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Baptism witness

  • 30-01-2017 1:59pm
    #1
    Lee fields
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16 ✭


    I have a question on a Catholic baptism. We have chosen 2 godparents. One is baptised and confirmed and the other isn't. I've booked the christening and the priest said that the non baptised God parent will go down as a witness. Will that God parent still take part during the ceremony the same as the baptised godparent?


Comments

  • #2
    gizmo555
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,948 ✭✭✭gizmo555


    The non-baptised person will not be a godparent - just a witness, as the priest explained.

    Which makes perfect sense, since the role of the godparent is to help "the baptized person to lead a Christian life in keeping with baptism and to fulfill faithfully the obligations inherent in it."

    See here for more detail:

    http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P2Y.HTM


  • #3
    Peregrinus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,278 ✭✭✭✭Peregrinus


    Lee fields wrote: »
    Will that God parent still take part during the ceremony the same as the baptised godparent?
    Talk to the priest.

    The general rule is that a "Christian witness" - usually a baptised Christian from another denomination - can take part in the rite of baptism in exactly the same way as a godparent. But in this case it seems you have chosen someone who isn't baptised at all, in any denomination, and presumably isn't a Christian.

    This is a delicate situation, since to participate in the Rite of Baptism in the role normally filled by a godparent, this person would have to profess beliefs which (presumably) they don't hold, and give undertakings which it would be difficult or impossible for them to fulfill. Once they understand what they need to do they might not be comfortable about doing it, plus even if they are comfortable the priest might not be.

    Talk to your friend, and to the priest, about what they would be comfortable about doing and what they can do with honesty and integrity. There's no fundamental reason why they couldn't do things like hold the child while it si baptised, or present a candle or the baptismal robe at an appropriate point in the ceremony.


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