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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Choice of Godparents	Joseph	Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Question: Dear Brother - I had posted this question earlier but did not get a response and am now wondering whether the question got lost in email since I see that there are responses to queries posted after mine. Nevertheless, I am hoping that my email does not get lost again. I am writing from India and wanted to understand if the Church had an guideliness on the choice of Godparents. We were recently blessed with a beautiful baby boy. Very recently I had a well meaning charismatic relative of mine who advised me to be very careful in choosing the Godparents for my child. She seemed to think that the child could take on the characteristics of the Godparents (e.g. stubborness, anger etc.). Aparently there are some priests and preachers who seem to also think like wise. Although I am a practising catholic with very strong beliefs (under the Pope), I found the whole idea ridiculous especially because my own sister had Godparents who were very difficult people to deal with and also not very religious. My own observations have also been that usually the Godparents have very little influence on the child as long as the parents are alive. So why bother. Is there any truth to this whole thing? My other questions is on the use of proxies for Godparents. In our culture, we usually like to have members of our immediate family (especially brothers and sisters along with their spouses) become the Godparents. Some of the latin rite churches allow for other people to "stand in" as Godparents if the intended Godparents are unable to attend the christening ceremony (usually because they live in another country). Not all parishes/rites in India allow this. What are your thoughts on this matter? Joseph
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Joseph: I have no record of your previous attempt to post a question. It must of gotten lost in cyberspace. Children do not "take on" the characteristics of Godparents as if from magic. Children learn and model the behavior of the adults around them. Any adults, including Godparents, who are active in their lives will influence them. The relative who suggested this, and any priests who agree with her, are thinking superstitiously, which is condemned by the Church. The qualifications for choosing a Godparent for our children is outlined in Canon Law: Can. 872 In so far as possible, a person being baptized is to be assigned a sponsor (Godparent). In the case of an adult baptism, the sponsor's role is to assist the person in Christian initiation. In the case of an infant baptism, the role is together with the parents to present the child for baptism, and to help it to live a Christian life befitting the baptized and faithfully to fulfill the duties inherent in baptism. Can. 873 One sponsor, male or female, is sufficient; but there may be two, one of each sex. Can. 874 ß1 To be admitted to undertake the office of sponsor, a person must: 1ƒ be appointed by the candidate for baptism, or by the parents or whoever stands in their place, or failing these, by the parish priest or the minister; to be appointed the person must be suitable for this role and have the intention of fulfilling it; 2ƒ be not less than sixteen years of age, unless a different age has been stipulated by the diocesan Bishop, or unless the parish priest or the minister considers that there is a just reason for an exception to be made; 3ƒ be a catholic who has been confirmed and has received the blessed Eucharist, and who lives a life of faith which befits the role to be undertaken; 4ƒ not labor under a canonical penalty, whether imposed or declared; 5ƒ not be either the father or the mother of the person to be baptized. ß2 A baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community may be admitted only in company with a catholic sponsor, and then simply as a witness to the baptism. To my knowledge, a proxy is not possible. The Godparent's role is to present the child for Baptism. That cannot be done unless the Godparent is physically in attendance at the Baptism. The choice of Godparent is not meant to be merely ceremonial. The Godparent chosen should be there to help the child grow as a Christian. That too is hard to do unless the Godparent lives close by. The Godparents in attendance at the Baptism will be recorded as Godparents on the Baptismal records kept by the Church. That does not mean that the parents cannot decide upon additional Godparents outside the liturgy of Baptism. One can choose whomever they please to act as a non-liturgical godparent. And, those non-liturgical Godparents can be designated by the parents as the primary Godparents in fact (in practical application, that is, as legal guardians, should they die). God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Choice of Godparents

Joseph

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Question:

Dear Brother - I had posted this question earlier but did not get a response and am now wondering whether the question got lost in email since I see that there are responses to queries posted after mine. Nevertheless, I am hoping that my email does not get lost again.

I am writing from India and wanted to understand if the Church had an guideliness on the choice of Godparents. We were recently blessed with a beautiful baby boy. Very recently I had a well meaning charismatic relative of mine who advised me to be very careful in choosing the Godparents for my child. She seemed to think that the child could take on the characteristics of the Godparents (e.g. stubborness, anger etc.). Aparently there are some priests and preachers who seem to also think like wise.

Although I am a practising catholic with very strong beliefs (under the Pope), I found the whole idea ridiculous especially because my own sister had Godparents who were very difficult people to deal with and also not very religious. My own observations have also been that usually the Godparents have very little influence on the child as long as the parents are alive. So why bother. Is there any truth to this whole thing?

My other questions is on the use of proxies for Godparents. In our culture, we usually like to have members of our immediate family (especially brothers and sisters along with their spouses) become the Godparents. Some of the latin rite churches allow for other people to "stand in" as Godparents if the intended Godparents are unable to attend the christening ceremony (usually because they live in another country). Not all parishes/rites in India allow this. What are your thoughts on this matter?

Joseph

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Joseph:

I have no record of your previous attempt to post a question. It must of gotten lost in cyberspace.

Children do not "take on" the characteristics of Godparents as if from magic. Children learn and model the behavior of the adults around them. Any adults, including Godparents, who are active in their lives will influence them.

The relative who suggested this, and any priests who agree with her, are thinking superstitiously, which is condemned by the Church.

The qualifications for choosing a Godparent for our children is outlined in Canon Law:

Can. 872 In so far as possible, a person being baptized is to be assigned a sponsor (Godparent). In the case of an adult baptism, the sponsor's role is to assist the person in Christian initiation. In the case of an infant baptism, the role is together with the parents to present the child for baptism, and to help it to live a Christian life befitting the baptized and faithfully to fulfill the duties inherent in baptism.
Can. 873 One sponsor, male or female, is sufficient; but there may be two, one of each sex.
Can. 874 ß1 To be admitted to undertake the office of sponsor, a person must:
1ƒ be appointed by the candidate for baptism, or by the parents or whoever stands in their place, or failing these, by the parish priest or the minister; to be appointed the person must be suitable for this role and have the intention of fulfilling it;
2ƒ be not less than sixteen years of age, unless a different age has been stipulated by the diocesan Bishop, or unless the parish priest or the minister considers that there is a just reason for an exception to be made;
3ƒ be a catholic who has been confirmed and has received the blessed Eucharist, and who lives a life of faith which befits the role to be undertaken;
4ƒ not labor under a canonical penalty, whether imposed or declared;
5ƒ not be either the father or the mother of the person to be baptized.
ß2 A baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community may be admitted only in company with a catholic sponsor, and then simply as a witness to the baptism.

To my knowledge, a proxy is not possible. The Godparent's role is to present the child for Baptism. That cannot be done unless the Godparent is physically in attendance at the Baptism.

The choice of Godparent is not meant to be merely ceremonial. The Godparent chosen should be there to help the child grow as a Christian. That too is hard to do unless the Godparent lives close by.

The Godparents in attendance at the Baptism will be recorded as Godparents on the Baptismal records kept by the Church. That does not mean that the parents cannot decide upon additional Godparents outside the liturgy of Baptism. One can choose whomever they please to act as a non-liturgical godparent. And, those non-liturgical Godparents can be designated by the parents as the primary Godparents in fact (in practical application, that is, as legal guardians, should they die).

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum