Sponsor for confirmation

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guedry7

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My sister-in-law was denied sponsoring my daughter for confirmation. She came into the Church in 2003 from the protestant tradition. Neither her nor her husband were Catholic and she is a little confused because her local church is allowing her to teach CCE and she is an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist. Is it as simple as the Church wants to verify the validity of her mariage in the protestant church? Also would there be time for her to try to get the blessing if there are no other road blocks?
 
guedry7 said:
My sister-in-law was denied sponsoring my daughter for confirmation. She came into the Church in 2003 from the protestant tradition. Neither her nor her husband were Catholic and she is a little confused because her local church is allowing her to teach CCE and she is an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist. Is it as simple as the Church wants to verify the validity of her mariage in the protestant church? Also would there be time for her to try to get the blessing if there are no other road blocks?
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The question is “why was she denied the opportunity to be a sponsor?” What was the reason given? We can speculate on the reasons, but can’t offer any help or solution unless we have some understanding of that.

Did her own pastor provide a “sponsor certificate”? Did she ever request one?
 
As you know there are a couple of times durring the Confirmation preperation process that the sponcers are required to attend class.The coodinater of CFF told the sponsors that “if you were married outside the Catholic church you would have had to of gotten your marriage blessed to qualify as sponsor.” After some checking the CFF coordinater called my sister-in-law back with the news she was denied for that reason.
 
guedry7 said:
As you know there are a couple of times durring the Confirmation preperation process that the sponcers are required to attend class.The coodinater of CFF told the sponsors that “if you were married outside the Catholic church you would have had to of gotten your marriage blessed to qualify as sponsor.” After some checking the CFF coordinater called my sister-in-law back with the news she was denied for that reason.
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We have no way to judge from where we sit, but IF neither were Catholic when they married, and IF neither one had been married before, the coordinator is mistaken that they had to have their marriage ‘blessed’ by the Church.
 
The question as I understand it is do new Catholic, who were married in other christian traditions, need to get there marriage blessed when they come into? I thought not, but this seems to be what is holding her back from becomming my daughter’s sponsor.
 
I’m just guessing here, but perhaps they assumed that all the potential sponsors were cradle Catholics. If someone was raised in the Church, but then married outside it, it would make sense for them to need to have it regularized before they could be a confirmation sponsor.

For somebody who was protestant at the time they married however, I think their marriage in a protestant church is assumed to be valid (presuming both parties were free to marry) and sacramental (presuming both parties were baptized). Perhaps the people running the program weren’t clear on this.
 
Just called my sister-in-law. The CFF coordinater told the class that to be a sponsor married people would have had to of been married in the Catholic Church or have the marriage blessed by the Chirch.
 
It sounds as though she and her husband are currently in a valid marriage. The marriage is valid in the eyes of God and the Church and the couple enjoys all the graces of a sacramental marriage. There is no “blessing” to be had or anything added.

You should ask whoever told you that this lady could not serve in the role of sponsor on these grounds what her substantiation is.
 
I just converted last year, but through my reading of my parish requirements, you cannot be a extraordinary minister of the Eucharist without being in a valid Catholic marriage. So, I don’t understand how she can be that and not be able to serve as your daughter’s confirmation sponsor.

However, I am new at this so if I am misunderstanding this please chime in…
 
The CFF coordinator is wrong about that one. They need to be in a presumably VALID marriage, but that could even be a marriage that was celebrated at the town hall by a JP. Unless things were done very wrong, the fact that she was brought into full communion means her marriage is valid.

If I were you I’d contact the pastor directly and check this out.
 
guedry7 said:
MyIs it as simple as the Church wants to verify the validity of her mariage in the protestant church? Also would there be time for her to try to get the blessing if there are no other road blocks?
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I have no idea what the reasons are, you will have to ask the pastor who made this decision. No DRE, catechist or other layperson by the way can make this decision.

In general, assuming they were free to marry before they became Catholic, their marriage was valid and no action was needed at the time she entered the Church. Not enough info about her situation in OP. If her husband was Catholic at the time of the marriage, and did not follow canon law, then the marriage was invalid for that reason, and should have been convalidated before she was confirmed and entered the Church. If they did not get good pastoral advice at that time, it is not her fault, and relatively easy to remedy.

They, not you, should see the pastor today and find out what the underlying concern truly is.
 
guedry7 said:
As you know there are a couple of times durring the Confirmation preperation process that the sponcers are required to attend class.The coodinater of CFF told the sponsors that “if you were married outside the Catholic church you would have had to of gotten your marriage blessed to qualify as sponsor.” After some checking the CFF coordinater called my sister-in-law back with the news she was denied for that reason.
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coordinator was speaking in general, of persons who were bound by Catholic canon law when they married. She is not able and has no authority to make this decision. Please consult the pastor as if what is reported is true and there are no other extenuating circumstances, the confirmation coordinator is simply wrong, but she cannot be expected to go into the marital status of every sponsor, it is simply outside her realm. Not her fault, not your sister’s fault, that things were not explained to her at the time she entered the Church, so that she fully understood that her marriage is valid (or not, depending on circumstances). I predict this will be resolved quite quickly and easily.
 
