What is the purpose of godparents?
score:7
A good explanatation is given in "The Role of Godparents" by Fr. William Saunders
As per Code of Canon Law 872 - 874 the rules are as below:
Can.872 Insofar as possible, a person to be baptized is to be given a sponsor who assists an adult in Christian initiation or together with the parents presents an infant for baptism. A sponsor also helps the baptized person to lead a Christian life in keeping with baptism and to fulfill faithfully the obligations inherent in it.
Can.873 There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each.
Can.874 §1. To be permitted to take on the function of sponsor a person must:
Be designated by the one to be baptized, by the parents or the person who takes their place, or in their absence by the pastor or minister and have the aptitude and intention of fulfilling this function;
Have completed the sixteenth year of age, unless the diocesan bishop has established another age, or the pastor or minister has granted an exception for a just cause;
Be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist and who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on;
Not be bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared;
Not be the father or mother of the one to be baptized.
So the primary purpose is to take care of the Catholic faith formation, and it does not hold them accountable to taking care of the child in the future.
Upvote:-3
In times of old, it was not uncommon for the parents of a child to die, leaving no relatives behind. In such a case, who would get the child? Perhaps the church, if parents where part of it, or the child would be on its own. Thus, I think god parenting came out of need for the child. It is called compassion.
More post
- 📝 Does any Catholic Liturgical Rite follow the Ad Orientem form of Holy Mass?
- 📝 If John wrote the 4th Gospel, why did he not name himself or his brother?
- 📝 Is the Hypostatic Union a contradiction?
- 📝 How would young earth creationist explain Omicron Variants?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for Christians NOT to quit their jobs, sell all their possessions, and preach the gospel?
- 📝 What does Classic Dispensationalism teach about the eternal state?
- 📝 For whom did Solomon write Proverbs?
- 📝 According to Trinitarians, can a Person of the Trinity add a new nature whenever He wants to?
- 📝 Why can the Catholic Church declare one person a saint but has never declared another damned?
- 📝 Does 1st Corinthians chapter 15 say that we will have a permanent physical life?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, why did God create men as men rather than as angels?
- 📝 Is there evidence that Arius "reformulated" his Christology post-exile?
- 📝 How do sola-scriptura adherents reconcile the role of the Holy Spirit as a teacher?
- 📝 How does Christianity respond to scientific theory that Man originated through evolution?
- 📝 What is the significance of water from Jesus' side?
- 📝 According to the Catholic Church, is there a missing line between Verses 4 and 5 of John Chapter 2?
- 📝 What did Pope Francis mean when he said "who am I to judge" h*m*sexuals?
- 📝 Does Joyce Meyer preach salvation by faith in Jesus alone (ie not works)?
- 📝 According to Latter-day Saints, what are the strongest apologetic arguments for the divine inspiration of the Book of Mormon?
- 📝 Do we love the world in the same way that Jesus loved the world?
- 📝 Did John know Jesus was the Messiah and Son of God during Jesus's baptism?
- 📝 Was Christ's suffering unusually harsh for the standard of the Roman times?
- 📝 Was "peace be with you" a common greeting in the Early Church?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for Christians being instructed to tithe (10%) of their income to the modern day 'church'?
- 📝 According to Evangelical Christians, what does a person need to believe about Jesus in order to be saved?
- 📝 Evidence towards Christianity
- 📝 How big was the wilderness in which John the Baptist lived and preached?
- 📝 Is there a list of popes by autonomous particular church?
- 📝 What is an overview of the way Adam and Eve ate and became like God?
- 📝 How much realization of one's own sinfulness is needed for a person to be saved?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What is the purpose of Prayer?
- 📝 What is the purpose of a Rosary?
- 📝 What is the purpose and meaning of the Christian Flag?
- 📝 What is the purpose and basis for the special garments issued to temple-going Mormons?
- 📝 What is the origin and purpose of a new bishop being questioned by a layperson?
- 📝 What is the purpose and basis of the stigmata?
- 📝 What was the purpose to animal sacrifices?
- 📝 What is the purpose of minor basilicas?
- 📝 What exactly was the purpose of the Council of Nicea?
- 📝 What is the purpose of church discipline?
- 📝 What is the purpose of baptism for sola fide adherents?
- 📝 What do those who practice the gift of 'tongues' consider the purpose to be?
- 📝 What is the purpose of describing who is son of who?
- 📝 What was the Original Purpose of Fasting from "Wine" and "Olive Oil" in the Orthodox Tradition?
- 📝 What is the purpose of Genesis 1-9 according to non-YEC Trinitarians?
- 📝 What was the purpose of creating the world?
- 📝 What exactly is the purpose of a Patron Saint?
- 📝 For what purpose were the "Chosen People" chosen?
- 📝 What is the purpose of marriage in light of 1 Cor 7?
- 📝 What are the requirements for godparents in the Roman Catholic Church?
- 📝 What is the purpose of godparents?
- 📝 According to the LDS Church, what is the purpose or result of proxy baptisms for those who have already died?
- 📝 What is the purpose of the Tree of Life according to YEC?
- 📝 What is the purpose of attending the mass and going to Confession?
- 📝 What is the purpose of other planets and solar system according to the bible?
- 📝 According to the Orthodox church, what is the purpose of the Bible?
- 📝 What is the purpose of offering a mass for someone?
- 📝 According to LDS, what is the purpose of the final judgment?
- 📝 What is the purpose of asceticism?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, what is the purpose of praying for the dead?