My husband and i expecting our second child and we are discussing who will be the godparents. We both want one of our sisters to be, but we can't decide which one and we don't want to hurt anyones feeling so i was wanting to know if the Catholic church allows us to have godparents of the same gender to stand up at Baptism. Or if you must have a male and female godparent. Please let us know it will be very helpful to our delima.

-- Christy Schultz (jdcexcavation@yahoo.com), November 09, 2000

Answers

Jmj
Hi, Christy. Thanks for asking.
I thought that you and other visitor may find it interesting to read the 30 "canons" (binding rules) that pertain to Baptism in the Church's Code of Canon Law. [This is the law for the Western or Latin rite, to which most Catholics belong, while the Eastern rites, such as the Byzantine, have their own Canons.]
Embedded within the 30 canons is the specific answer to your question. If you want to just skip ahead to it, then scroll down, watching for the section I have underlined. In the text, the term "sponsor," rather than "godparent," is used. Also, the British spelling of certain words is used.
God bless you. Congratulations on the conception and impending birth of your baby.
John

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BAPTISM

Can. 849
Baptism, the gateway to the sacraments, is necessary for salvation, either by actual reception or at least by desire. By it people are freed from sins, are born again as children of God and, made like to Christ by an indelible character, are incorporated into the Church. It is validly conferred only by a washing in real water with the proper form of words.

CHAPTER I : THE CELEBRATION OF BAPTISM

Can. 850
Baptism is administered according to the rite prescribed in the approved liturgical books, except in a case of urgent necessity when only those elements which are required for the validity of the sacrament must be observed.

Can. 851
The celebration of baptism should be properly prepared. Accordingly:
1B0 an adult who intends to receive baptism is to be admitted to the catechumenate and, as far as possible, brought through the various stages to sacramental initiation, in accordance with the rite of initiation as adapted by the Episcopal Conference and with the particular norms issued by it;
2B0 the parents of a child who is to be baptised, and those who are to undertake the office of sponsers, are to be suitably instructed on the meaning of this sacrament and the obligations attaching to it. The parish priest is to see to it that either he or others duly prepare the parents, by means of pastoral advice and indeed by prayer together; a number of families might be brought together for this purpose and, where possible, each family visited.

Can. 852
B'1 The provisions of the canons on adult baptism apply to all those who, being no longer infants, have reached the use of reason.
B'2 One who is incapable of personal responsibility is regarded as an infant even in regard to baptism.

Can. 853
Apart from a case of necessity, the water to be used in conferring baptism is to be blessed, in accordance with the provisions of the liturgical books.

Can. 854
Baptism is to be conferred either by immersion or by pouring, in accordance with the provisions of the Episcopal Conference.

Can. 855
Parents, sponsors, and parish priests are to take care that a name is not given which is foreign to Christian sentiment.

Can. 856
Though baptism may be celebrated on any day, it is recommended that normally it be celebrated on a Sunday or, if possible, on the vigil of Easter.

Can. 857
B'1 Apart from a case of necessity, the proper place for baptism is a church or an oratory.
B'2 As a rule and unless a just reason suggests otherwise, an adult is to be baptised in his or her proper parish church, and an infant in the proper parish church of the parents.

Can. 858
B'1 Each parish church is to have a baptismal font, without prejudice to the same right already acquired by other churches.
B'2 The local Ordinary, after consultation with the local parish priest, may for the convenience of the faithful permit or order that a baptismal font be placed also in another church or oratory within the parish.

Can. 859
If, because of distance or other circumstances, the person to be baptised cannot without grave inconvenience go or be brought to the parish church or the oratory mentioned in can. 858 B'2, baptism may and must be conferred in some other church or oratory which is nearer, or even in some other fitting place.

Can. 860
B'1 Apart from a case of necessity, baptism is not to be conferred in private houses, unless the local Ordinary should for a grave reason permit it.
B'2 Unless the diocesan Bishop has decreed otherwise, baptism is not to be conferred in hospital, except in a case of necessity or for some other pressing pastoral reason.

