Godparents play a significant role in the Christian upbringing of children. I have heard them referred to as “I sigundu na mañaina” or “second parents” of their godchildren. This article will look at what Canon Law says on the requirements and responsibilities of godparents.
Canons 872-874 pertain to selection of godparents. “There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each” (c.873). The canon is clear that there can be just one godparent for the infant. It can either be a male or female godparent for the person to be baptized. For instance, if a baby girl is being baptized, her godparent can be her uncle. It is customary for most of us in the islands to follow the last part of the canon, that is, having two godparents of both sexes.
Canon 874 then states the conditions under which godparents are to be chosen. “To be permitted to take on the function of a sponsor, a person must:
| 1. be designated by the one to be baptized, by the parents or the person who takes their place, or in their absence by the pastor or minister and have the aptitude and intention of fulfilling this function; |
| 2. have completed the sixteenth year of age, unless the diocesan bishop has established another age, or the pastor or minister has granted an exception for a just cause; |
| 3. be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist and who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on; |
| 4. not be bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared; |
| 5. not be the father or mother of the one to be baptized.” (c.874). |
1. regards who selects godparents. In the case of an adult baptism, the person to be baptized gets to choose his or her godparent. For infant baptisms, the parents of the infant have the first choice. However, in the event the parents are unable to choose a godparent/s for their child, the pastor or minister can choose them. The last part of this section states that the person chosen to be a godparent is to understand his/her role to serve as a nino or nina and fulfill it faithfully.
2. defines the age at which one can be a godparent. Universal law states that 16 is the minimum age at which a person can be chosen for this role, but the diocesan bishop can establish another age as the particular law for his diocese. Perhaps a bishop might feel like raising the age to 18 or 20 to ensure that godparents are more mature as they carry out this role. It could also mean that he might lower the age to 15, presuming all the other conditions are met. The last part of 2º states that in a particular case, the pastor or minister of baptism can make an exception for a lower age. The distinction is that the diocesan bishop can modify the age for a stable and ongoing basis, while the pastor or minister of baptism can only do so in an individual case. For example, the pastor is in a very rural area and the parents can only ask their 15-year-old niece to be the godmother of their baby. As long as their 15-year-old niece has fulfilled the other requirements, the pastor can permit her to be the godparent in this individual case. Afterwards, he must return to following the regular norms.
3. contains in my opinion the most sensitive and debated prerequisite. It first states that to be a godparent, one must be Catholic and fully initiated into the faith. This means the individual must be baptized, confirmed, and received first holy communion. The last part states, “who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on”. In my pastoral experience, this has caused a lot of tension between pastors and families. People usually already have someone in mind whom they wish to choose as their child’s godparent for various reasons. Maybe he/she is a close family friend, a relative, or coworker. However, sometimes these individuals are either not Catholic or living the faith in accordance with the responsibilities of being a godparent. Kevin Hart in A New Commentary on The Code of Canon Law writes, “Thus, people who do not participate regularly in the Eucharist or who are living in marriages not recognized by the Church may not be qualified to function as sponsors” (Green 1063). If a person cannot serve as a godparent for such reasons, he/she can still be invited to participate in the baptismal celebration and can obviously still serve as a positive influence on the child in some other way. What is at stake here is the ecclesiastical office of godparent. In addition, it should also invite pastors to have difficult but important conversations with the parties regarding the teachings of our faith and accompany them to live it more fully. The law is clear that if a family cannot find someone suitable to be a godparent, then the absence of one will not affect the validity or liceity of the baby’s baptism. Canon 872 mentions, “Insofar as possible”, thus godparents are not a strict requirement for a baby to be baptized.
4. says that a godparent cannot be under any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared. This means that if someone is excommunicated then he or she cannot serve as a godparent. It would also include clerics who are given a suspension by a superior. The penalty has to be imposed or declared, meaning that the person in question would have gone through a canonical trial. In reality, it is rare that someone would be prohibited to serve as a godparent by this section.
5. seems like a very obvious one. Parents cannot be the godparents of their children because they have a different role. Parents have the primary role and responsibility of raising and educating their children in the faith. Godparents have a supplementary role and assist the parents in helping the child grow spiritually. They should all work together for the best interest of the child, knowing their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These are canonical requirements for being a godparent according to the norms of canons 872-874.