A reader writes:
Hi Jimmy! I have a question…..In regards to a Catholic standing in as a godparent for a Greek Othodox baptism, is it permissible? Would a church is schism with Rome be acceptable for a Catholic to be godparent or is it still considered ‘christian witness’? I know that presently they are working to bring them back to Rome, but I thought I read a Catholic Answers book long ago that said we could not be godparents to other denominations. Can you clarify this for me?
A Catholic can serve as a godparent per se (not just a "witness") for a child being baptized in an Eastern Orthodox church. The Principles and Norms for Ecumenism first state the general principle that:
98. It is the Catholic understanding that godparents, in a liturgical and canonical sense, should themselves be members of the Church or ecclesial Community in which the baptism is being celebrated. They do not merely undertake a responsibility for the Christian education of the person being baptized (or confirmed) as a relation or friend; they are also there as representatives of a community of faith, standing as guarantees of the candidate’s faith and desire for ecclesial communion.
But then it goes on to note several exceptions to this, including:
A Catholic is not forbidden to stand as godparent in an Eastern Orthodox Church, if heshe is so invited. In this case, the duty of providing for the Christian education binds in the first place the godparent who belongs to the Church in which the child is baptized.
The document thus envisions and allows a situation in which there is one Eastern Orthodox godparent and one Catholic godparent at an Eastern Orthodox baptism.
Jimmy, do you know if this is one of those situations where the EO would refuse it even though the catholic church permits it?
What about a Trinitarian Protestant? Is that permitted?
Also, is it really wise to do such a thing?
Jimmy, do you know if this is one of those situations where the EO would refuse it even though the catholic church permits it?
Some would, some would not.
I’ve been to Orthodox liturgies where they didn’t really want Catholics to even stay in the building during Communion, and I’ve been to Orthodox liturgies where Catholics were explicitly invited to receive Communion. And the two Orthodox churches that come to mind in particular were not six miles from each other.
That’s probably why you had two Orthodox churches so close to each other.
Indeed, what about the Separated Brethren? Don’t you think that if a believing Protestant couple wanted Catholics to be godparents, that if they died, they’d be ok with the children raised as Catholics?
I think that the “official” word from the Eastern Orthodox standpoint would be that an RC cannot stand as Godparent, and there is no position of “Christian Witness” in the EO Church. This would be similar to the view of the RC Church (if I am not mistaken) that RCs can receive the sacraments in EO parishes if necessary – but the Orthodox would officially state that RCs (and any non-EO) are not permitted to participate sacrimentally in the EO Church. The Roman Church holds the “two-lung” theory, while the this theory is in contradiction to EO dogma.
Any priest or bishop who states otherwise is acting “solo” – apart from the canons of the EO Church (which are supposed to be observed by all EO).
That’s probably why you had two Orthodox churches so close to each other.
No, the Orthodox Christians were a large percentage of the area population, and the two churches served communities, with different national heritages, in different towns.
Bad grammar. That’s what I get for re-arranging sentences.
It should say “the two churches served two different communities, with different national heritages, in different towns.”
But even the Greek Orthodox churches in those two towns had different policies on intercommunion.
And yes, I understand that the Greek priest who was inviting Catholics to Communion was acting on his own, not in accord with the rest of the Greek Orthodox Church. My point was that Catholics may in fact be invited to do things in some Orthodox churches that they aren’t invited to do in others, regardless of official policy.
I must state that it is absolutely forbidden for a non-Orthodox Christian to participate in Orthodox Christian sacramental services as Godparents etc. That would not preclude them for standing near-by the family as a way of inclusion but is not to say they were serving as Godparents which is a specific sacramental function. This is the case with ALL Orthodox Christian services. Any Orthodox Priest who does otherwise without the explicit permission from his bishop is risking spiritual court and other sanctions.
It is sad that the churches have these policies as the people of both churches basically recognize each other as equals even though the “official policy” of the churches states otherwise.
I am married to a Roman Catholic and I am Greek Orthodox and we equally respect each other as good christians. We attend services at each others churches and feel comfortable in both since it is worshipping the same thing.
It is sad that we are going to be forced to make a painful decision as to where we baptize our children. We wish we could have our relatives be godparents and have each side participate as they did for our wedding but this will be hard. Regardless of the choice we make though, we intend to have our children participate in both. We wil be attenidng services in both churches and they wil learn about. I am sure God wil not mind.
I believe the solution may be to force the unity by having the regular people take action. In the words of Bono, “Dream Out Loud”.
One thing I was thinking was that if someone hypothetically baptizes them in both do you think God will punish us. I HIGHLY doubt that.
If these issues are not addressed by the churches the results will be: 1) lost members in both churches, 2) people will consider themselves members of both anyway and participate anyway. It is time to put aside all academic discussions about the unity and start seeing as to what is happening to members in our world today. What was written and said 1,000 years ago means nothing to me in terms as how I treat Catholics, other Orthodox and people of all other beliefs and non-beliefs. I consider anyone who professes a love of God and Jesus and whose actions are consistent with the teachings of Jesus as a good Christian regadless of whether and where they were baptized.
It is sad that these churches are being kept apart at the higher levels of the churches when the people in them do not see a difference. It is time this be addressed for the spiritual and emotional well being of all Christians.
Hello me and my husband just started to go to a byzantine catholic church about 3 years ago and we love it very much, it’s all the same with the Orthodox..We just had our little girl and we will be baptizing her there, it’s very hard about marrying the person you love to make sacrifices and where to baptize. I’m Orthodox and I will be baptizing our child byzantinian, so that way she has both the Orthodox and the Catholic with her..