The role of godparent always involves talking with God about your godchild: thanking God for your godchild, asking him to protect and guide your godchild and then trusting him to do this. I'm the owner of thepuregift.com. In the Catholic Church, the Godparents need to be both baptized and Catholic. Maybe in this case you might also need to use a proxy godparent at the baptism to officially witness the baptism and serve as the godparent until the actual godparent reaches 16 years. The original godparent will still be the official godparent on the baptism certificate. But having another mature Christian who pledges to support your child toward making a public commitment to Christ and growing in holiness of heart and life can be a great blessing. The baptism could be rebooked to another date, or you could choose a proxy godparent to stand in on their behalf at the baptism. If they are, you can tell how they are with children. Most churches realise this and won’t add the extra criteria of close physical distance to your child, and will allow your chosen godparent to be godparent even if they can’t attend the baptism. I'm a mum with 3 young kids on the bumpy road of life, hanging tight to faith in a good God. The godparent name is entered into the parish record book as the “official” godparent or sponsor for baptism. Then they will need to renounce the devil and confess their christian faith (by saying the Apostles Creed) on behalf of the child along with the parents and sometimes the whole congregation joins in this part. 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). It definitely depends on the church. By all means, do contact one of our pastors to arrange for the baptism of your son. The godparents have to go to a class too (they live in NY, so they'll do it up there) and we need to have copies of their church records (baptism and confirmation). The baptism gown. This page explains how to trace a baptism record. Many churches will also give out a pamphlet to help the godparents know what their role is in their godchild’s life. Trust him and everything else will fall into place. Visit this page to read more about godparents. I'm glad you're here! Today, most people are baptized as infants by a priest or deacon, though this is not strictly necessary (see below). My friend just baptized her daughter and they were super strict about everything. I believe a physically distant godparent can absolutely do a good job as godparent. In this case they still want to choose a godparent who they know well and they know will be a part of their child’s life for the long-haul. Choosing a baptism gift for your godson is one of the first steps you will take after saying 'yes' to being a godparent. The godparent needs to be a Catholic at least 16 years old who has had the sacraments of baptism, reconciliation, holy communion, and confirmation . Is it ok to choose a godparent for your child if you know that they won’t be able to attend the baptism? You don’t need to have a “matched set” of one man and one woman. As a new godparent one of the first things you will probably do is choose a gift for your goddaughter to celebrate her baptism. Others at a Baptism. If you're not ready to do classes you can definitely wait. It goes without saying, therefore, that godparents’ number-one responsibility is to see to it that the godchild is raised in the Catholic faith. There is no time constraints for getting your child baptized. Many years ago this wasn’t really an issue, but now people travel so much and it’s not uncommon for close family and friends to live far away. To my delight, the answer has often been ‘Yes’! How do I have my child Baptized in another parish? Most churches require the godparent to be at least 16 years of age, but maybe you know a really mature 14 or 15 year old who you think would make a fantastic godparent. You will likely want... 9 Gift Ideas For Your Godson's Baptism: Cool, Unique & Personalised. The main role of the godparent is to help the parents in teaching the child about faith in God. To help people choose someone with a strong faith most churches require that the godparent is a baptised christian. Because of the very special role they have in supporting your child’s faith journey, godparents must be baptized themselves. However, parents and godparents are required to take instruction, as are individuals being baptized who are more than 7 years old. This can involve being a good role model, giving a gift on their baptism birthday to help remind them about the importance of the day but also teach them something about God and his nature and how he thinks about your godchild. Really narrowed down their choices. If you choose only one godparent, you are free to choose a male or a female. Is a baptized Christian who could share her or his faith with a child (and later an adult) in conversation or action. Therefore, the single most important factor is whether the person is an active, practicing Catholic. These days technology has made it even easier for physically distant godparents to still do a great job as godparent. The Code of Canon Law requires godparents for infant baptism “insofar as possible” (CIC 872); they are not an absolute requirement for valid baptism. But remember that only one godparent is required. As a godparent you probably feel like you want to get something extra... Hey there, I'm Ruth. For this reason, a godparent must be baptized themselves and ideally confirmed too. Do godparents have to be baptized in the Church of England. Do you intend to do this? Maybe they work in the army and got called away suddenly, or maybe another emergency type job. The reason for this distinction and restriction is that the godparent not only is taking responsibility for the religious education and spiritual formation of the baptized person, but also is representing the Church, the community of faith, into which the person is being baptized. Things to do with children in Winter and at Christmas. The godparents had to be married in Catholic Church, never to have lived together before marriage... crazy. It’s a good idea to make sure the original godparent knows what was said and promised on their behalf at their godchild’s baptism. There is no requirement that any sponsor (a "godparent" is the term for the sponsor of an infant) be an Episcopalian. Traditionally a godparent will take part in a baptism or baby dedication for the infant, and make a vow to assume a role in the spiritual development of that child. 