proxy godparents

WeWishUAMerryXmasNANappyNewYr · 2006-12-20T01:27:17+00:00

can they stand in for someone who will actually be there but is in the process of getting baptised themselves?

nearlythree · 20/12/2006 11:46

Dd1 has a godparent who couldn't make the service. I'm sure there will be no problem in sorting this out.

Tommy · 20/12/2006 12:10

presumably the god parent will have to be baptised before the gos child so they can take the promises? Can't see a problem with it - talk to the minister

Original poster

WeWishUAMerryXmasNANappyNewYr · 20/12/2006 12:39

tommy do you mean the god parent or the "stand in?"

OP posts:

nearlythree · 20/12/2006 12:56

My dcs are baptised CofE and none of their godparents have been asked if they are baptised themselves. My dh isn't baptised either.

poppy101 · 20/12/2006 13:00

You can have proxy godparents, we did for our lo. Only thing is the vicar of our church wanted the actual god parents to be baptised or wanted the majority of the god parents to be baptised. Overlooked one of the godparents (just said he was getting baptised soon). Didn't mind about proxy godparents though. We had two proxy godparents.

poppy101 · 20/12/2006 13:01

You can have proxy godparents, we did for our lo. Only thing is the vicar of our church wanted the actual god parents to be baptised or wanted the majority of the god parents to be baptised. Overlooked one of the godparents (just said he was getting baptised soon). Didn't mind about proxy godparents though. We had two proxy godparents.

Original poster

WeWishUAMerryXmasNANappyNewYr · 20/12/2006 13:11

well he asked us to fill a form in and there is a place to tick if you have been baptised or not. i think only one of the parents has to be but all of the god parents have to be baptised. my friend wants to do it so much she is going to get baptised herself, but adult baptism takes longer as you have to go to classes etc, and is likely she won't be baptised in time for the christening. i could ask the vicar if he could oversee it i suppose.

OP posts:

Tommy · 20/12/2006 14:35

errr.... I don't really know abut that then. Cant you wait until she is baptised before baptising your baby?

skill · 20/12/2006 15:18

Oh .. see I read this really quickly, and thought it was a rant against your child's deadbeat spiritual guides, entitled

Poxy Godparents!

Glad yours are not in that category

Original poster

WeWishUAMerryXmasNANappyNewYr · 20/12/2006 16:21

not really. we have already booked it and stupid me didn't think to check before that everyone was baptised - i just assumed they all were.

OP posts:

FioFio · 20/12/2006 16:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

wahwah1270 · 24/11/2008 17:54

Hello

do you know if the catholic church allows god parent by proxy these days - dd is getting christened in Jan and we've just found out that godmother cant make it. would the proxy have to be rc too? any ideas please?

silverbirch · 26/11/2008 12:17

Hi Wahwah,
Yes, the Catholic church does allow God parents by proxy - none of dd's godparents could make her baptism - one friend stood in for all of them.

Don't know if the proxy has to be RC - ours was so I didn't ask - ask your parish priest.

wahwah1270 · 26/11/2008 14:51

thanks silver birch!

hermionegrangerat34 · 26/11/2008 15:04

Would the vicar do her baptism first at the same service, then she could be a godparent immediately?

MommyHasaHeadache · 17/01/2009 10:11

Can I please ask what God parent by proxy means? Does it mean that if the actual God parent can't attend the baptism, we get another friend to stand in for her? Thanks!

misshardbroom · 18/01/2009 13:42

Oooookaay.... at the risk of being shot down in a huge ball of flames, may I ask a question?

Surely it doesn't get the godparent / godchild thing off to a good start if the godparent can't actually prioritise being at the baptism?

I thought (and chose my children's godparents on this basis) that the godparent was someone that you could reasonably foresee having an active presence in the child's life. This doesn't mean that they have to live 2 streets away, but I think it does mean that they have to take it seriously enough to make sure that they're at the baptism. I do realise that you could have a situation where someone who would make a great godparent actually lives overseas or something, and therefore it's hard for them to be at the baptism. But doesn't that also suggest that it's going to be hard for them to be an active, supportive presence in the child's life?

Put it this way, what would it say about your marriage if your DH-to-be wanted to send a proxy to the wedding in his place?

Delphiniums · 31/03/2011 17:30

Bit unfair on someone if they're stuck in Camp Bastion.....

bronze · 01/04/2011 16:56

I'm so glad this thread is here having been dropped in it by yet another Quite upset person. and ddidn't have the energy to ask myself.
Thank goodness for my friend J I am acknowledging you here otherwise all of my beautiful sons godparents would be proxy. Bad enough my parents are not int he country.
I feel lonely and felt I was letting my poor boy down. At least he can still have godparents then and I can ask people I know wont let him down but might not be able to get here at short notice

bronze · 01/04/2011 16:57

sorry my keyboard skips. dropped in by yet another person. I am quite upset

Barbeasty · 03/04/2011 13:39

We had my dad stand in as proxy for his brother as godfather for my DD. My uncle couldn't make it as he couldn't leave his wife who was dying from motor neuron disease.

He has been there completely for DD since, but there was no way I could ask him to leave his wife's deathbed for what is, afterall, one day of a lifetime at a point in DD's life that she won't have her own memories of.

With regards to the OP's question, it would probably be best to explain the situation to the vicar/ priest and see what they say.

bronze · 03/04/2011 15:45

Calmed down a bit. Arranged two proxy godparents and ds3 was christened today. We had a lovely day.