The Godfather

31/12/07 15:07 Filed in: General
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The tradition of godparents started in the fourth century, when the Romans were persecuting the members of the newly-formed Christian Church. The godparent, in those times, was to attest to the faith of the adult who wanted to join the Christian church, ensuring they were not a Roman spy.

Over the centuries, this role has changed. No longer is the focus on the adult, but rather the child. No longer is the concern about religious persecution (although this still does exist) but rather the bringing up of the child within the Christian faith. Outside the Catholic Church, godparents generally should have a belief in God and an understanding of the principles of the Christian faith, be Baptised and ideally Confirmed within the Church. It's rather more strict within the Catholic faith. There are 19 personal characteristics that disqualify a person as a godparent, including not living his or her faith in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church such as not going to Mass, or using birth control.

Outside of any particular Christian denomination, the role of godparents seems to be as varied as parents themselves. Some choose godparents to be guardians of their child/children should they die unexpectedly. Others choose godparents to be a moral compass to help them guide the child as they grow into a full human being in their own right. There are many reasons for choosing a godparent, and it's not usually taken lightly by the parents of the child.

"This is all very interesting", I hear you say, "But what is this all about???

Well...

bearing in mind what you have just read (sourced from many sites on the internet), I was asked and, as of the 30th of December 2007 became a godfather to the daughter of close friends of mine.

...You can stop laughing now. :)

PS: I just looked at the date. This will be my last blog entry of 2007.
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