9 Gift Ideas For Your Goddaughter's Baptism: Beautiful & Personalised. We, on the other hand, do not. I’ve been to a catholic baptism where the catholic godparent lived overseas and couldn’t make it to the baptism. This page explains more. In this case there was another christian witness who stood up the front on their behalf and was also the second “godparent”. There are so many ways that you can be face-to-face with your godchild through a screen. Ideally they should be confirmed too, but check with the vicar about local policy on this. There is no requirement for clergy to baptise those from outside their parishes, and baptism can be reasonably delayed so that the conditions, including suitable godparents, can be met. Often the church will provide a copy of the words spoken at the baptism. So, when a godparent is not christened themselves, the obvious first question is whether this is something they would like to consider. You are not required to choose additional sponsors, sometimes called godparents. Learn more about him by reading his Word. Do both godparents have to be confirmed? I also didn’t want them to feel like I thought they didn’t know what they were doing. I know I felt a little uncomfortable about giving the Godparent pamphlet to the godparents for our children. Baptism, like all … Your child looks up to you and will copy what you do without even realising they are doing it. For this reason, a godparent must be baptized themselves and ideally confirmed too. It’s important to choose someone who can fulfil this important role in your child’s life. Discover more about what it means to be a good godparent here. Maybe you booked the baptism when they were available and now suddenly they’ve been called away for work. Does a godparent really have to be at the baptism? I've created this site to explore baptism and our role as parent/godparent and ways that we can share love and faith with our kids/godkids. Other ones I know have … It is most ideal for the godparents/sponsors to be physically present at the baptism since they are taking a significant role in the child's life and are supporting the parents in their commitment to raise the child in the Catholic Faith. The sacrament of Baptism not only gives us sanctifying grace: it also makes us adopted children of God and heirs of heaven. Let’s look at the role of the proxy godparent and some other reasons why a godparent may not be able to make it to the baptism. Baptized, participating Christians of other denominations may serve as a “Christian Witness” and be so designated in the Baptismal Register. A proxy godparent is someone who will represent your chosen godparent at the baptism. What gender should the godparent be? Yes, a godparent, by definition, is Catholic – thus all godparents are Catholic. Yes, this is a basic requirement for a godparent. The parents present the child for baptism while the godparents are present as witnesses. Read: Baptists, just without the baptisms By the fifth century, godparents were fairly common in western Europe, says Guido Alfani, an economic-history … Visit the pages below and right to find out more about why godparents are so special. An old Catholic tradition requires the godparents to buy the clothes the baby will … Do godparents have any specific task? You are with your child every day. Can our child be baptized in a parish if we do not live within the parish boundaries? In this case the church will likely have someone that could fill the role for you. This is something that is totally up to you, depending on how close you are to the proxy godparent and how you and the proxy godparent feel about this. Godparents are really important people at a christening. Someone who has a strong faith in God and can help point your child to God. A non-Catholic baptized Christian can participate in the Rite of Baptism as a “Christian witness,” however a Catholic godparent must also be present. Godparents are not required for emergency Baptisms. They are not just special on the day but special for a child’s life, even when they are grown-up themselves. The Catholic church also require the godparent to be baptised … However if you’ve moved somewhere new and don’t know many christians in the area then it could be difficult to find someone that you trust to fill the role of proxy godparent. In order for someone to be eligible as a godparent they must be chosen by the parents, have the ability and the intention to fulfill the role, be at least 16 years of age, and be a confirmed Roman Catholic, who has already received the Most Holy Eucharist, is leading a life in harmony with the Catholic Faith (including Marriage) and will be a good role model for the one being baptized, and be neither the father nor the mother of the child. If the person being baptized is under 7 years old, she doesn't have to take catechism classes (classes that teach what the Roman Catholic church believes). Also remember that as parents the main responsibility of raising your child with faith in God falls on you as parents. The parents and godparents reply together. The most common reason that parents might choose a godparent who they know probably won’t be able to make it to the baptism is that the parents have just moved somewhere away from close family and friends. Be honest and open with God and with your child. So don’t worry that the godparent you’ve chosen won’t do a good job because they live too far away. However, they always remembered me with cards and messages. Finding someone who fulfils these measures and also someone who you trust will do a good job and be there long term for your child can sometimes be a tough find. Can a non-Catholic serve as a godparent? If the godparent is away temporarily at the time of the baptism then maybe you could choose the godparent’s sister or spouse or mother to act as proxy godparent. Godparents are really important people at a christening. It doesn’t matter if they are parents. In order to be of sufficient maturity and capacity, the godparent must be at least 16 years of age. However, if it’s not possible for the godparent to attend the baptism then most churches will allow a proxy godparent to witness the baptism on behalf of the godparent who can’t make it. No one can influence a child quite like his/her parents. Actually, correction. It’s an important role that they have agreed to and having the promises and responsibilities written down is important. Godparents are really special. They will make some big promises in church to support their godchild in their Christian faith for a lifetime. They were at my baptism but I didn’t see them a lot. Not everyone is certain if they have been christened, but it should be possible to find out. Do the godparents/sponsors have to be physically present at the baptism? Pick-up information packet: Registered parishioners stop by the parish office to pick up the Baptism Application to be completed by the parents and the Sponsor/Godparent Forms to be signed in the sponsor's own parish. The reason is this, the godparents take the responsibility of educating the child in catholic faith from the day of baptism. 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