I have been asked to be godmother to my best-friend's new baby boy. I have been baptised but I have never been through confirmation. I was wondering if during the baptism will I be expected to take communion? I was also wondering because I have never been through confirmation will that present a problem being the godmother?

-- Chanel Marie Brown (cowcrazychanel@hotmail.com), March 19, 2003

Answers

Jmj
Hello, Chanel Marie.

I'm afraid that I have some news that you were hoping not to hear. According to the Church's regulations (called the Code of Canon Law), a baptismal sponsor must have received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Unless you can get a dispensation (i.e., be excused) from that rule by your bishop, I think that you will have to wait until a bit later in your life to become a sponsor.

Here is the actual text of the law:

"Canon 874
"§1 To be admitted to undertake the office of sponsor, a person must:
1° 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;
2° 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;
3° 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;
4° not labor under a canonical penalty, whether imposed or declared;
5° not be either the father or the mother of the person to be baptized.
§2 A baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community may be admitted only in company with a Catholic sponsor, and then simply as a witness to the baptism.

Chanel Marie, no one is ever required to receive Holy Communion at Mass. Not all ceremonies of Baptism take place within a Mass.

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), March 19, 2003.

Communion is not part of the baptism ceremony as such. If the baptism takes place during a Mass, Communion will be part of the Mass. However, no-one should ever feel pressured to receive Communion if they are not ready to do so. Simply don't go forward to receive. If you are not confirmed, you cannot be a godparent without special dispensation. However you could stand up as a witness, provided the other witness, who would be the actual godparent, is a confirmed and practicing Catholic.

-- Paul (PaulCyp@cox.net), March 19, 2003.