Sponsor rules for RCIA

[Gnarwhal]

I feel like this is a question I should be answering but I’m questioning my own understanding of it.

Someone on another forum was detailing her husbands start in RCIA and said the catechist told him that OP (his wife) couldn’t be his sponsor. OP told her husband that was wrong, citing six years she spent as a catechist herself.

I thought there were rules against immediate family acting as a converts sponsor just like there are rules about who can be your godparent. I googled and what I saw confirmed that but I couldn’t find an official source like something in the catechism or canon law.

Does anybody have any insight from official sources? Cause I actually feel like OP is the one who’s out of line and not the catechist.

Is that just more of a guideline than a rule?

 

[zippy2006]

Is that just more of a guideline than a rule?

Probably. I am not aware of hard and fast rules on this. It may be up to the discretion of the catechist, priest, bishop, etc. I myself would discourage taking a spouse as a sponsor, as it won't offer much of an opportunity for growth in the faith. In fact what often happens in these situations is that the husband finally gives in to the wife, begins RCIA (OCIA), and when he realizes that he needs a sponsor the wife offers to do it for simplicity's sake.

 

[Gnarwhal]

I myself would discourage taking a spouse as a sponsor, as it won't offer much of an opportunity for growth in the faith.

Yeah that's my thinking as well. I think of the conversations I had with my sponsor and they were really valuable to formation, especially after my confirmation. I just don't think I'd ever have those same conversations with my wife, or if I did they would just land differently because I'm talking about it with her rather than my friend/sponsor.

 

[zippy2006]

Yeah that's my thinking as well. I think of the conversations I had with my sponsor and they were really valuable to formation, especially after my confirmation. I just don't think I'd ever have those same conversations with my wife, or if I did they would just land differently because I'm talking about it with her rather than my friend/sponsor.

Yes, here is the way the Archdiocese of NY puts it (and other RCIA programs tend to reference this document):

Having a spouse or fiancé serve as a sponsor, though permissible, is not generally recommended. It is better to recruit a member of the parish who will enlarge the circle of support for the catechumen or candidate, rather than to rely on a spouse or fiancé who by nature of their relationship already has a central but different role in the person’s life. (https://archny.org/wp-content/uploads/RCIA-Guidelines-October-2019.pdf)​