Godparent
Pate is an honorary post in Christian churches. The godfather and godmother accompanied or carrying the child to be baptized with the baptism and is witness to the sacraments. His / her name is recorded in the church book. The word inspiration comes from the Latin pater spiritualis or patrinus, "co- father " ( exactly reproduced with the Old German word " godfather ").
- 2.1 Requirements
Catholic Church
In the Catholic Church should, whenever possible, a person being baptized put a person on hand to accompany him on the way to Baptism and to vouch for its proper preparation to the community. For this task, the godfather Office developed over the course of church history. A Godfather takes over at the Christening the responsibility for ensuring that the child can the faith to which it has been christened learn and live independently. Church law presented the sponsorship to 1983 as a "spiritual kinship " is that meant an impediment to marriage.
Requirements
The conditions for the patenting office are at Baptism and Confirmation identical: the guardians, in exceptional cases, the minister of the Sacrament appoint one or two sponsors who must be capable and willing to perform this service. In general sponsors must be initiated at least sixteen years old and fully to lead a life according to faith and be able to carry out their duties as sponsors. Not suitable are the parents of the baptized Catholics and who are subject to a canonical penalty.
The godfather has to be ready to take over the office and his godfather gefirmtes church member of the Catholic Church itself. Evangelical and other Christians ( and non- Christians ) are in accordance with § 2 Code of Canon Law ( Canon Law ) used only as additional Taufzeugen a Catholic godparents or sponsor couple. According to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity ( running in the " Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism of 25 March 1993 " ), because of the close communion between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches of the East, a family member, for example, the Greek Orthodox Church to act as godfather at the baptism of a Catholic infant or adult when simultaneously a Catholic godfather (or godmother ) is available.
Evangelical Church
The sponsors represented against the person being baptized, the Christian community. They should pray for the person being baptized, help him in an emergency and help him to be a living member of the Church of Jesus Christ. Since the confirmation is to be baptized the conscious Yes, Pate Office formally ends with the confirmation of the candidate. A Godfather office does not exist in the Bible. A baptism is valid without a godfather, however, are in children (under 14 years ) at least two godparents are named. At the baptism of adult sponsors are not provided. The number of sponsors - apart from the nobility - limited for a child until the 20th century to two or three.
In the altreformierten Commune commune takes over the function of the godfather.
If the sponsor does not belong to the baptizing community, a mentor license is required, which is issued by the Municipality of The Godfather. This certifies the membership in the community and the associated right to take over the patenting office. In many communities, a sponsor letter will be handed over after baptism. This certifies the appointment of the godfather with the sponsoring office.
Requirements
- The godfather has to be ready to take on the Pate Office and should itself be a member of a Christian church. It should be Protestant himself, if possible at least one of the godparents.
- Evangelical godparents should be confirmed.
- The Godfather Office may not be returned yet, "goes out [ but ] when the godmother or godfather loses the admission to communion, especially in an exit from the church. "
Duties of godparents
The godparents have the task of accompanying the human and religious development of the sponsored child and to support the parents morally and in all educational matters. In this case, the sponsor guarantees the candidate's faith (originally of adult catechumens ). In earlier times the godparents in the event of early death of the parents had a duty of care for the child. This is still sometimes required, however, permitted the patenting office is not in itself to take over the guardianship; may have to be provided for through a will here.
Today, these tasks are partially receded into the background. Sometimes the baptismal sponsorship is limited to the gifting on festive occasions, such as the confirmation or confirmation. However, many sponsors strive to develop a personal relationship with their godchild and do him an interlocutor. Especially in the Catholic faith have some traditions, such as the Palm Stock emerged.
Secular developments
Since traditionally consist of two important tasks of the godparents to accompany the godchild in his human development and to provide for this child in the event of early death of parents, godparents often also be found in non- Christian communities.
This is in Germany at free religious communities (on the occasion of the " consecration " ) or the Humanist Association (on the occasion of the " Name Day " ) optionally provided. The importance of such a sponsorship then depends on the role that actually towards the child take the godfather. Just like a baptismal sponsorship, the sponsors may be given by the relevant philosophical community in the root directory of the family.