CHAPTER II : THE MINISTER OF BAPTISM

Can. 861
B'1 The ordinary minister of baptism is a Bishop, a priest or a deacon, without prejudice to the provision of can. 530, n. 1.
B'2 If the ordinary minister is absent or impeded, a catechist or some other person deputed to this office by the local Ordinary, may lawfully confer baptism; indeed, in a case of necessity, any person who has the requisite intention may do so. Pastors of souls, especially parish priests, are to be diligent in ensuring that Christ's faithful are taught the correct way to baptise.

Can. 862
Except in a case of necessity, it is unlawful for anyone without due permission to confer baptism outside his own territory, not even upon his own subjects.

Can. 863
The baptism of adults, at least of those who have completed their fourteenth year, is to be referred to the Bishop, so that he himself may confer it if he judges this appropriate.

CHAPTER III : THE PERSONS TO BE BAPTISED

Can. 864
Every unbaptised person, and only such a person, can be baptised. Can. 865
B'1 To be admitted to baptism, an adult must have manifested the intention to receive baptism, must be adequately instructed in the truths of the faith and in the duties of a christian, and tested in the christian life over the course of the catechumenate. The person must moreover be urged to have sorrow for personal sins.
B'2 An adult in danger of death may be baptised if, with some knowledge of the principal truths of the faith, he or she has in some manner manifested the intention to receive baptism and promises to observe the requirements of the christian religion.

Can. 866
Unless there is a grave reason to the contrary, immediately after receiving baptism an adult is to be confirmed, to participate in the celebration of the Eucharist and to receive holy communion.

Can. 867
B'1 Parents are obliged to see that their infants are baptised within the first few weeks. As soon as possible after the birth, indeed even before it, they are to approach the parish priest to ask for the sacrament for their child, and to be themselves duly prepared for it.
B'2 If the infant is in danger of death, it is to be baptised without any delay.

Can. 868
B'1 For an infant to be baptised lawfully it is required:
1B0 that the parents, or at least one of them, or the person who lawfully holds their place, give their consent;
2B0 that there be a well-founded hope that the child will be brought up in the Catholic religion. If such hope is truly lacking, the baptism is, in accordance with the provisions of particular law, to be deferred and the parents advised of the reason for this.
B'2 An infant of Catholic parents, indeed even of non-Catholic parents, may in danger of death be baptised even if the parents are opposed to it.

Can. 869
B'1 If there is doubt as to whether a person was baptised or whether a baptism was conferred validly, and after serious enquiry this doubt persists, the person is to be baptised conditionally.
B'2 Those baptised in a non-Catholic ecclesial community are not to be baptised conditionally unless there is a serious reason for doubting the validity of their baptism, on the ground of the matter or the form of words used in the baptism, or of the intention of the adult being baptised or of that of the baptising minister.
B'3 If in the cases mentioned in B'B'1 and 2 a doubt remains about the conferring of the baptism or its validity, baptism is not to be conferred until the doctrine of the sacrament of baptism is explained to the person to be baptised, if that person is an adult. Moreover, the reasons for doubting the validity of the earlier baptism should be given to the person or, where an infant is concerned, to the parents.

Can. 870
An abandoned infant or a foundling is to be baptised unless diligent enquiry establishes that it has already been baptised.

Can. 871
Aborted foetuses, if they are alive, are to be baptised, in so far as this is possible.

CHAPTER IV : SPONSORS

Can. 872
In so far as possible, a person being baptised is to be assigned a sponsor. In the case of an adult baptism, the sponsor's role is to assist the person in christian initiation. In the case of an infant baptism, the role is together with the parents to present the child for baptism, and to help it to live a christian life befitting the baptised and faithfully to fulfil the duties inherent in baptism.

