The office and number of sponsors

SPONSORS, according to ecclesiastical law, are used in solemn Baptism to answer for the child baptized, to hold him during Baptism, or to receive him immediately after Baptism from the hands of the minister, and to act as his instructors in the Faith which he received and professed in Baptism.

With regard to those who have Catholic parents, the sponsors may ordinarily presume that the Catholic education of the child will be sufficiently provided for by them; but otherwise the sponsors will be bound, as far as possible, to provide for it.

Sponsors should be employed in private Baptism if at least one can easily be had; if this was not done, they should be employed afterwards when the ceremonies are supplied in the Church (Can. 762, sec. 2).

The Council of Trent ordained, “that in accordance with the appointments of the sacred canons, one person only, whether male or female, or at most one male and one female, shall receive in Baptism the individual baptized; between whom and the baptized, and the father and mother thereof, as also between the person baptizing and the baptized, and the father and mother of the baptized, and these only, shall spiritual relationship be contracted. The parish priest, before he proceeds to confer Baptism, shall carefully inquire of those whom it may concern what person or persons they have chosen to receive from the sacred font the individual baptized; and he shall allow him or them only to receive the baptized; he shall register their names in the book, and teach them what relationship they have contracted, that they may have no excuse on the score of ignorance. And if any others besides those designated should touch the baptized, they shall not in any way contract a spiritual relationship, any constitutions that tend to the contrary notwithstanding.¹

Spiritual relationship between the sponsors and the parents of the baptized person and between the minister of Baptism and the parents was abolished by Canon 768.

In order to be sponsor validly a person must be: (1) Baptized, have the use of reason, and have the intention of being sponsor. (2) He must not belong to any heretical or schismatical body, nor be excommunicated by a condemnatory or declaratory sentence, nor infamous with the infamy of law, nor excluded from acts of law, nor a deposed or degraded cleric.

(3) He must not be the father, mother, or spouse of the person baptized. (4) He must be designated by the person to be baptized, or by his parents or guardians, or failing these by the minister of Baptism.

(5) He must physically hold or touch the baptized person in the act of Baptism, by himself or by his proctor, or immediately raise or receive him from the sacred font or from the hands of the person baptizing (Can. 765).

¹ Sess. xxiv, c, 2, de Ref.

Sponsors are, as it were, spiritual fathers, who lift the baptized person from the sacred font, and, in default of the parents, undertake care of him upon themselves.

250. Principles. - I. In solemn Baptism, under grave obligation, at least one sponsor must be used, whether the sponsor is a man or a woman; nor can more than two licitly be used. Thus the Council of Trent established, sess. 24, c. 2, on Reformation. But if the Parish Priest admitted more than two sponsors, he would sin gravely, because he would harm the precept of the Church imposed under grave obligation, lest relationships be multiplied. - St. Ligorius, n. 154, at the end.

II. That someone be truly a sponsor, the following conditions are required: 1. that he have the use of reason, and himself be baptized; 2. that he have been designated as sponsor by the parents or the Parish Priest; 3. that he touch the baptized person by himself, or at least through another; 4. that he have a true intention of carrying out the office of sponsor. - St. Ligorius, n. 146.

251. Questions. - QUESTION 1. What are the obligations of sponsors?

Resp. They are bound to fulfill the office of teacher in a case of necessity, or when the parents of the little spiritual child are lacking. Hence they are bound to instruct the baptized person concerning the Faith, morals, various obligations, etc. But they are freed from every obligation when they can prudently presume that the baptized person is diligently instructed by the parents. - St. Ligorius, n. 147.

From this, the Priest, after Baptism has been conferred, must admonish the sponsors concerning the obligations undertaken, and besides concerning the spiritual relationship contracted. - But concerning that relationship contracted through Baptism we shall speak where the impediments of matrimony are treated.

QUESTION 2. Whether in private Baptism a sponsor must necessarily be used?

Resp. No, because it does not seem to be required by the Church except for solemn Baptism. Nevertheless, even in private Baptism a sponsor can be used, and is more laudably used. - Thus commonly. - St. Ligorius, n. 147, who nevertheless, n. 149, more probably judges that then spiritual relationship is not contracted.

QUESTION 3. Whether sponsors can be two males or two females?

Resp. No, because Trent established that at most two sponsors can be used, namely a man and a woman. But it is probable that it is only venial if it is done thus. Nevertheless, several with Bonacina think it to be mortal. - This seems truer, says St. Ligorius, n. 155, if the sponsors were of different sex from the infant, because thus relationships would be multiplied, which Trent wished to prohibit; otherwise if they were of the same sex.

252. • QUESTION 4. Whether the sponsor of a male, if he is the only one, must be male, and of a female, female?

Resp. No, more probably; because Trent says: Whether a man or a woman; therefore a man or a woman can be used indiscriminately. - St. Ligorius, ibid.

QUESTION 5. Who are prohibited from being sponsors?

Resp. Validly indeed, but illicitly, the following are sponsors: 1. an Abbot and Monk, or a Religious and Nun of any Order; 2. spouses with respect to spouses, and parents with respect to children; 3. all who are of wicked morals and lost reputation, as heretics, etc. - St. Ligorius, n. 156.

171. On sponsors. - Sponsors, or those who receive, are called those who receive the baptized person from the sacred font. By this they become, as it were, spiritual quasi-parents, because they receive under guardianship and care the baptized person, since he is, as it were, a newly born little one who needs a nurse and pedagogue by whom he may be instructed in faith and Christian life. Namely, sponsors assume this special care (q. 67, a. 7).

Concerning sponsors several determinations of law must be considered:

1. From can. 762 and 763, a sponsor is required a) under grave obligation indeed in solemn Baptism, "as far as can be done," i.e. unless a grave and reasonable cause excuses; whence solemn Baptism ought not to be delayed for a long time because a sponsor cannot be found, as happens more easily in mission places;

b) also in private Baptism, if one can easily be had; but if one was not present, let one be used in supplying the ceremonies, in which case, nevertheless, he contracts no spiritual relationship;

c) when Baptism is repeated under condition: namely, the same sponsor who was present at the prior Baptism is then to be used, as far as can be done; outside this case, in conditional Baptism a sponsor is not necessary, but can licitly be used.

2. Only one sponsor, even of a sex different from the one to be baptized, or at most one man and one woman, are to be used (can. 764). Hence the axiom: One sponsor suffices, two are permitted, three or more are prohibited. The obligation is grave, because the Church wished to prevent relationships from being multiplied (Council of Trent, sess. 24, cap. 2, de ref.). It is a grave sin to use three or more; to use two sponsors of the same sex is reckoned only venial, if the sponsors are of the same sex as the baptized person; if they are of a different sex, it is said by many with St. Alphonsus, Th. M., l. VI, n. 155, to be mortal, because in that case impediments of marriage are multiplied. If several sponsors approach, designated by the parents, the pastor can permit all to be witnesses, indeed even to touch, provided he externally designates one man and one woman, to whom alone he hands the infant, and admonishes them that they alone are true sponsors, and notes them alone as such. Thus St. Alphonsus, n. 154.

3. That someone be a sponsor validly, from can. 765 it is necessary: "1. That he be baptized, have attained the use of reason, and have the intention of carrying out this office; - 2. that 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; - 3. that he be neither father nor mother nor spouse of the one to be baptized; - 4. that he be designated by the one to be baptized or by his parents or guardians, or, if these are lacking, by the minister; - 5. that in the act of Baptism he physically hold or touch the one to be baptized, either by himself or through a proxy, or immediately lift or receive him from the sacred font or from the hands of the one baptizing."

Hence: a) Sponsors are not those who touch the infant but have not been designated by the parents or by the pastor, or who have been designated but do not touch the infant.

b) On the contrary, those are sponsors who, designated by the parents, if they are rejected by the pastor, nevertheless hold the infant; - unless they are rejected on account of defect of a condition required for validity.

c) No one receives the office of sponsor through a proxy unless he consents to this. But that this may be certainly established, the custom is to be reprobated by which an express mandate is not given, but only a proxy is constituted by the parents (S. C. Sacr., July 24, 1925).

