It’s not the first time in Italy, but Palermo is among the most important cities to have decided to hold baptisms and confirmations without godfathers and godmothers. It starts on July 1 and goes on for three years. This was decided by the archbishop, Monsignor Corrado Lorefice, with his own decree.
«The role of the Godfather and Godmother, on the occasion of the celebration of the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation», reads the website of the archdiocese, «is a real munus that the Church entrusts to the faithful who havethe aptitude and intention to exercise this office” and that they lead a life in conformity with the faith and with the task they assume”.
And again: «Over time social conventions and consolidated habits have compromised the authentic meaning of this office exercised in the name and by mandate of the Church. Often confused with kinship relationships — if not even with ambiguous ties — and relegated, more often than not, to a mere ritual moment, it has lost the original meaning of accompaniment in the Christian life of the baptized and confirmed, being reduced to a simple “choreographic tinsel” in a religious ceremony».
The Code of Canon law does not consider the institution of godparenthood compulsory. According to the newspaper to come the archbishop of Palermo explained that “the changed pastoral needs of parish communities and the need to give new impetus to sacramental practice lead us to rethink the role of the godfather and godmother”. The hypothesis is that of studying possible new forms of accompaniment that recall and recover the true ecclesial meaning of the office of godfather and godmother.
The decision to suspend godparents for a period of time has already been taken in various Italian dioceses. To stay in Sicily Agrigento, Catania and Mazara del Vallo, but also Grosseto, Viterbo and Ventimiglia-Sanremo, among others.
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Source: Vanity Fair
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