A separate but parallel Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, issued in 1990, governs the Eastern Catholic churches. (This practice is not written into canon law.) The answer is in the Code of Canon Law. Canon Law Requirements for Godparents for Baptism . book iv : the sanctifying office of the church (cann. Basic Guidelines and Information for Infant (to include young children) Baptism (Code of Canon Law, cc. 1. There seems to be some confusion when Godparents are being considered between wanting to have one’s best friend or another relative or acquaintance be the God parent. 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 (canon 874, Code of Canon Law). Because the godparent is an official witness to the baptism of the child, it is not an office for which a “replacement” can be made. Therefore, in order to be appointed sponsor, the person must be suitable for this role and have the intention of fulfilling it. Canon 872 and 874 of the code of Canon Law lists these requirements for valid and lawful sponsorship in Baptism. Dr. Robert J. Matava, Dean of the Christendom College Graduate School in Alexandria, wrote an article for the Arlington Catholic Herald that explains the requirements of a godparent as listed by the Code of Canon Law. When our son was born, we were Anglican and had him baptized there, with my brother-in-law and his wife as godparents. sacraments, Christian Initiation. 849 - 878) chapter iv : sponsors It was promulgated on 27 May 1917 and took legal effect on 19 May 1918. Strictly speaking, a person only needs one sponsor for baptism — male or female, but may have two sponsors, one male and one female. Yes they can, Code of Canon Law from 1983 by Saint John Paul II allows it. Under Canon Law 872-874, there are specific requirements to qualify as a godparent. Canon law doesn't seem to prohibit consecrated people from becoming godparents. The 1917 Code of Canon Law maintained this impediment with regard to sponsors and baptismal candidates (canon 1079), but abolished it with regard to Confirmation sponsors (A Practical Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, by Rev. Code of Canon Law, No. Three years later, our daughter arrived, and we asked the same brother-in-law and his wife to be godparents again. — C.L., Potomac, Maryland. To be admitted to undertake the office of [baptismal] sponsor, a person must: . When I saw this, I felt like something was off, but I’m not 100% sure what the Catholic Church … According to Canon law; • Insofar as possible, a person to be baptized is to be given a godparent/sponsor who assists an adult in Christian initiation or together with the parents present an 872 – Insofar as possible, a person to be baptized is to be given a sponsor who assists an adult in Christian initiation or together with the parents presents an infant for baptism. It was in force until the 1983 Code of Canon Law took legal effect and abrogated it on 27 November 1983. 867-868; Catechism of the Catholic Church 1251) Canon law (#873) specifies that candidates for baptism may have a male or female sponsor, or one of each sex. Indeed, had that been so, emergency baptism would have proved impossible. Canon Law (Canon 872-874) & Commentary articulates the responsibilities of Sponsors (Godparents) and the prerequisites for selecting them for Baptism. In the Latin or Western Church, the governing code is the 1983 Code of Canon Law, a revision of the 1917 Code of Canon Law. The canon law has never required the consent of a parent before a child is baptized. What are the requirements for godparents? Your brother and his wife do not qualify because of their irregular marriage. . Can. Namely in canons : Can. In accord with Canon 874 of the Code of Canon Law, the Church can admit a person to the role of Godparent/Sponsor if, He or she is not less than sixteen years of age; and; Has been confirmed and has already received the blessed Eucharist ; Lives a life of faith which befits the role to be undertaken, and Role of Godparent (Canon Law 872-874) The godparents, together with the parents are present to profess the church’s faith, in which the child is being baptized. Canon Law is a code of ecclesiastical laws governing the Catholic Church. 834 – 848) part i : the sacraments. Subdivisions. Although the Common Worship: Christian Initiation: Emergency Baptism (Note 2 at Godparents Law and Legal Definition A godparent is chosen by the parents of a newborn Catholic. To be a godparent, a person must be one “who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on” (CIC 874 §1). Involvement of parents, guardians and godparents 1. Strictly speaking, a person only needs one sponsor for baptism — male or female, but may have two sponsors, one male and one female. The individual(s) named as godparent(s) must satisfy the requirements of canon law … Could I have greater/fewer than 2 godparents? 874.1). The Code of Canon Law from 1917 forbids it. Hence a citation of the Code would be written as Can. The 1917 Code of Canon Law, also referred to as the Pio-Benedictine Code, was the first official comprehensive codification of Latin canon law. Canon 874 tells us that a sponsor should be (1) at least 16, unless the bishop or pastor makes an exception; (2) a practicing Catholic who has already been confirmed and made his first Communion; (3) free of any canonical penalty; and (4) neither the father nor mother of the person to be baptized. 768. 840 The sacraments of the New Testament were instituted by Christ the Lord and entrusted to the Church. The child is baptized in the faith of their parents, godparents and of the Church. In a wider sense the term includes precepts of divine law incorporated into the canonical codes. During the Sacrament of Confirmation, as during the Sacrament of Baptism, in accordance with Paragraph # 1311 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Canon Law # 892-893, the child will need at least one Godparent, a maximum of two, a male and a female. A: There was a general restriction on priests, religious and other consecrated souls acting as godparents that stemmed from the 1917 Code of Canon Law. 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