Godparent

A godparent, in most denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather and a female godparent is a godmother. The child is a godchild.

Christianity

Traditionally, the godparents were counted informally responsible for ensuring that the child's religious education was carried out, and for caring for the child should he/she be orphaned. Today the latter duty is the most commonly recognized duty of a godparent, and the word "godparent" often no longer has religious overtones. The modern definition of godparent is an individual chosen by the parents to take a vested interest in raising a more complete human being. However, godparent is not a legal position, and should the parents seriously intend the godparents to act as foster parents in case of their death, this must be legally specified through the usual means (such as a will).

At least in the Anglican church, prospective godparents must be at least christened before they can take on this responsibility. The Roman Catholic Church also requires that the godparents have undergone Confirmation.

A godparent may, or may not, be related to the child.

Roman Catholic church

In the Roman Catholic church, only church members are accepted as godparents. Someone who belongs to another Christian denomination cannot become a godparent but is known as a Christian Witness, with most of the regular role of a godparent. Non-Christians are not at all eligible to any religious role formalized by the church. This is based on the view that the godparent-godchild relationship is not something which is just between the persons and God, but a whole-Church event wherein the Holy Spirit dwells.

A Godparent is regarded as a patron saint on earth, who prays for the newly baptised, looks after them spiritually and gives them guidance. The Catholic Church sees Baptism as an entry into the Kingdom of God, and entry into the Church.

Judaism

There are two roles in the Jewish circumcision ceremony which are sometimes translated as godparent. The sandaq holds the baby boy while he is circumcised. Among Orthodox Ashkenazi the kvater (or kvaterin if female) is the person who takes the child from his mother and carries him into the room in which the circumcision is performed.

Islam

The closest resemblance of the role of godparent in the Islamic world is someone called a Shaikh. The term Shaikh (and his/her role) is generally attributed to the Sufism practices in Islam but this is certainly not limited to this softer version of the third Monotheist religion. The practice is also common in Muslims (mostly scholars who follow a more formal educational system) who take pride in not being involved in Sufism. Also, in its Islamic incarnation, the godparent/child relationship does not require a child to be aged to the generic 'children age'. One can become a Mureed anytime in his life to a Shaikh (Godparent). The word Mureed is derived from the the Arabic word 'Irad' which means resolve. The Mureed is someone how has made a resolve to 'know' God (referred to as Irfan) and to please Him throughout his life. The equivalent of 'baptism' is called 'Bait' which is Arabic for 'allegiance'.

A stark difference between Islamic domain of Godparent/godchild relationship and that of Christianity and Judaism is that the former treats this as an relationship that undertakes a spiritual learning that can be started at any age while the later is largely related to ceremonial activities that are taken up when someone is inducted into the fold of the particular belief system.

Non-religious context

In some cultures, the word for "godparent of one's child" is used for any, or certain, very close friends. This is the meaning of the Spanish compadre and comadre, the French commère and compère, and the archaic meaning of the English word gossip (from godsib, "god-sibling").

Godparent is also used, in absence of a "religious reason", as a stated person (be it family member or close friend) who is responsible for the child in the event of both parents' demise or incapacition.

Folktales often feature a fairy godmother, a fairy who acts as a mentor to a main character.

Quotes

• "Italians have a little joke, that the world is so hard a man must have two fathers to look after him, and that's why they have godfathers" - Tom Hagen to Jack Woltz, from Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Book I p.60.