Godparents,

Proof and
Registration
Can. 872 - 878
 Godparents
Godparents/Sponsors either assist the person in Christian initiation (adult baptism) or
present the child for baptism, and to help it to live a Christian life befitting the baptized
and faithfully to fulfill the duties inherent in baptism (infant baptism).

Requisites of being a Sponsor:

1.) be appointed by the candidate for baptism, or by the parents or whoever stands in
their place, or failing these, by the parish priest or the minister; to be appointed the
person must be suitable for this role and have the intention of fulfilling it;

2.) be not less than sixteen years of age, unless a different age has been stipulated
by the diocesan Bishop, or unless the parish priest or the minister considers that
there is a just reason for an exception to be made;

3.) be a catholic who has been confirmed and has received the blessed Eucharist,
and who lives a life of faith which befits the role to be undertaken;

4.) not labor under a canonical penalty, whether imposed or declared;

5.) not be either the father or the mother of the person to be baptized.
 Godparents
• As much as possible, only Catholics who have received
the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Penance and
Holy Eucharist, and who are mature enough to undertake
this responsibility should be chosen as godparents for
Baptism. They should also know their faith and live up to
the duties of their religion.

• The following, therefore, may not act as godparents:

– non-Catholics or Catholics who have apostatized
(abandoned the Catholic religion);
– criminals, or persons with evil reputation in the community;
– the parents of the infant or, in the case of adults, the wife,
husband or children of the person to be baptized;
 Proof
• At least one Witness who can attest to the conferral of
baptism, unless a sponsor is present

• Valid if there is either:

Declaration of one witness beyond all exception or;
Oath of the one baptized if the person received
baptism as an adult.
 Registration
Pastor of the Place
record in the baptismal register the names of the baptized, with mention made of
the minister, parents, sponsors, witnesses, if any, the place and date of the
conferral of the baptism, and the date and place of birth.

If it concerns a child born to an unmarried mother, the name of the mother must be
inserted, if her maternity is established publicly or if she seeks it willingly in
writing or before two witnesses. Moreover, the name of the father must be
inscribed if a public document or his own declaration before the pastor and two
witnesses proves his paternity; in other cases, the name of the baptized is
inscribed with no mention of the name of the father or the parents.

If it concerns an adopted child, the names of those adopting are to be inscribed

and, at least if it is done in the civil records of the region, also the names of the
natural parents, with due regard for the prescripts of the conference of bishops.

If the baptism was not administered by the pastor or in his presence, the minister of
baptism, whoever it is, must inform the pastor of the parish in which it was
administered of the conferral of the baptism, so that he records the baptism.
 Baptism of Converts
• Converts are "baptized absolutely" after a careful inquiry reveals that they have
never been validly baptized. If the inquiry reveals some doubt as to the validity
of a former Baptism, converts are "baptized conditionally"

• Christian Distinctions
– Christians who separated themselves from Rome historically through schism or
heresy. Separated brethren have valid Baptisms. This means that they are
authentic Christians even if they do not have 100% of the depositum fidei (the
content of Revelation).

– Christian churches, whose members claim that they are also followers of Christ.
However, they have altered the original message of Christ substantially, so that
in fact most of them are just Christians in name. The most common error of these
sects is the denial of the divinity of Christ. Such sects administer some type of
baptism which is not valid. Strictly speaking they are not real Christians.

“
 Formal Abjuration and Solemn
Profession of the Catholic Faith:
• Validly baptized converts are required to make a Formal Abjuration
of their past errors and a Solemn Profession of the Catholic Faith. If
believed advisable, the ceremonies of the Catholic Baptism (without
the Sacramental Ablution or Baptism proper) may be supplied.

• Abjuration
– kneel before the priest in front of the altar,
– place his right hand upon the Book of the Gospels (New Testament, complete
Bible, or Lectionary) held by the priest,
– solemnly read his Abjuration.
 Converts
• Converts who have to receive
Conditional Baptism

• Converts who are Baptized Absolutely

 Converts who have to receive
Conditional Baptism
• If there is doubt as to whether the convert has been baptized, or
whether the previous baptism has been validly conferred, and if
doubt remains after serious investigation, Baptism is to be conferred
conditionally.

• “If you are not yet baptized, I baptize you in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”

• Those who have already been baptized in a non-Catholic ecclesial

community are not to be baptized conditionally unless after
examination of:
– Matter and Form,
– Manner of conferral,
– Intention and faith of Minister, and
– Intention and faith of Subject (if adult),
– there are still present serious reasons for doubting the validity of the previous
baptism.
 Converts who have to receive
Conditional Baptism
• If there is doubt either of the fact or of the validity of the previous
baptism, conditional Baptism is administered with the following
requirements:
– If the candidate is an adult, the doctrine of the Sacrament is explained to him:
– If the candidate is an infant, the reasons for doubt about the validity of the
previous baptism are explained to the parents.
– Finally, after conditional Baptism, the convert makes a Sacramental Confession
of all his sins, and receives Conditional Absolution.

