Case 8. Non-catholic Sponsors

Julius, a missionary in England, at the customary time on a certain Sunday goes to the church to administer Baptism if there should happen to be anyone to be baptized. He finds an infant to be baptized with a godmother and Tullius, a Catholic, who says that he is acting as proxy for the infant’s uncle, who promised to be the godfather. Questioned about the uncle, Tullius says that he is an Anglican, but rich, and that the infant’s parents entertain no slight hopes from him. Julius, however, is doubtful what he ought to do in the case. Hence it is asked:

1. Who and how many can or ought to be sponsors?

2. What are the obligations of sponsors?

3. Can a non-Catholic sponsor be admitted at a Catholic Baptism, or a Catholic at a heretical baptism?

4. What is to be said of the case?

1. Who may be sponsors in Baptism and how many may there, or ought there, to be?

All who have attained the use of reason and have been baptized themselves may be sponsors unless they are expressly excluded by law. The following are excluded: “ The parents of the person baptized, if both are living, heretics, those who are excommunicated, or interdicted, public criminals or people without reputation, those who ill are ignorant of the rudiments of the Faith, and members of Religious Orders. Others are sometimes prohibited by Provincial law, as the following in England: those who have not reached the age of puberty, those who have not been confirmed or who have not made their Easter duties, and ecclesiastics.”¹

1 Manual of Moral Theology, vol. ii, p. 60.

According to the Council of Trent one only, whether male or female, or at most one male and one female may be admitted as sponsors.

2. What are the duties of sponsors?

They answer for the person baptized at Baptism, receive him from the hands of the minister after Baptism, and if necessary act as his instructors in the Faith.

3. May a non-Catholic sponsor be admitted in Catholic Baptism, or may a Catholic be sponsor in non-Catholic Baptism?

No; both are prohibited as being communicatio in sacris.

4. The case. Julius can not allow the Anglican uncle to be sponsor in Baptism for a Catholic child. If he is afraid that great offence would be given to the parties concerned if he were openly to refuse to allow him to be sponsor the easiest way out of the difficulty would be to let the godmother, who is a Catholic, act alone without saying anything to Tullius. The latter would be permitted to stand by while the Baptism was being administered, but he would not be allowed to touch the child.