RCIA sponsership question

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katrntogo

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Hi. Another poster on another thread had made the comment that it is not allowed to have a sponser of the opposite sex (unless a spouse). In the materials I was given to help us choose our sponsers, this was not stated anywhere. It’s not an issue for me as I have a female sponser but several of the others have sponsers of the opposite sex that are not spouses and there doesn’t seem to be a problem. Is our handout not correct?
 
katrntogo said:
Hi. Another poster on another thread had made the comment that it is not allowed to have a sponser of the opposite sex (unless a spouse). In the materials I was given to help us choose our sponsers, this was not stated anywhere. It’s not an issue for me as I have a female sponser but several of the others have sponsers of the opposite sex that are not spouses and there doesn’t seem to be a problem. Is our handout not correct?
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never heard that rule
in general a spouse or fiance or novia is not an ideal sponsor because the candidate may have issues that involve that person. the sponsor should represent the wider parish community, and his primary role is helping the candidate join in parish life and apostolates, and model the Christian way of life. I can’t think of any situations where sponsor and candidate would be spending time along together in any case, so don’t think gender matters, except insofar as most people would be more comfortable and find more in common with a sponsor of the same sex.

if you are talking about the actual Confirmation Sponsor or Baptismal Godparent, who is a different person than the sponsor who accompanies the candidate or catechumen during RCIA classes and scripture session, you only need one, the requirements are that this person be a fully initiated, practicing Catholic adult (baptized, confirmed, first communion) living the requirements of the faith including conformity with Church law on marriage, willing to assume this duty, and under no canonical ban, and cannot be a parent of the candidate. There is no absolute rule about gender, but if there are two, must be one man and one woman.
 
katrntogo said:
Hi. Another poster on another thread had made the comment that it is not allowed to have a sponser of the opposite sex (unless a spouse). In the materials I was given to help us choose our sponsers, this was not stated anywhere. It’s not an issue for me as I have a female sponser but several of the others have sponsers of the opposite sex that are not spouses and there doesn’t seem to be a problem. Is our handout not correct?
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Your handout seems to be making up rules. Which unfortunately is not unheard of.
 
katrntogo said:
I did not say my handout said this, I said another poster on another thread said such.
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I did misread your statement about the materials handed out. You said they “did not” contain, I mixed that up.
 
I run an RCIA program. I have never seen any restriction on the sex of the sponsor. A sponsor of the same sex may be beneficial in understanding the catechumen/candidate’s problems. But sponsors are sometimes in short supply, and one makes the best match one can manage.

I started in RCIA as sponsor for a woman. It was thought that I would be suitable because she had a lot of theological questions I could answer. I t worked well.
 
Our RCIA program has that rule, perhaps it’s local but they always acted like it was a standard rule.

Joe
 
jwashu said:
Our RCIA program has that rule, perhaps it’s local but they always acted like it was a standard rule.

Joe
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Same here, though we clearly understand the actual canonical laws and state both. It might interest others to know I spent a couple of years looking for the official rules and never found any, any at all. We also ban spouses, and I’ll tell you why. If you watch a boyfriend/girlfriend pair or a husband/wife pair you will clearly see the “knowledge” spouse rarely treats the other like the rest of the group, and that is unfair. Now the opposite sex is similar many of our sponsors* do meet with their candidate/catechumen outside of class. We also pair them for serious discussion during the retreat so similar age and sex are better followed by large age difference but same sex. Opposite sex pairs rarely perform as well. Now lately on what is the “rule” based The RCIA program is generally entrusted to the local Priest who is to follow the Bishops guides. The Priest often entrusts most of these responsibilities to the RCIA Team. When to meet, where to meet, what agenda to use, etc, etc, etc their all the same; rules used to guide the group. Now suppose a pair of 19 year olds tell us they are sponsor/catechumen period. Our response would probably be we do not support that condition as adequate so they will need to appeal to the Priest who has authority over us, and of course they can appeal to the Bishop if the Priest denies them.
  • Nothing can be found which indicates the RCIA sponsor has to be the real sponsor at all. For example many candidates have sponsors listed on their baptismal certificates so was the job done before RCIA? Well theoretical the original sponsors commonly called Godparents are still actively involved in the religious teaching. However that is often not the case at all. Several have had the original sponsor travel in for confirmation. Additionally many use a friend or family member for the official sponsor though they used a RCIA sponsor for the education and conversion process.
Now in closing many may complain about these practices but until they can post something from the Church there is no reason to accept one set of rules over the other set.

Hope that helps
 
Texas_Roofer said:
Same here, though we clearly understand the actual canonical laws and state both. It might interest others to know I spent a couple of years looking for the official rules and never found any, any at all. We also ban spouses, and I’ll tell you why. If you watch a boyfriend/girlfriend pair or a husband/wife pair you will clearly see the “knowledge” spouse rarely treats the other like the rest of the group, and that is unfair. Now the opposite sex is similar many of our sponsors* do meet with their candidate/catechumen outside of class. We also pair them for serious discussion during the retreat so similar age and sex are better followed by large age difference but same sex. Opposite sex pairs rarely perform as well. Now lately on what is the “rule” based The RCIA program is generally entrusted to the local Priest who is to follow the Bishops guides. The Priest often entrusts most of these responsibilities to the RCIA Team. When to meet, where to meet, what agenda to use, etc, etc, etc their all the same; rules used to guide the group. Now suppose a pair of 19 year olds tell us they are sponsor/catechumen period. Our response would probably be we do not support that condition as adequate so they will need to appeal to the Priest who has authority over us, and of course they can appeal to the Bishop if the Priest denies them.
  • Nothing can be found which indicates the RCIA sponsor has to be the real sponsor at all. For example many candidates have sponsors listed on their baptismal certificates so was the job done before RCIA? Well theoretical the original sponsors commonly called Godparents are still actively involved in the religious teaching. However that is often not the case at all. Several have had the original sponsor travel in for confirmation. Additionally many use a friend or family member for the official sponsor though they used a RCIA sponsor for the education and conversion process.
Now in closing many may complain about these practices but until they can post something from the Church there is no reason to accept one set of rules over the other set.

Hope that helps
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All I’m saying is that we need to stop making up rules as we go that don’t exist in the Rite or in Church Law that differ from parish to parish or diocese to diocese. If the Rite does not prohibit it and Church Law does not prohibit it, then don’t prohibit it! Same with If the Rite does not require it and Church Law does not require it, then don’t require it! Stop customizing the RCIA on a parish by parish basis. Catholic parishes should NOT be compeating with each other either when it comes to RCIA, we all should be cooperating with each other, give the impression at least that this is The One Catholic Church.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
All I’m saying is that we need to stop making up rules as we go that don’t exist in the Rite or in Church Law that differ from parish to parish or diocese to diocese. If the Rite does not prohibit it and Church Law does not prohibit it, then don’t prohibit it! Same with If the Rite does not require it and Church Law does not require it, then don’t require it! Stop customizing the RCIA on a parish by parish basis. Catholic parishes should NOT be compeating with each other either when it comes to RCIA, we all should be cooperating with each other, give the impression at least that this is The One Catholic Church.
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You may have forgot something? The Rite, the Church, nor Canon Law require any RCIA at all !!!
 
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