22/01/2026
*GODPARENT AND INFANT BAPTISM*
*_By Rev. Fr. David Okolie_*
Dearest friends,
Please, this is the last post I promised on *INFANT BAPTISM*. It is a little longer than others but please, kindly read through🙏🏼.
Normally, among a number of Catholics, it is a thing of boast to have become the *GODPARENT (Sponsor)* of many persons in baptism. Sometimes, on the part of the biological parents of the prospective infant for baptism, it is an opportunity of establishing a connection that would yield MATERIAL and other gains now and in the future; of course, not excluding moral gains. To say the least, very often all the parties forget the reasons why the Church brings in the idea of *godparent (sponsor)* into baptism. Now, let us take a closer look at the Church's intention about the whole issue.
👉🏼According to 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 baptized and faithfully to fulfill the duties inherent in baptism.*"
👉🏼Again, canon 874 has this to add: “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 labour under a canonical penalty, whether imposed or declared;
5° not be either the father or the mother of the person to be baptized..."
👉🏼 Corroborating the above, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, among other things, insists that *a GODPARENT must be a FIRM believer, ABLE and READY to fulfil such serious role* (cf. CCC n. 1255).
Also, apart from the above canonical provision, a godparent has also the duty of praying for his baptismal child; even requesting Masses for him/her from time to time.
👉🏼Please, if you want to be a *GODPARENT (sponsor)* to anyone, kindly be ready to fulfill all of the above. When you are not ready, kindly excuse yourself. To accept such a serious SPIRITUAL RESPONSIBILITY without fulfilling it would really be a sign of IRRESPONSIBILITY.
👉🏼Parents, please, let WORLDLY GAIN not motivate your choice of the godparent of your child. This is really disastrous!
👉🏼Ministers of the Sacraments, please, ensure that all the parties are THOROUGHLY CATECHIZED on what the Church expects from them before the celebration of the Sacrament. Thus, Pope St. John Paul II affirms: *“… In other words, sacramental life is IMPOVERISHED and very soon turns into HOLLOW RITUALISM if it is not based on SERIOUS KNOWLEDGE of the meaning of the Sacraments, and catechesis becomes intellectualized if it fails to come alive in the sacramental practice”* (cf. Catechesi Tradendae, n. 23).
* :* All the above are also applicable to the Sacrament of Confirmation (cf. Can. 892-893).
Remain blessed🙏🏼.
