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Dear Sandra,
Thanks for your question. There is a yes and no to this question.
In the strict sense, No, Baptism is can be valid without sponsors or Godparents, however, it is required by the Church for practical reasons.
Chapter IV.
Sponsors
Canon 872 Insofar as possible, a person to be baptized is to be given a sponsor who assists an adult in Christian initiation or together with the parents presents an infant for baptism. A sponsor also helps the baptized person to lead a Christian life in keeping with baptism and to fulfill faithfully the obligations inherent in it.
Canon 873 There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each.
Canon 874
§1. To be permitted to take on the function of sponsor a person must:
- be designated by the one to be baptized, by the parents or the person who takes their place, or in their absence by the pastor or minister and have the aptitude and intention of fulfilling this function;
- have completed the sixteenth year of age, unless the diocesan bishop has established another age, or the pastor or minister has granted an exception for a just cause;
- be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist and who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on;
- not be bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared;
- not be the father or mother of the one to be baptized.
§2. A baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community is not to participate except together with a Catholic sponsor and then only as a witness of the Baptism. |
Just as babies require nourishment and someone to feed them, spiritual food is necessary for the soul of both infants and adults who are newly baptized. Sponsors and Godparents fulfill that role, especially for the young, should something happen to the parents. We hold that Faith is something that belongs to the community of the Church, and thus it is not simply a private matter, but something that requires assistance, education and encouragement.
This is an ancient practice affirmed by both St. Denis and Hyginus.
Peace,
Bob Kirby
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