The role of a Godparent or a Sponsor is not much highlighted during the celebration of the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. It is principally a role that is carried out in the years following the celebration.

Hopefully there will be many others who support the baptised/confirmed person in all sorts of ways. But the Godparent/Sponsor is there to be a witness and guide in Catholic faith and Catholic living. So the selection of someone to carry out this role is something to be considered carefully.

A person being baptised must have one Godparent and may have two.

To serve in the name of the Church as a Godparent/Sponsor a person should

• have been baptised in the Roman Catholic Church
• have been confirmed
• have received Holy Communion
• am over 16 years old
• attend Mass regularly and live a life of faith that befits the role of Godparent

When one of the parents of a child is not Catholic but a Christian from another tradition, then they may also nominate someone practices their faith in that other tradition. This person is technically called a 'Christian witness' rather than a Godparent, but their role (during the Liturgy and after) is identical , other than they are not called to witness to Catholic faith.

Those being proposed as Godparents/Sponsors or Christian Witnesses will be asked to sign a form to confirm that they meet the Church's requirements, and to have their priest/minister countersign the form