Can. 873
One sponsor, male or female, is sufficient; but there may be two, one of each sex.
[This means that there cannot be two of the same sex, and there cannot be more than two sponsors. The only possibilities are (1) no sponsor, (2) one sponsor, or (3) one sponsor of each sex. JFG]

Can. 874
B'1 To be admitted to undertake the office of sponsor, a person must:
1B0 be appointed by the candidate for baptism, or by the parents or whoever stands in their place, or failing these, by the parish priest or the minister; to be appointed the person must be suitable for this role and have the intention of fulfilling it;
2B0 be not less than sixteen years of age, unless a different age has been stipulated by the diocesan Bishop, or unless the parish priest or the minister considers that there is a just reason for an exception to be made;
3B0 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;
4B0 not labour under a canonical penalty, whether imposed or declared;
5B0 not be either the father or the mother of the person to be baptised.
B'2 A baptised person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community may be admitted only in company with a Catholic sponsor, but then simply as a witness to the baptism [not referred to as a sponsor/godparent JFG].

CHAPTER V : PROOF AND REGISTRATION OF BAPTISM

Can. 875
Whoever administers baptism is to take care that if there is not a sponsor present, there is at least one witness who can prove that the baptism was conferred.

Can. 876
To prove that baptism has been conferred, if there is no conflict of interest, it is sufficient to have either one unexceptionable witness or, if the baptism was conferred upon an adult, the sworn testimony of the baptised person.

Can. 877
B'1 The parish priest of the place in which the baptism was conferred must carefully and without delay record in the register of baptism the names of the baptised, the minister, the parents, the sponsors and, if there were such, the witnesses, and the place and date of baptism. He must also enter the date and place of birth.
B'2 In the case of a child of an unmarried mother, the mother's name is to be entered if her maternity is publicly known or if, either in writing or before two witnesses, she freely asks that this be done. Similarly, the name of the father is to be entered, if his paternity is established either by some public document or by his own declaration in the presence of the parish priest and two witnesses. In all other cases, the name of the baptised person is to be registered, without any indication of the name of the father or of the parents.
B'3 In the case of an adopted child, the names of the adopting parents are to be registered and, at least if this is done in the local civil registration, the names of the natural parents in accordance with B'B'1 and 2 subject however to the rulings of the Episcopal Conference.

Can. 878
If baptism was administered neither by the parish priest nor in his presence, the minister of baptism, whoever that was, must notify the parish priest of the parish in which the baptism was administered, so that he may register the baptism in accordance with can. 877 B'1.

-- J. F. Gecik (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), November 09, 2000.

Dear JFG< Boy do you live by a lot of rally unbending standards. Of my 8 kids who are all baptised, three of then have a non-catholic god parent. They were not just an observer to the ceremony and their names appear on the certificate the same as anybody else's. My brother is a priest and his name appears just the same as as the non- catholics who are a godparent. My daughter is my grandson's godmother and she was just 15 at the time. No one even questioned it. No one ever asked any of the prospective god parents if they made their First Communion or Confirmation--they only people asked these questions were the parents. The main idea of Baptism is to wash away original sin and give the recipient the ablilty to attain a place in heaven. Whether or not the god parents are perfect is not a big issue. Because of rigid rules like you quoted in your answer many children today are not being baptised, that is why the rules to attend Catholic school have changed in Canada. The rule states now that one parent must be Catholic and produce their certificate. I find it very sad that something that should be available to all is sometimes restricted. The baby in question is innocent and should not be judged by the "quality" of adults in his or her life. I wonder what St. John the Baptist would say today? Ellen

-- Ellen K. Hornby (dkh@canada.com), November 14, 2000.

Ah, Ellen, Ellen.
Your misunderstandings and your defiance toward Catholic Church authority are both mind-boggling and heart-breaking. Why do you insist on your own will, on an idea that your decisions and beliefs are infallible -- incapable of being wrong? How did you come to be so full of a rebelliousness that no Catholic should possess? Why are you so full of -- yes, I have to say it -- HATRED? I feel so terribly sorry for you.

For the benefit of you and others here, I will point out where you are mistaken.

-- "Boy do you live by a lot of rally unbending standards."
If you are no longer a Catholic, Ellen, please don't come here and criticize my Church. But if you think that you are a Catholic and want to remain one, then you must acknowledge that what I have listed are not MY "unbending standards," but OUR Canon Law -- law that God requires us to obey, under pain of sin. If you don't believe this, you are cutting yourself off from the Church.

