Ukrainian Orthodox wants to be a Godfather to a Roman Catholic

[tamaraSamilenko]

Hello,
My brother who was baptised as a Ukrainian Orthodox, wants to be a Godfather to a friend’s baby who is Roman Catholic.
Is this allowable?

 

[Amadeus]

Hello,
My brother who was baptised as a Ukrainian Orthodox, wants to be a Godfather to a friend’s baby who is Roman Catholic.
Is this allowable?

The term “Godfather” should be considered in this case as an equivalent to the Catholic term “sponsor” to the baptism of the friend’s baby.

If so, your brother cannot be a “sponsor” because subsection 3 of Section 1 of Canon 874 of the Latin Code requires him to be a confirmed Catholic not less than 16 years old.

However, your brother can be a witness to the baptism for as long as there is another Catholic (in this case it should be a female as counterpart to your brother) who is assigned by the parents as the sponsor.

 

[FrDavid96]

Hello,
My brother who was baptised as a Ukrainian Orthodox, wants to be a Godfather to a friend’s baby who is Roman Catholic.
Is this allowable?

Yes. As long as he’s a practicing Orthodox and takes his responsibilities seriously (just as any Catholic sponsor/Godparent), AND so long as the Godmother is Catholic.

The provision to allow a non-Godparent witness applies only the members of “non-Catholic ecclesial communities.” The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is a Church, not an ecclesial community.

 

[Diak]

Is he still Ukrainian Orthodox?

Dispensations from Canon 874 are generally understood when either an Orthodox godparent participates in a Catholic baptism or a Catholic participates in an Orthodox baptism in light of Unitatis Redintegratio and Orientale Lumen.

I agree entirely with Fr. David’s post above, and have assisted at several of these over the years in the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Quite a few Ukrainians who were baptised in the Soviet era were Greek Catholics baptised as Orthodox simply because that was the only available church for baptism. It is not unheard of for one of the parents or godparents to be Ukrainian Orthodox at a Ukrainian Greek Catholic baptism or vice versa.

The Church definitely looks at this quite differently than if the godparents were Protestant or non-Christian.

 

[FrDavid96]

Is he still Ukrainian Orthodox?

Dispensations from Canon 874 are generally understood when either an Orthodox godparent participates in a Catholic baptism or a Catholic participates in an Orthodox baptism in light of Unitatis Redintegratio and Orientale Lumen.

I agree entirely with Fr. David’s post above, and have assisted at several of these over the years in the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Quite a few Ukrainians who were baptised in the Soviet era were Greek Catholics baptised as Orthodox simply because that was the only available church for baptism. It is not unheard of for one of the parents or godparents to be Ukrainian Orthodox at a Ukrainian Greek Catholic baptism.

The Church definitely looks at this quite differently than if the godparents were Protestant or non-Christian.

It’s especially true if the child is to be baptised into/according-to-the-rite-of an Eastern Catholic Church, because if memory serves me right, this provision for Orthodox Godparents is specifically made in the Eastern Code.

 

[Sina]

As others have said, it is allowable based on the info you have us. My son’s Godfather is Ukrainian Orthodox, and his Godmother is Catholic.

Next child, I plan on having a Ukrainian Orthodox Godmother and Catholic Godfather.

 

[tamaraSamilenko]

Thank you all for your assistance and guidance!