• If his former Baptism was valid, his conditional Baptism was of no

effect, and the Absolution (of the Sacrament of Penance) is
effective.

• If his former Baptism was invalid, his Conditional Baptism washed

his soul from all stain of sin, and the Absolution was unnecessary,
but reverence for the Sacraments was guarded by making them
conditional.
 Converts who are Baptized
Absolutely
• In the case of converts who have never
been baptized, or whose previous
baptisms are proved surely invalid, the
convert is Baptized Absolutely, without
any Abjuration or Confession, since this
Baptism, received in the spirit of faith and
repentance, remits all previous sins.
Converts from non-Catholic Christian churches
in the Philippines
• With respect to the more established Christian churches, conditional Baptism should
be administered whenever there is doubt concerning:
– Matter and Form;
– The Minister's faith and intention, and
– The application of the Matter.

• The following churches are usually considered to administer a valid Baptism in the
Philippines:
– Lutheran Church in the Philippines (LCP)
– United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP)
– United Methodist Church in the Philippines (UMCP)
– Convention of the Philippine Baptist Churches (CPBC)
– Presbyterian Church
– Seventh Day Adventist Church

• The Baptism administered by these churches is to be considered valid. The official

baptismal certificate should be enough proof of its validity. If the candidate cannot
obtain this, a conditional Baptism might be the safest procedure. Let us remember the
important rule:
• “If A Positive Doubt Exists As To The "Fact" Or "Validity" Of Baptism, This Should Be
Repeated Conditionally As This Is A Sacrament Necessary For Salvation. “
Baptism in Other
Religions
Anabaptist and Baptist baptism
• Baptist groups derive their name either from the restrictions
that they traditionally place on the mode and subjects of the
ordinance of baptism or from a shortening of the term
Anabaptist which means to rebaptize.

• Those who hold views influenced by the Baptists, may

perform the ceremony indoors in a baptismal, a swimming
pool, or bathtub, or outdoors in a creek or river: as long as
there is water, nothing prevents the performance of Baptism.

• For Baptists, baptism is a requirement for church

membership, rather than a necessary requirement for
salvation.
 Mormonism
• Baptism is recognized as one of the
four basic principles of the gospel, in
addition to faith in Jesus,
repentance, and the gift of the Holy
Spirit.

• Latter Day Saint baptisms

– "age of accountability," or the
age at which a child begins to
know right from wrong, which is
defined as the age of eight years.
Mormonism rejects infant
baptism. In addition, Mormonism
requires that baptism may only
be performed with one who has
been called and ordained by God
with priesthood authority.
 Mormonism
• Latter Day Saints do not believe that the gift of the Holy Spirit
occurs immediately after baptism; rather, the gift is given by
the laying on of hands in a separate confirmation ritual after
baptism. This ritual is confirmed by Paul's actions in Acts
19:6, where, following the baptism of several followers of
Christ, he "laid his hands upon" those who were baptized and
they then received the Holy Ghost.

• The process of repentance and sanctification continues by

partaking of the Sacrament every Sunday which Latter Day
Saints consider to be a renewal of one's baptismal covenant
with God. They also believe that baptism is symbolic both of
Jesus's death, burial and resurrection and of the death and
burial of the natural or sinful man and rebirth as a disciple of
Jesus of the one baptized.
 Jehovah's Witnesses
• Baptism is also done by
Jehovah's Witnesses, who
believe that baptism is
required to wash their sins
away and to show that they
serve Jehovah. They become
baptised only when they are
old enough to make the
decision that they want to be
baptized and are ready to
dedicate their life to Jehovah
 Baptism of Objects
• The term is sometimes applied, technically improperly, to other
ceremonies, including pious Christian, but non-sacramental
ceremonies:

• The name Baptism of Bells has been given to the blessing of

(musical, especially church) bells, at least in France, since the
eleventh century. It is derived from the washing of the bell with holy
water by the bishop, before he anoints it with the oil of the infirm
without and with chrism within. A fuming censer is then placed under
it. The bishop prays that these sacramentals of the Church may, at
the sound of the bell, put the demons to flight, protect from storms,
and call the faithful to prayer.