Phemie said:
Which would be what exactly? I’ve never heard of this certificate.
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Simply put, it’s a letter from the person’s proper pastor informing the pastor of the place where the Confirmation will occur that this person is a Catholic in good standing and is qualified to act as a sponsor for Baptism/Confirmation. It could be a letter, but most parishes use a pre-printed form. If the potential sponsor is unknown to the pastor (which often happens if a sponsor is from “out of town”) the certificate suffices to say that the person is qualified–the pastor of the place doesn’t need to get a baptism certificate etc. etc. , and can know in good-conscience that this “stranger” is practicing the faith. It just makes the whole process much simpler.
 
guedry7 said:
Just called my sister-in-law. The CFF coordinater told the class that to be a sponsor married people would have had to of been married in the Catholic Church or have the marriage blessed by the Chirch.
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guedry7
It does sound like there’s a misunderstanding where the coordinator is trying to do the right thing, but is simply unaware of the exact details.

I would suggest that your sister in law ask her proper pastor for a sponsor certificate (see above post). This is a routine thing and only takes a few seconds (yes, literally) to do. She should then take that certificate to the pastor of the place where the confirmation will occur and hand it to the pastor (yes, hand it to the pastor, not to anyone else).
 
guedry7 said:
As you know there are a couple of times durring the Confirmation preperation process that the sponcers are required to attend class.The coodinater of CFF told the sponsors that “if you were married outside the Catholic church you would have had to of gotten your marriage blessed to qualify as sponsor.” After some checking the CFF coordinater called my sister-in-law back with the news she was denied for that reason.
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If she was married in a Protestant church as a Protestant (before she became Catholic) and this did not present any issue with prior Marriages for her to enter the Catholic Church. Then her Protestant Marriage is accepted as valid by the Catholic Church and nothing else needs to be done. This in itself would not disqualify her, if it didn’t block her entry into the Catholic Church…
 
guedry7 said:
The question as I understand it is do new Catholic, who were married in other christian traditions, need to get there marriage blessed when they come into? I thought not, but this seems to be what is holding her back from becomming my daughter’s sponsor.
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No, a Protestant Married as a Protestant in a Protestant Community is validly Married if neither were previously Married. If they were previously Married then an Annulment process of some sort, would be required for either to become Catholic.
 
guedry7 said:
Just called my sister-in-law. The CFF coordinater told the class that to be a sponsor married people would have had to of been married in the Catholic Church or have the marriage blessed by the Chirch.
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A Protestant Convert would not have to be Married in the Catholic Church or have their Marriage Blessed, for their Marriage to be Valid by the Catholic Church.
 
It was All a big misunderstanding, let me try to explain

1: My sister-in-law and her husband married 21 years ago when they were protestant in a protestant church with no impediments
2: In 2002 my sister-in-law came into the church but her husband did not follow her in.
3: My sister-in-law attends St. Anthony’s of Padua in The Woodlands but the Confermation is at Shrine of The True Cross in Dickinson, 80 miles away
4:Two weeks ago my sister-in-law attended the manditory Sponsor of Conformation class with my daughter. The instructer had the sponsors fill out a questionaire. Two of the questions were: a) Were you married in the Catholic Church. b) if not, was your marriage blessed. My sister-in-law rightly so answered both questions with a no answer.
5: The instructer commented that if anyone answered no to any of the questions to meet with her privately for clairity.
6:My sister-in-law met with the instructer and explained that " I married outside of the Catholic Church. I came into the Church but my husband did not.
7: With the limited information on the questionaire and poor communication between the two parties the instructer thought that A CATHOLIC MARRIED A NON CATHOLIC IN A PLACE OTHER THAN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WITHOUT THE BLESSING OF THE CHURCH.
8: The instructer went to our parish priest Fr. Paul with the flawed information, and with that information, he had to disqualify her from the process.

I am sure this whole situation will be cleared up before tomorrow is over. Thank you all for the (name removed by moderator)ut:rolleyes:
 
This is the original posters update. Resolution is near

1: My sister-in-law and her husband married 21 years ago when they were protestant in a protestant church with no impediments
2: In 2002 my sister-in-law came into the church but her husband did not follow her in.
3: My sister-in-law attends St. Anthony’s of Padua in The Woodlands but the Confermation is at Shrine of The True Cross in Dickinson, 80 miles away
4:Two weeks ago my sister-in-law attended the manditory Sponsor of Conformation class with my daughter. The instructer had the sponsors fill out a questionaire. Two of the questions were: a) Were you married in the Catholic Church. b) if not, was your marriage blessed. My sister-in-law rightly so answered both questions with a no answer.
5: The instructer commented that if anyone answered no to any of the questions to meet with her privately for clairity.
6:My sister-in-law met with the instructer and explained that " I married outside of the Catholic Church. I came into the Church but my husband did not.
7: With the limited information on the questionaire and poor communication between the two parties the instructer thought that A CATHOLIC MARRIED A NON CATHOLIC IN A PLACE OTHER THAN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WITHOUT THE BLESSING OF THE CHURCH.
8: The instructer went to our parish priest Fr. Paul with the flawed information, and with that information, he had to disqualify her from the process.

I am sure this whole situation will be cleared up before tomorrow is over. Thank you all for the (name removed by moderator)ut:rolleyes:
 
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