FYI Magazine

Keys to selecting a confirmation sponsor

Created on Thursday, 19 May 2016 00:21

Published on Thursday, 19 May 2016 00:21

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In addition to choosing a patron saint, confirmands must select people who will stand with them as confirmation sponsors.

While individual churches may have their own requirements regarding confirmation sponsors, there also are some universal guidelines governing the sponsor selection process. Catholic Canon Law 874 states that confirmation sponsors should meet the following criteria:

Be designated by the confirmand, by the parents or by the person who takes their place or, in their absence, by the pastor or minister. Sponsors must have the aptitude and intention to fulfill this function;
Have completed their sixteenth year of age, unless a diocesan bishop has established another age (some exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis);
Be a Catholic who has been confirmed and already received Holy Communion;
Not be bound by any canonical penalty; and
Not be the father or mother of the one to be confirmed.

Confirmands should also take many things into consideration when selecting their confirmation sponsors. Sponsors should serve as good examples in the Catholic faith, as they will be a mentor to the confirmand.

Another thing to think about is where the potential sponsor lives. He or she should be close enough so that attending meetings and the confirmation ceremony will be possible. It's not a requirement that the sponsor live in the same town, but living nearby can help things go more smoothly.

While teenagers can serve as confirmation sponsors, sometimes it's in a confirmand's best interest to choose a person a littler older so that this person can be a source of advice and guidance.

Confirmands also may benefit from choosing someone with whom they share a deep connection. Conversing and hanging out with one another is commonplace, so it's best to find someone who fits the bill.

Confirmation sponsors are a key component of the sacrament of confirmation. Much like godparents guide young children, sponsors serve as inspirations to young adults.