sui iuris” which means look at the canons of your own Church sui iuris as well. That is not present in these two canons. The UGCC may have its own code of canons. Formosus would know about that.
 
UC22 said:
Hello,
I was baptised last night into the Ukranian Catholic church:byzsoc: and in the ceremony my parents acted as godparents.It was the priest idea not mine since I wanted to keep it private.What i am asking is would my baptism cetificate be vailed, even thought my parents were my godparents?
Click to expand...
Yes
 
My infant son was baptized in the hospital with myself, my wife and the priest only. So surely Godparents are not necessary for a valid baptism. Are your parents listed as godparents? In any case, validity of baptism doesn’t hinge on the godparents, so no worries there.
 
UC22 said:
What i am asking is would my baptism cetificate be vailed, even thought my parents were my godparents?
Click to expand...
ConstantineTG said:
My infant son was baptized in the hospital with myself, my wife and the priest only. So surely Godparents are not necessary for a valid baptism. Are your parents listed as godparents? In any case, validity of baptism doesn’t hinge on the godparents, so no worries there.
Click to expand...
I didn’t think there was a question as to the validity of the baptism, if it was done with water and in the name of the Most Holy Trinity.

As far as the baptism cetificate I thought the question was an interesting one since CCEO 684 §1 states that “the person who is to be baptized should have at least one sponsor” and 685 §1 that the sponsor may "not be a father, mother or spouse of the person to be baptized; "

There is no “godparent” in canon law. “[T]he sponsor is to assist in the Christian initiation for a person who is no longer an infant; or to present the infant to be baptized and to help the baptized person lead a Christian life in harmony with baptism and to fulfill faithfully the obligations connected with it.” (CCEO 684 §2)

Perhaps I misunderstood OP’s question “What i am asking is would my baptism cetificate be vailed, even thought my parents were my godparents?”

OP makes no mention of chrismation being conferred which most certainly should have also been celebrated at the same time as the baptism.
 
5Loaves said:
I imagine Formosus or any other UGC will clarify this.
Click to expand...
😊 haha well I am flattered at the vote of confidence but I do not have knowledge on the subject.

First I think you should raise these concerns with your pastor and then I think that writing your eparchy and asking their advice on the subject may be a good idea for clarification. I don’t even know if a baptismal certificate can be invalid. I think a baptism can be performed illicitly, but I do not think there is any sort of rule for validity concerning the certificate, unless the certificate is a forgery and you weren’t baptized, but that doesn’t sound like the case 😉
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top