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New Creation
Member
| Joined: | Thu Nov 22nd, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 41 |
| First Name: | Paula | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | wicca 9 yrs, Anglican 5 yrs, RCIA now! |
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Posted: Sun Jan 6th, 2008 02:18 am |
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My husband Lloyd and I spoke to our priest today about baptizing our daughter Meaghan (17 months). He recommended that we have it done before lent , therefore in the next 1,2,3 weeks.
We would like to do it next Sunday on the celebration of Christ's baptism. Can't think of a more appropriate and perfect time. We have been going to this parish for all of a month. A lovely woman about our age with 3 boys has really taken us under her wing. Shannon has sat behind us every week and helped me with the missal, she's invited me to a retreat and has asked her mother who teaches RCIA and other stuff to come up and give a few lessons to us.
Since we are so new to the parish we don't really "know" anyone. Heck, we don't even "know" Shannon but she seems to be a very committed and giving woman who loves Christ. We are going to ask her to be Meaghan's Godmother and hope she says yes.
My husband would also like to ask his mother to be Meaghan's Godmother as well. Margie is a non-practising Catholic whom I know if something were to happen to Lloyd and I, she would definitely see to it that Meaghan went to church and Catholic school and the whole bit. She lives 3000 miles away from us and obviously we would do it by proxy. I understand that the church wants someone who is a practising Catholic. Is that a preference or a requirement?
How about witnesses? what are their roles?
And as far as Godparents go, isn't it a bit redundant? I mean, the parents are supposed to raise the kids up in the faith, right? Is the Godparent just a "backup"?
Thanks!!!!!
____________________
always a seeker
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DrDave
Member
| Joined: | Mon Nov 6th, 2006 |
| Location: | Mildura, Australia |
| Posts: | 211 |
| First Name: | Dave | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Cradle - Lapsed - Renewed Catholic |
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Posted: Sun Jan 6th, 2008 09:00 am |
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Technically for baptism or confirmation one requires a (single) sponsor. This person is to be (from memory) an adult, fully initiated (baptism, confirmation, first Eucharist) Catholic, in good standing (regular attender at mass etc) with not canonical impediments (not being a parent etc).
Traditionally for baptism there are two people who "stand up" for the child being baptized (typically a male and a female) and they are generally referred to as God-parents.
It is not uncommon these days for there to be 1 sponsor and 1 "Christian witness" who take the roles of God-parents and the above requirements only apply to the sponsor. The sacrament creates a canonical bond between sponsor and candidate. For example, In the unlikely event that a male was sponsor for a female, if at a later date they were to desire to be wed, they would need a special dispensation from their already existing relationship before a marriage could happen.
Again technically speaking there is no binding canonical "relationship" between the "Christian witness" and the candidate. Any relationship exists on a human level.
As a case in point our second child had my wife's best friend as his sponsor (they met in RCIA) and my best friend as a Christian witness (He was a member of the Uniting Church of Australia at the time) as far as we are concerned the are his god-parents, as far as he is concerned they are his god-parents but the priest knew which names to write where on the appropriate forms.
Hope this helps
Regards Dave
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Liz65
Member
| Joined: | Fri Sep 14th, 2007 |
| Location: | Maryland USA |
| Posts: | 29 |
| First Name: | Liz | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Multiple Protestant denominations, Episcopalian, Anabaptist |
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Posted: Sun Jan 6th, 2008 12:12 pm |
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| I am looking for some kind of a reply to a protestant friend, sola scriptura type, whose only defense for what she calls "believers baptism", is that "it's scriptural. Any input appreciated .........Blessings Liz
____________________
6. Q. Why did God make you?
A. God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him for ever in heaven.
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David W. Emery
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Brownsville, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 1715 |
| First Name: | David | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic |
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Posted: Sun Jan 6th, 2008 12:47 pm |
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Liz65 wrote:I am looking for some kind of a reply to a protestant friend, sola scriptura type, whose only defense for what she calls "believers baptism", is that "it's scriptural.
The following information comes from another thread in this same area of the forum:1. Col. 2:11: Baptism has replaced circumcision. (Circumcision was mandated at one week after birth, Luke 1:21.) And,
2. I have found no Biblical prohibition against infant baptism. That prohibition seems to have come about as the event was changed from a sacrament to an ordinance. (16th century or later)
Might I suggest that you research the older threads in the Baptism area to come up with more reasons why your friend is wrong? There are really quite a number of them mentioned.
David
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Credo Catholic
Member
| Joined: | Sat May 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | Greenville, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 1212 |
| First Name: | Marsha | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Sun Jan 6th, 2008 02:15 pm |
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| David, would you explain the difference between a sacrament and an ordinance, as they pertain to baptism? My baptism in the baptist church was accepted when I joined the catholic church. Is it what you have called semantics? Was the intent the same? Thanks
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