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Michelle Moore wrote:

Hi, guys —

My best friend recently had a son and she asked me to be the Godparent. On her son's birth certificate, they put his religion as Christian, however, his mom is a Catholic and wants her son to be baptized at the Church she was baptized at.

I have never really classified myself under any religion. Growing up, my family didn't go to church but they would talk to me about God. Over the years, I grew to have my own connection and relationship with God. I still don't know much about the religions in order to choose which one I would be comfortable with but my question is:

  • If I want to be the Godparent to my best friend's son, do I have to be a Catholic?

Michelle

  { If I only have a private faith but want to be a Godparent for my friend, do I have to be a Catholic? }

Eric replied:

Hi, Michelle —

You could potentially be a Christian witness if you are baptized, but you cannot replace a Catholic godparent or be a godparent in the Catholic Church.

In Catholicism, a godparent serves more than just a ceremonial role. A godparent is entrusted with the task of help[ing] the baptized person to lead a Christian life in keeping with Baptism and [fulfilling] faithfully the obligations inherent in it.

In other words, they spiritually help to parent the child in the Catholic faith. Your friend's priest should have explained the requirements for godparent to them. Perhaps the priest has you in mind as a Christian witness. I'd talk this over with your friend and make sure everyone is on the same page.

Eric Ewanco

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