What information on our children can we hide to a godparent?

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Anicette

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when we choose the godparents to our children’s christening, is it better to make them aware of any health issues of our children, before they give us an answer? Does it matter if we choose to hide something or all? for the respect of privacy?

i don"t think there are any catholic rules, isn’t it? Your opinion, thanks you!

I don’t think of issues of mental and psychiatric health, just physical health.
 
I’d chose godparents whom I could trust to pray for my child and to set a good example. For me, this would mean sharing things like health issues.

For each family this may vary.
 
My oldest son was born with a congenital birth defect that was repairable via surgery. Our doctor told us to not let others know because it was sensitive, and it might be insensitive to our son if he learned about it through chatter.
 
As I said, different families will have different ideals. In our family, we feel that it is important to talk about birth defects, we don’t keep family secrets about health matters.
 
Anicette said:
when we choose the godparents to our children’s christening, is it better to make them aware of any health issues of our children, before they give us an answer?
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Why do you think this is relevant?
 
I don’t think a child’s physical health is relevant to the issue of whether or not to accept the position of being someone’s godparent.

Those who are close to us know about various health/developmental issues of our children, and some of these people are our kids’ godparents, but they don’t know these things because they are godparents. One doesn’t really have anything to do with the other.
 
I can’t think why it would be important ether way for Godparents to know about birth defects. My eldest daughter was born with imperforate anus and is medically incontinent. Obviously, any adult who is caring for her has to know about the condition whether its sensitive or not. We still aren’t sure what she should say to other kids.
 
to give a choice. I guess that some people would not want to be a godparent to a child with some or a particular issue.They may be annoyed…
 
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Some people confuse being a catholic godparent with being a guardian, should something happen to the parents, they would step in to raise the children. Is that what you are thinking?
 
Anicette said:
I guess that some people would not want to be a godparent to a child with some or a particular issue.They may be annoyed…
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Such a person doesn’t really sound like a good choice for a Catholic role model.
 
Okay, maybe this is a difference in language or culture?

There are places and have been times when “godparents” were also those charged to raise a child if the parents died.

That is not the practice in the US, nor is it require by the Church. Godparents in the Church are the baptismal sponsors, they make promises to help the parents in teaching the Faith. Godparents are a good example of Catholicism for the child.

If you are speaking of legal guardians for the sake of making a will, I would very much make them aware of any serious health issues.
 
dollysro said:
Some people confuse being a catholic godparent with being a guardian, should something happen to the parents, they would step in to raise the children. Is that what you are thinking?
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Good point!

Godparents are not guardians, although in specific cases a person might be named as both.
 
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in a republican baptism, the godparents are the people the parents choose to be the guardian if the parents died. It is not enough, so i think a court had to rule it.
We will not do a republican baptism and had not choose who would be in custody if we died. Maybe the godparents, bu very unlikely. i think the justice will give them to their grandparents, as it is a common practice…
(note : nobody is currently aware of heath issue, not even grabdparents, as we want to protect privacy)

But it is something we seek: at least one of the godparent stable enough to raise our children if…

The main role we attribute them is an help and a role model to he faith, as a Catholic. And they will be needed as nobody in our family is Catholic.
 
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Agree, because I know she does not mean what Americans mean by “republican”.
 
a civil ceremony done in the town hall of the family, in front of the mayor. To sponsor a child with “godparents” (who can have the custody of the child if the parents died) and give the republican values.
The parents and sponsors engaged themselves to raise the child in the republican values.

it exists since the french revolution, to replace the religious baptism.
Like the civil wedding that is a mandate prior to any religious marriage.

It is rarely done, but i have go to one recently.
 
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I just read up on it. It doesn’t seem to have any force of law. Personally, I would NOT do a civil baptism.

I’d talk to my priest about the actual sacrament of baptism.
 
AMEN.

Agree, bring your child into the family of God in the beautiful sacrament.
 
You know that i am catholic, so your advise to make my child baptized with the sacrament is strange!

of couse, i will do it! appointment is made with the lay person in charge of sacraments in our parish. that being said, i agree that it should have been a long time ago!
 
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