4. That someone be licitly admitted as sponsor, from can. 766: "1. That he has completed the fourteenth year of his age, unless another thing seems good to the minister for a just cause; - 2. that he is not, on account of a notorious delict, excommunicated or excluded from legitimate acts (can. 2256, § 2) or infamous with infamy of law, although no sentence has intervened, nor interdicted or otherwise publicly criminal or infamous with infamy of fact; - 3. that he knows the rudiments of the faith; - 4. that he is not a novice or professed in any religion, unless necessity urges and express permission of the superior at least local is had; - 5. that he is not constituted in sacred orders, unless express license of his own Ordinary is added."

The one baptizing himself is not expressly excluded; in the case a proxy must be used (cf. S.C.R., June 14, 1873).

5. The effects of valid reception are: A. An obligation in sponsors "to have the spiritual child perpetually commended to themselves, and, in those things which regard institution in the Christian life, to take diligent care that he show himself throughout his whole life such as they promised by the solemn ceremony that he would be" (can. 769). Wherefore they are bound to take care that the children commended to them be instructed by catechetical instruction (can. 1335).

The obligation is grave since it concerns a grave matter; but it urges only in a case of necessity, when the baptized person needs the care and instruction of the sponsor, as if he is nourished among unbelievers or heretics, or has unbelieving or heretical parents, or parents altogether negligent in the instruction of their child. But if the child is nourished among Catholics, he can be presumed to be sufficiently instructed by the parents until the contrary is established (q. 67, a. 8).

B. Spiritual relationship between the sponsor and the baptized person, in the same way as between the one baptizing and the baptized person, but not between the sponsor and the parents (can. 768). From this relationship there arises a diriment impediment of matrimony (can. 1079), and guilt of spiritual incest in the case in which they sin carnally with one another.

He does not contract spiritual relationship: a) who acted only as proxy in the name of the true sponsor, since this one alone becomes spiritually related; b) who was not sponsor in Baptism, but only in supplying the ceremonies (can. 762, § 2); c) who was only a sponsor in Baptism repeated under condition: for in this case neither the sponsor who was present at the prior Baptism, nor the one at the later, contracts spiritual relationship, unless the same sponsor was used in both Baptisms (can. 763, § 2): for then alone it is established that the sponsor was present in a valid Baptism.

6. The office of the pastor in admitting, designating, and rejecting sponsors is a matter of prudence. Especially:

a) In doubt whether someone can be admitted validly or licitly to the office of sponsor or not, the pastor, if time is available, should consult the Ordinary (can. 767). Otherwise, says Vermeersch, Th. M., III, n. 234, "let him rather keep away the doubtful sponsor; if he cannot do this without serious inconvenience, let him add another certainly suitable one," namely, if a second had not already been designated.

b) "In rejecting the unworthy from the office of sponsor, let the pastor use all prudence and kindness, lest he offend others or harm the good of religion. Hence let him never use harsh and injurious words, but in a gentle way let him say that he is acting solely from the prescriptions of the Church and cannot admit such a person as sponsor," notes Prummer, Th. M., III, n. 147.

c) "When an infant is announced as to be baptized, let the priest already inquire immediately concerning the quality of the sponsors, and not wait until all are prepared in the church. Then immediately let him warn that another sponsor be designated" (ibid.).

d) If from the refusal of an unworthy sponsor very great inconveniences should arise, let him take care that the sponsor does not touch the one to be baptized in the act of Baptism; and if not even this is possible, he can, if grave scandal does not arise from this, tolerate the unworthy sponsor, because the law concerning unworthy sponsors to be rejected is a positive ecclesiastical law which does not oblige with so great an inconvenience. And the same holds in the case of tolerating a heretical or schismatic sponsor, although nevertheless from can. 765 he would not truly be a sponsor.

e) From the prescription of the Ritual, tit. 2, c. 2, n. 31: "The sponsors are to be admonished concerning the spiritual relationship which they have contracted with the baptized person; which relationship impedes Matrimony and diriments it."

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 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).