Choosing Godparents

Think back to when you were baptized. Chances are, you were a tiny baby, and your parents and relatives gathered at the church around the baptismal font, along with your godparents. Okay, maybe you don’t remember, but someone no doubt has told you the story of your baptism! Who were your godparents? Why were they chosen? What were their qualifications, and what were their duties?

Canon law stipulates that godparents be at least 16 years old and have been fully initiated: that is, they have received the three sacraments of Baptism, First Eucharist, and Confirmation. The other requirements stipulate that parents should not be godparents for their own children, and that if two godparents are chosen, one must be male and one female.

Choosing godparents is not a decision to be made lightly: a great deal of consideration should go into the choice. Often, parents want to honor a special relative, or encourage a family friend to have a closer relationship with their child. While the intentions are good, these are not sufficient reasons for asking someone to be a godparent.

Godparents should be role models in the Faith, people who are active, practicing Catholics. They should be men and women who are comfortable in their relationship with God, who feel at home in the Catholic Church. Beyond going to a preparation class with the parents, and holding and speaking for the child at Baptism, they should be people who are interested in the faith formation of their godchild and willing to offer support in the years ahead.

If we remember a few basic things about Baptism – that it gives a person a new and special status as a child of God, and it makes a person a member of the Body of Christ – then what you are looking for are godparents who can truly represent that Christian community.

You may be surprised to learn that it is occasionally permitted for a non Catholic Christian to be designated a “Christian witness” to a baptism. Though not officially a godparent, such an individual can still function as a role model for someone who is trying to learn about Christian discipleship. In such situations, another person should be designated as the official godparent, someone who fits into the traditional categories.

Godparents, hand-in-hand with the parents and faith formation teachers in the church community, are invaluable assets to our children as they journey and grow in faith.