-- "Of my 8 kids who are all baptised, three of them have a non-catholic god parent."
Yes, you can refer to the non-Catholic as a "godparent," if you wish, since that is an unofficial term. (I was wrong to say that you cannot use that word.) But you cannot refer to the non-Catholic as a "Baptismal sponsor," because the Church tells us that this is impermissible. Like it or not, this is simply a fact that we must accept. A non-Catholic is a "Christian witness" to the ceremony, and his/her name can be on a certificate.

-- "My daughter is my grandson's godmother and she was just 15 at the time. No one even questioned it."
If your daughter was your grandson's mother, then a serious error was made by the priest. He was either defiant or ignorant of the law. But if your daughter was your grandson's aunt, then I don't know why you even mentioned this. The Canon Law I quoted made clear that a 15-year-old could be a sponsor, under unusual circumstances. [A sponsor must "be not less than sixteen years of age, unless a different age has been stipulated by the diocesan Bishop, or unless the parish priest or the minister considers that there is a just reason for an exception to be made."]

--"No one ever asked any of the prospective god parents if they made their First Communion or Confirmation -- they only people asked these questions were the parents."
This may be true, but, in light of your new knowledge of Canon Law, you ought to be upset about this, not promoting it as something good! My word! If "no one ever asked" these questions, then I say again that the priest made a major error, either out of defiance or ignorance of the law. There is something seriously wrong with a Catholic who is happy (or careless) about the fact that Canon Law was broken.

-- "The main idea of Baptism is to wash away original sin and give the recipient the ablilty to attain a place in heaven. Whether or not the god parents are perfect is not a big issue."
Nobody said anything about the godparents being "perfect." Good grief! The Church has a few simple and reasonable rules to be followed, rules composed from 20 centuries of experience. But you seem not to want to obey anything! It is truly heart-breaking how you seem to have no respect for authority. May God have mercy on you and help you to change!

-- "Because of rigid rules like you quoted in your answer many children today are not being baptised, that is why the rules to attend Catholic school have changed in Canada. The rule states now that one parent must be Catholic and produce their certificate. I find it very sad that something that should be available to all is sometimes restricted. The baby in question is innocent and should not be judged by the 'quality' of adults in his or her life."
What you state here is partly false and partly no fault of the Church as a whole.
(a) The rules are not "rigid," but are necessary and some even have flexible adaptations.
(b) I seriously doubt that the "rule" that you mention (about schools) is binding throughout all of Canada. If it is binding where you live, you need to know that it is not a law for the whole Church, but rather a decision made by the local bishop for reasons he considers good ones. In other parts of the world (such as most big cities in the U.S.), some Catholic schools have a MAJORITY of students who are non-Catholic (nor are their parents Catholics). Ellen, you just don't have the facts -- on this and on so many other subjects. Please trust other people to help you learn things. Please stop assuming that, if someone says the opposite of what you believe, he/she must be wrong!
(c) Yes it is sad that some babies cannot be baptized, but (again) 20 centuries of experience have shown that this is necessary. Bend to the wisdom of the Church, please. Stop thinking that you know better.
(d) The baby is not being "judged by the 'quality' of adults." You are only imagining this -- wrongly.

OK. Enough. I'm sorry if you feel I've badgered you, Ellen. But you make me so d@#$%d mad by your unceasing and unnecessary criticisms. Please stop doing this to us and to yourself.

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), November 14, 2000.

Dear JFG, I am printing your response and giving one to my parish priest and giving the other to Bishop Henry. I hope they answer you because you seriously need help. Because I call into question archiac rules and regulations which have nothing to do with matters of faith, this makes me rebellious? Because people use their brains this upsets you? No it doesn't bother me about what you mentioned that should. What bothers me is that many children in todays world are being baptised at all. What references did John the Baptist ask for? Ellen

-- Ellen K. Hornby (dkh@canada.com), November 14, 2000.