Chapter V. On Sponsors to be Employed in Baptism

I say. § 1. From the most ancient custom of the Church, no one is to be baptized solemnly unless he has, insofar as can be done, his own sponsor (Can. 762).

This law, as is plain, is grave. - Cf. St. Alphonsus, nn. 146 and 154. - Second Plenary Council of Baltimore, n. 231. - Cretoni, vol. 2, note to n. 805.

Question 1. In private Baptism must a sponsor necessarily be employed?

Resp. § 2. Even in private baptism a sponsor, if he can easily be had, is to be employed; if he was not present, he is to be employed in supplying the ceremonies of baptism, but in this case he contracts no spiritual kinship (Can. 762).

And thus the dispute concerning the necessity of a sponsor in private Baptism is intercepted.

Question 2. In Baptism repeated under condition, is a sponsor necessary?

Resp. § 1. When baptism is repeated under condition, the same sponsor, insofar as can be done, is to be employed who perhaps was present in the former baptism; outside this case, in conditioned baptism a sponsor is not necessary (Can. 763).

Certainly any reasonable cause excuses.

Question 3. Are several sponsors admitted?

Resp. Only one sponsor, although of different sex from the one to be baptized, or at most one man and one woman, are to be employed (Can. 764).

The law seems to us to be grave in the sense that it would be mortal sin to have two men or respectively two women for a girl or for a boy, because spiritual kinship would be multiplied. Perhaps, with some most grave cause urging, the Ordinary having been consulted, it would be licit to employ more than two.

Question 4. What qualities are required that someone be a sponsor?

Resp. In order that someone be a sponsor, it is necessary that:

1st. He be baptized, have attained the use of reason, and have the intention of carrying out that office;

2nd. He belong to no heretical or schismatic sect, nor by condemnatory or declaratory sentence be excommunicated or infamous with infamy of law or excluded from legitimate acts, nor be a cleric deposed or degraded;

3rd. He be neither the father nor mother nor spouse of the one to be baptized;

4th. He be designated by the one to be baptized himself, or by his parents or tutors, or, these being lacking, by the minister;

5th. In the act of baptism, either through himself or through a procurator, he physically hold or touch the one to be baptized, or immediately lift or receive him from the sacred font or from the hands of the one baptizing (Can. 765).¹

¹ Cf. Addenda, p. 1147, n. 120.

Question 5. What qualities are required that someone be licitly admitted as sponsor?

Resp. But in order that someone be licitly admitted as sponsor, it is necessary that:

1st. He have reached the fourteenth year of his age, unless otherwise for a just cause it seems good to the minister;

2nd. He not be excommunicated because of a notorious delict, or excluded from legitimate acts, or infamous with infamy of law, although no sentence has intervened; nor be interdicted or otherwise publicly criminal or infamous with infamy of fact;

3rd. He know the rudiments of faith;

4th. He be a novice or professed in no religion, unless necessity urges and the express permission of the Superior, at least local, is had;

5th. He not be constituted in sacred orders, unless the express permission of his own Ordinary is added (Can. 766). - Cf. St. Alphonsus, n. 156. - Second Plenary Council of Baltimore, n. 231.

Question 6. What must be done in doubt concerning the qualities of one to be admitted?

Resp. In doubt whether someone can validly or licitly be admitted or not to the office of sponsor, the parish priest, if time is available, is to consult the Ordinary (Can. 767).

In a case of persisting doubt, scandal having been removed if any is present, let him himself admit as sponsor the person concerning whom he doubted. - Cf. St. Alphonsus, n. 156. - Kenrick, n. 47. - O'Kane, n. 232. - Lehmkuhl, n. 71. - Acta S. Sedis, vol. 26, p. 448.

Question 7. What are the obligations of a sponsor?

Resp. It belongs to sponsors, from the office undertaken, to have the spiritual child perpetually commended to themselves, and, in those things which regard the instruction of Christian life, to take diligent care that he show himself in his whole life such as by the solemn ceremony they promised he would be (Can. 769).

Question 8. Who contract spiritual kinship?

Resp. From baptism, only the one baptizing and the sponsor contract spiritual kinship with the baptized person (Can. 768).

All other spiritual kinships are excluded from Baptism by this canon: the one baptizing contracts kinship with the baptized person, and the sponsor contracts it with the baptized person; but the one baptizing does not contract it with the sponsor, nor do the sponsors contract it among themselves if there have been two. The new Code resolves certain cases as regards sponsors.

§ 2. Even in private baptism a sponsor, if he can easily be had, is to be employed; if he was not present, he is to be employed in supplying the ceremonies, but in this case he contracts no spiritual kinship (Can. 762).

§ 2. When baptism is repeated under condition, neither the sponsor who was present at the former baptism nor the one who was present at the later contracts spiritual kinship, unless the same sponsor was employed in both baptisms (Can. 763).