Case XLII: Sponsors of Children Receiving Confirmation

Case.—Father Gilbert, at a Confirmation in his parish, acted as one of the sponsors for the boys, while a sister of the parish school exercised the same office for the girls. On another occasion he asked parents to stand as sponsors for their own children.

Questions:

1. Does the Church allow nuns to be sponsors for children in their reception of Confirmation?

2. Are parents allowed to be sponsors for this Sacrament?

3. Are priests permitted to act in this capacity?

Solution.—1. The Church has enacted a law whereby Religious (stricte dicti) are forbidden to act as sponsors either for the Sacrament of Baptism or of Confirmation. The reason for this is clear. The Church has always looked upon the obligation of a sponsor as a real and a sacred one. She commands under pain of sin that sponsors be had for both these Sacraments and she desires that the faithful be instructed as to the meaning and duties of this position. Moreover, she wishes them to realize that sponsorship is no mere matter of form. Hence she seeks to admit only those who can properly and conscientiously fulfill the duties of this relationship. Now Religious, at least those who have taken solemn vows, cannot live up to the obligations demanded of sponsors. They are no longer masters of their own time or will and the duties of community life absolutely interfere with the fulfillment of the duties of sponsors. Hence the Church wisely declares that she will not accept such Religious as god-parents, even for Confirmation. Members of religious Orders who are not bound by solemn vows are not affected by the letter of this law; they are, however, by its spirit; for the selfsame reason operates in their case, as in the case of the religious of the solemn vow. While this view would hold true as a general rule, yet circumstances might arise which would make an exception advisable or even necessary. Where no other sponsors could be had then Nuns of the simple vow, as, for instance, Sisters of Charity, or Dominican or Franciscan Sisters, could legitimately be used as god-parents. Such was the tenor of the decision of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, February 15, 1887.

Again, if a religious is to be confirmed, then, indeed, a fellow religious may and should be selected as a sponsor, for in this case the purpose of the Church in requiring sponsors can be better realized by a religious than by one who is not. So that, absolutely speaking, when necessity requires it, a Nun (positis ponendis) may act as a god-parent.

2. Parents may act as god-parents for their own children when there is no one else to assume this role. However they are not sponsors in the legal sense of the term, but only act the part materialiter, by assisting the priest to carry out the ceremonies. Hence the Holy Office decided (Sept. 15, 1869), that spiritual relationship was not produced by such sponsorship.

3. Priests are permitted to become sponsors except when they administer the Sacrament. In this latter case they are strictly forbidden to assume the rôle of sponsor. This was manifested by the decree of the Congregation of the Propaganda, September 21, 1843.