Does anyone know if it is a necessary to have godparents picked out in order to have my infant baptised. Or can you have a choice not to have godparents? I would greatly appreciate your info:)
I believe Godparents are just customary not a requirement.
Well, here’s the “legal” position from the Code of Canon Law…
http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0017/_P3G.HTM
AFAIK, only in exceptional circumstances (danger of death, for example) is the requirement of having at least one Godparent.
This article
http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0233.html
provides pretty much the same info, in a less legalistic manner.
Kerriensis.
That’s what I thought, but really wasn’t sure. Thanks for the info:D
keriensis,
So what i gain from your info is that it is mandatory to have a least one godparent. Thanks
For any Christian church practicing infant baptism (i.e., any that do not require believer’s baptism) there must be three witnesses at a baptism, who undertake to assist the “new Christian” in his or her walk with Christ. Two can be the parents. More are not only acceptable but welcome. This holds whatever the age of the person being baptized.
However, what the rules of the RCC might be on having more than one other than the parents seems to have been addressed above.
It’s a bigger deal if your family name is Corleone. When I was godfather to my nephew, I avoided the temptation of bumping of all of my enemies however.
Seriously though, all of the hard work is done by the parents. They have to go to the classes. My brother and his wife still had to go to the pre-Baptism class for their third child even though they had taken the class twice and serve on their Parish council.
Wouldn’t that depend on the parish? My friend had to go thru confirmation classes (she wasn’t) AND pre-Baptism classes before she became her cousin’s godmother.
My boss, if I remember well, only had to show up. He was already confirmed, but I don’t think he went to any pre-Baptism class.