Must be a practicing Catholic (Attend Sunday Mass weekly). Church law only requires you to have one godparent; however, it has been tradition to have two. Mike imply that you are a practicing Catholic. Must have received the Sacraments of Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation; If married, or living with their significant other, they must be married in the Catholic Church. 1271 Baptism constitutes the foundation of communion among all Christians, including those who are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church: "For men who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in some, though imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church. English & Spanish Baptism Classes. A godparent should be a confirmed, Catholic Christian who is at least 16 years of age, and who faithfully practices and believes in the Catholic faith as a participating member of a parish community. Non-catholic Christians may participate in Catholic Rites of baptism but obviously they cannot offer the guarantees required of the true godparent so they are called "witnesses". In the record of Baptism, the names of both the Godparent and the proxy should be entered” (56). The Godparent does not have to be present at the baptism, a proxy may stand in his or her place. Not the Parent. They should possess a personal relationship with Jesus and love the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus, knowing them well enough to … How many godparents should there be? Prior to 1983, Church law made reference to Godparent by proxy. Godparent/Sponsor must be a practicing Catholic (Attend Mass weekly on Sundays, and on Holy Days of Obligation). There must be at least one Catholic Godparent. First and most importantly, all candidates must be a practicing and active Catholic, that is not estranged or excommunicated from the church – either imposed or declared – and in good standing with the local parish. GODPARENTS: A person may only have one or two godparents (also called sponsors); if two are chosen, they must be male and female. 2. The Catholic must meet all the requirements for Catholics, even if the other godparent is Catholic. During the baptism, a non-Catholic witness may perform all the parts of the ceremony that a godparent does. A baptismal sponsor, or godparent, must be 16 years of age, a confirmed and practicing Catholic, and may not be the father or mother of the one to be baptized. A Catholic godparent can establish a telephone relationship with the child, calling on birthdays, anniversaries of baptism and other sacraments and so on. x��[[�ݶF���>6b�׵�4jz;'�����E��/ �mݧ� Z����3�$�����z��k؂Dr�3�\������N���������ݏ�ޕ�ݷ�����i���?���m����;�����;�rNF���t&Y��Q��������V��rޟ΍��밿s��C�.�?��Y��C� The requirements are clear until the last part [of canon 874.1 n. 3] about living in keeping with the faith. A godparent is also responsible for assisting the baptized in fulfilling the obligations acquired by the sacrament (see CIC, c. 872). Godparents must also be active Catholics in a state of grace. Is there any regulations that disqualifies a person as a Godparent? Can the same godparents have responsibility for more than one child in the same family? Is a Catholic allowed to be a godparent if he/she was married in another Christian church? The Catholic Church also has a set of specific requirements for people who are to fulfill the role of godparent. ... to be given a sponsor who assists an adult in Christian initiation or together with the parents presents an infant for baptism. Godparent/Sponsor must have received the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation; If married, Godparent/Sponsor must be married in the Catholic Church. Without these requirements, they cannot be godparents per Catholic cannon law. Requirements of a Godparent. The maximum number of Godparents is two. Godparent/Sponsor cannot be the infant’s/child’s parent. If the Godparent does not meet one of the requirements… The Code of CanonLaw (Church Law) specifies the requirements for as serving godparents at Baptism (Canon 874): You may not be the parent of the person being baptized; you must be at least 16 years old; you must be fully initiated (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist); if married, be in valid Catholic … In order to serve as a Godparent(s), the following requirements must be met: Godparents are Catholics in good standing who are registered in a parish, attend Mass, and are giving of their time, talent, and treasure to their parish. 1) at least 16 years old 2) practicing Catholic with good standing in the church 3) not of the same gender as the second godparent 4) have received the sacraments of baptism, eucharist and confirmation. 2. 4. Godparent/Sponsor must be in good standing with the Catholic Church. Church law only requires you to have one godparent; however, it has been tradition to have two. %PDF-1.4 2. I imagine the godfather role will be important to your protest in this matter as he will be the male roll model for your child’s religious upbringing. A baptized, non-Catholic may serve as an “official witness” to the baptism, only if there is a proper Catholic sponsor who fully meets all requirements of a godparent. The following is a review of the Church Law regarding the requirements for Godparents. Godparent Requirements. As a Baptism godparent, your role is to encourage the faith of your Godchild, be a role model and mentor life of Catholic discipleship. The non-Catholic must be baptized and must be present with a Catholic godparent at the time of baptism (Pastoral companion for Canon Law 57). These requirements mentioned by Fr. A baptized non-Catholic may not be a godparent but can serve as a witness along with a Catholic godparent. f. "A baptised 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." The other criteria … HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH WHARTON, TX CANONICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR BAPTISM SPONSORS (GODPARENTS) The Code of Canon Law (1983) of the Roman Catholic Church requires that: Canon 873: “There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each.” Canon 874 §1: “To be permitted to take on the function of a sponsor a person must: Any faithful Catholic who has either been through a baptism preparation class, or knows someone who has, understands that one of the contributing problems to choosing poorly qualified godparents stems from a lack of education on how the Church views the role of a godparent. Each Godparent must register for a Baptism Preparation Class. Promises to give good Christian witness and pray for the child they are sponsoring. The only situation in which a Catholic may be a godparent (sponsor) in "another ecclesial Community" is in an Eastern Orthodox Church "if he/she is so invited" (Directory for the Application of the Principles and Norms of Ecumenism, 98, a, b). Only a practicing Catholic who meets the qualifications of a confirmed Catholic, age 16 or older, and has received the Sacrament of the Eucharist, may be a godparent or sponsor for baptism. Christians of other denominations whose baptism is recognized as valid in the Catholic Church may serve as a Christian Witness for the baptism of a Catholic. event of the sacrament. If there are two, one must be male and one must be female. A Catholic may act as witness at a non-Catholic baptism, but not as a sponsor. I wish this were spelled out more clearly, because of course we are all sinners. What are the requirements to be a godparent? Yes, non-Catholic witnesses can serve as a Christian witness but it is not preferred. A baptized non-Catholic may not be a godparent but can serve as a witness along with a Catholic godparent. One Godparent may be the godparent for the whole family or each person may have one or two (one of each gender) They all must meet the Catholic requirements found in Canon Law. Special Requirements “In so far as possible, a person being baptized is to be assigned a sponsor” (Canon 872). The role of godparent developed out of the task of sponsor in the catechumenate during the early Church. Intimately linked to Confirmation and to Eucharist, Baptism is, with these two sacraments, Christian Initiation. Here the Code of Canon Law wants to eliminate the practice of having numerous sponsors, as has occurred in some cultures (No. If you choose only one godparent, you are free to choose a male or a female. 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