St. Matthew Catholic Church

What are the requirements to be a Godparent/Sponsor?

According to Canon Law 874, Godparents/Sponsors must be at least sixteen years of age and fully initiated in the Roman Catholic Church. This means they have received all three Sacraments of Initiation, which are Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation.

Godparents/Sponsors must also be active Catholics in a state of grace. Godparents/Sponsors can be single, but if they are married or living with a significant other, they must be married by the Catholic Church.

Why is it this required?

The reason behind these requirements is that a godparent’s/sponsor's primary and sole responsibility is to guide your child in the Catholic faith. While being a godparent/sponsor is a great honor, the true and entire purpose of a godparent/sponsor is to serve as a mentor in the Catholic faith to your son or daughter.

Think of it like this: if you want to become a teacher in Oklahoma, you have to be an adult and have met some essential requirements, like graduating high school and having a clean record. Godparent/Sponsors are the teachers of the Catholic faith to your child, and as such, the Catholic Church is responsible for ensuring that they’re qualified to do so.

What if the Godparent/Sponsor I want to choose for my son or daughter does not have all three of their Sacraments?

Unfortunately, they will not be able to serve as godparents/sponsors.

You have two options:

• Find other potential godparents/sponsors who do meet the requirements to baptize your child
• If the godparents/sponsors are willing to become fully initiated in the Catholic Church, they can enroll in an adult Faith Formation Program, receive the Sacraments they are missing, and baptize your child once they’ve received these Sacraments

What if the Godparent/Sponsor I want to choose for my son or daughter is living with a significant other/married civilly, but is not married by the church?

Unfortunately, they will not be able to serve as godparents/sponsors.

You have two options:

• Find other potential godparents/sponsors who do meet the requirements to baptize your child
• If the godparents/sponsors are willing to have their marriage blessed in the Catholic Church, they can start the marriage process, get married by the Catholic Church, and baptize your child once they’ve received the Sacrament of Matrimony

What if I go to a different Catholic parish?

These requirements are written in Canon Law, which is essentially the constitution and set of laws basically by which the entire Catholic Church operates. Because these requirements are part of Canon Law and are not a rule set by each individual parish, every single Catholic parish will ask that the godparents/sponsors have all Sacraments. Regardless of what Catholic Church you go to, they will tell you the same thing.