• Baptism of Ships
 Non-religious Baptism
• Although even the use of water is often absent, the term
baptism is also used for various initiations as rite of
passage to a walk of secular life.
• In the Flemish variety of Dutch, for example, one word
for academic hazing is schachtendoop ('pledge
baptism'), while it generally involved more soiling
("baptizing" with objects such as rotten food) and other
abuse than cleansing.
Grace of Baptism
 Grace of Baptism
• 1262 - The different effects of Baptism are
signified by the perceptible elements of
the sacramental rite. Immersion in water
symbolizes not only death and purification,
but also regeneration and renewal. Thus
the two principal effects are purification
from sins and new birth in the Holy Spirit.
 For the forgiveness of sins
• By Baptism all sins are forgiven:
• In those who have been reborn nothing remains that would
impede their entry into the Kingdom of God, neither Adam's
sin, nor personal sin, nor the consequences of sin, the gravest
of which is separation from God.

• Yet certain temporal consequences of sin remain in the

baptized, such as suffering, illness, death, and such frailties
inherent in life as weaknesses of character, and so on, as well
as an inclination to sin that Tradition calls concupiscence, or
metaphorically, "the tinder for sin" (fomes peccati);

• Concupiscence "is left for us to wrestle with, it cannot harm

those who do not consent but manfully resist it by the grace of
Jesus Christ.”
 "A new creature"
• Baptism also makes "a new creature," an adopted son of God,
who has become a "partaker of the divine nature,” member of
Christ and co-heir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit.
• Through baptism, the baptized is given sanctifying grace, the
grace of justification:
- enabling them to believe in God, to hope in him, and to
love him through the theological virtues;
- giving them the power to live and act under the
prompting of the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the Holy Spirit;

- allowing them to grow in goodness through the moral

virtues.
Incorporated into the Church,
the Body of Christ
• Baptism makes us members of the Body of Christ: "Therefore
. . . we are members one of another."72 Baptism incorporates
us into the Church:

• "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.“

• By Baptism they share in the priesthood of Christ, in his

prophetic and royal mission. They are "a chosen race, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that [they] may
declare the wonderful deeds of him who called [them] out of
darkness into his marvelous light."75 Baptism gives a share in
the common priesthood of all believers.
Incorporated into the Church,
the Body of Christ
• Being baptized/member of the Church, he belongs no longer
to himself, but to Him who died and rose for us.

• Duties/responsibilities
– called to be subject to others, to serve them in the communion of the
Church, and
– to “obey and submit" to the Church's leaders, holding them in respect
and affection.

• Rights within the Church:

– to receive the sacraments, to be nourished with the Word of God and
– to be sustained by the other spiritual helps of the Church.
 The sacramental bond of the
unity of Christians
• "For men who believe in Christ and have been properly
baptized are put in some, though imperfect, communion with
the Catholic Church. Justified by faith in Baptism, [they] are
incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be
called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as
brothers by the children of the Catholic Church.“

• Baptism therefore constitutes the sacramental bond of unity

existing among all who through it are reborn.
 An indelible spiritual mark
• Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark
(character) of his belonging to Christ.

• The Holy Spirit has marked us with the seal of the Lord
("Dominicus character") "for the day of redemption.”

• "Baptism indeed is the seal of eternal life." The faithful

Christian who has "kept the seal" until the end, remaining
faithful to the demands of his Baptism, will be able to depart
this life "marked with the sign of faith," with his baptismal faith,
in expectation of the blessed vision of God - the
consummation of faith - and in the hope of resurrection.
 In Brief
• Baptism is birth into the new life in Christ. In accordance with
the Lord's will, it is necessary for salvation, as is the Church
herself, which we enter by Baptism.

• The essential rite of Baptism consists in immersing the

candidate in water or pouring water on his head, while
pronouncing the invocation of the Most Holy Trinity: the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
 In Brief
• The fruit of Baptism, or baptismal grace, is a rich reality that
includes forgiveness of original sin and all personal sins, birth
into the new life by which man becomes an adoptive son of
the Father, a member of Christ and a temple of the Holy
Spirit. By this very fact the person baptized is incorporated
into the Church, the Body of Christ, and made a sharer in the
priesthood of Christ.

• Baptism imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual sign, the

character, which consecrates the baptized person for
Christian worship. Because of the character, Baptism cannot
be repeated
 In Brief
Since the earliest times, Baptism has been administered to
children, for it is a grace and a gift of God that does not
presuppose any human merit; children are baptized in the
faith of the Church. Entry into Christian life gives access to
true freedom.
• With respect to children who have died without Baptism, the
liturgy of the Church invites us to trust in God's mercy and to
pray for their salvation.

• In case of necessity, any person can baptize provided that he

have the intention of doing that which the Church does and
provided that he pours water on the candidate's head while
saying: "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit."