gift for baby baptism catholic image
Vanessa
I'm 18 and my sister asked me to be her baby's godmother and I accepted. What do I have to do or say in front of the church? What does it mean to be a godmother?
Answer
Congrats on being asked to be a godmother! That is a great honor, and a great responsibility. I can only speak of the role of a godmother from a Catholic perspective, but I'm sure most other Christian religions are similar in this area.
Before the baptism, there probably won't be much that you have to do. Some churches like to have the godparents attend the pre-baptismal class, but most don't. At the actual baptismal ceremony, you will be expected to stand with the parents (and the godfather) and to promise to help them to raise the child as a Christian. Sometimes, the godmother holds the baby and sometimes they have other small roles in the ceremony - I would ask the minister or priest who is performing the ceremony ahead of time what exactly they expect.
After the baptismal ceremony, you are expected to help the parents with the religious upbringing of the child. You do this by being involved in the child's life and living your own life in a way that is an example to the child of good Christian living. Also, you can look for little opportunities to reinforce the importance of religion. For example, you might send your godchild a card on the anniversary of their baptism (like you might for a birthday). You could try to get toys that have a religious theme when you're buying gifts (for example, Fisher Price makes a great Noah's Ark Little People set that fits the bill). You could attend church with the family on occasion. And so on - exactly how you fill this role is up to you. Finally, if something happens to the parents, you are expected to do everything that you can to ensure that the child continues to be brought up in the religion that you share.
Note that nowhere in the "job description" above does it state that you have to become the child's guardian if something were to happen to the parents. The role of godparent is NOT a legal role, and will not hold up in court. If the parents do want you to be the legal guardian, as well, they should put this in their will - I'd suggest that they work with a lawyer to make sure that they do this correctly. Often, though, the parents will choose someone other than the godparents to raise their children if the unthinkable happens. All you would have to do is make every attempt to ensure that the child goes to someone who will nurture their religious life, and continue to be as involved as you can in their life after that.
Best of luck in your new godparenting adventure. God bless!
Congrats on being asked to be a godmother! That is a great honor, and a great responsibility. I can only speak of the role of a godmother from a Catholic perspective, but I'm sure most other Christian religions are similar in this area.
Before the baptism, there probably won't be much that you have to do. Some churches like to have the godparents attend the pre-baptismal class, but most don't. At the actual baptismal ceremony, you will be expected to stand with the parents (and the godfather) and to promise to help them to raise the child as a Christian. Sometimes, the godmother holds the baby and sometimes they have other small roles in the ceremony - I would ask the minister or priest who is performing the ceremony ahead of time what exactly they expect.
After the baptismal ceremony, you are expected to help the parents with the religious upbringing of the child. You do this by being involved in the child's life and living your own life in a way that is an example to the child of good Christian living. Also, you can look for little opportunities to reinforce the importance of religion. For example, you might send your godchild a card on the anniversary of their baptism (like you might for a birthday). You could try to get toys that have a religious theme when you're buying gifts (for example, Fisher Price makes a great Noah's Ark Little People set that fits the bill). You could attend church with the family on occasion. And so on - exactly how you fill this role is up to you. Finally, if something happens to the parents, you are expected to do everything that you can to ensure that the child continues to be brought up in the religion that you share.
Note that nowhere in the "job description" above does it state that you have to become the child's guardian if something were to happen to the parents. The role of godparent is NOT a legal role, and will not hold up in court. If the parents do want you to be the legal guardian, as well, they should put this in their will - I'd suggest that they work with a lawyer to make sure that they do this correctly. Often, though, the parents will choose someone other than the godparents to raise their children if the unthinkable happens. All you would have to do is make every attempt to ensure that the child goes to someone who will nurture their religious life, and continue to be as involved as you can in their life after that.
Best of luck in your new godparenting adventure. God bless!
Do Catholics still believe that unbabtized babies go to limbo and or hell?
Colin
What about Christians who are non-Catholic's; what is their eternal fate?
Answer
I agree with the Catechism (http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c1a1.htm#1261):
As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus' tenderness toward children which caused him to say: "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,"64 allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism.
the Vatican's International Theological Commission did create a 41-page document, titled "The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Baptized," (http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cti_documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070419_un-baptised-infants_en.html). The document outlined several ways by which unbaptized babies might be united to Christ consist with Catholic teachings on salvation and baptism:
-- A "saving conformity to Christ in his own death" by infants who themselves suffer and die.
-- A solidarity with Christ among infant victims of violence, born and unborn, who like the holy innocents killed by King Herod are endangered by the "fear or selfishness of others."
-- God may simply give the gift of salvation to unbaptized infants, corresponding to his sacramental gift of salvation to the baptized.
I agree with the Catechism (http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c1a1.htm#1261):
As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus' tenderness toward children which caused him to say: "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,"64 allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism.
the Vatican's International Theological Commission did create a 41-page document, titled "The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Baptized," (http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cti_documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070419_un-baptised-infants_en.html). The document outlined several ways by which unbaptized babies might be united to Christ consist with Catholic teachings on salvation and baptism:
-- A "saving conformity to Christ in his own death" by infants who themselves suffer and die.
-- A solidarity with Christ among infant victims of violence, born and unborn, who like the holy innocents killed by King Herod are endangered by the "fear or selfishness of others."
-- God may simply give the gift of salvation to unbaptized infants, corresponding to his sacramental gift of salvation to the baptized.
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