Canon law may state what the expectation of the church may be in regards to procedures etc. but than there is the knowledge the cleric and/or layperson may have about that law. Even when a person is well informed that doesn't mean the law will be practiced or followed in every case. Ideals are one thing but what people practice is another. George
Sent from my iPad On Feb 9, 2016, at 7:28 AM, Margaret Vicente <[email protected]> wrote: > The Church has come a long way and has gone through many reforms. Not to > contradict what has been said I it is important to note Priests do not fudge > anything as they are heavily audited. Secondly Canon law allows for two > Godparents. > > Title BAPTISM (Cann. 849-878) Chapter IV > > SPONSORS > > Can. 873 There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one > of each. > Can. 874 §1. > 2/ have completed the sixteenth year of age, unless the diocesan bishop has > established another age, or the pastor or minister has granted an exception > for a just cause. > > > > Quoting: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P2Y.HTM > > > > Confirmation: > > CHAPTER IV. > > SPONSORS > > Can. 892 Insofar as possible, there is to be a sponsor for the person to be > confirmed; the sponsor is to take care that the confirmed person behaves as a > true witness of Christ and faithfully fulfills the obligations inherent in > this sacrament. > > Can. 893 §1. To perform the function of sponsor, a person must fulfill the > conditions mentioned in ⇒ can. 874. > > §2. It is desirable to choose as sponsor the one who undertook the same > function in baptism. > > > > Quoting:http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P34.HTM > > > > Cheers. > > Margaret > > > > On Tue, Feb 9, 2016 at 2:47 AM, 'Susan Murphy' via Azores Genealogy > <[email protected]> wrote: > You are most probably right Joanne! When my ten year old was the godfather > to our youngest, the godmother was my own aunt, who was past middle age:) > Her godmother passed away in 1995 but she still have her brother as her > godfather! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and insight! > > Susan > > On Feb 8, 2016, at 12:30 PM, Joanne Mercier <[email protected]> wrote: > >> It is possible that a priest would have fudged the age requirement as long >> as the teens were already Confirmed - that requirement weighs most against a >> year or 2 age differential. Then there are other priests who use liberal >> doses of "pastoral judgement" for any number of personal reasons and their >> actions can cause some confusion when trying to track down or understand >> this kind of information. In the case of your older son, for example, if the >> godmother for your younger son met all the church requirements then the >> priest allowed, without explanation, your older son to "stand in" and may or >> may not have included him in the official records because, again by law, >> only 1 godparent is really required at a baptism (a little known fact in 2 >> are considered traditional and rarely discouraged). I won't judge the >> resulting action but it might have helped you understand the process better >> had he explained what he was doing at the time. >> >> Just so you know, this is the area of Catholic Church I work in so I am very >> well versed in it. If I don't know an answer regarding church records I at >> least know where to look it up or who to ask for clarification. When I >> retire I might try that rainy day project and look closer at the godparents >> of my ancestors - might be fun! >> >> Joanne Grota Mercier >> >>> On Feb 8, 2016, at 1:29 PM, 'Susan Murphy' via Azores Genealogy >>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> I believe you are right but on just a personal note on our family......two >>> of our siblings ages 14 and 15 were godparents to one of my sons in 1968, >>> my cousin age 15 was godmother to my oldest in 1966, and our oldest son >>> aged 10, was godfather to our youngest in 1977. These were in three >>> different parishes in California. There was no mention of any problem with >>> their ages at the baptisms. >>> >>> It would be interesting to look at our Azorean records as we could figure >>> this out many times if we have extracted the records of the siblings of the >>> parents as they were so often the godparents.....one of those rainy day >>> projects, LOL. >>> >>> Susan Vargas Murphy >>> >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> >>> On Feb 8, 2016, at 8:12 AM, Joanne Mercier <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> According the Roman Catholic Code of Canon Law the age is 16 unless a >>>> bishop establishes it otherwise. This has been in effect for centuries and >>>> remains so today. >>>> >>>>> On Feb 7, 2016, at 10:24 PM, Sme <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Hello. >>>>> >>>>> Does anyone know or have a good guess as to what age "children" were able >>>>> to act as godparents in a baptism in the 1600s and up? >>>>> >>>>> Thank you. >>>>> Suzanne >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> For options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail >>>>> (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at >>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the >>>>> right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my >>>>> membership." >>>>> --- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>>> "Azores Genealogy" group. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>>>> email to [email protected]. >>>>> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/azores. >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> For options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail >>>> (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at >>>> http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right >>>> that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership." >>>> --- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>> "Azores Genealogy" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>>> email to [email protected]. >>>> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/azores. >>> >>> >>> -- >>> For options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail >>> (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right >>> that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership." >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "Azores Genealogy" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to [email protected]. >>> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/azores. >> >> >> -- >> For options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail >> (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right >> that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership." >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Azores Genealogy" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/azores. > > -- > For options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail > (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right > that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership." > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Azores Genealogy" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/azores. > > > > -- > Margaret M Vicente > -- > For options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail > (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right > that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership." > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Azores Genealogy" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/azores. -- For options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership." --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Azores Genealogy" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/azores.
