Hello All! My Catholic wedding was almost a year ago, but I'm having a bit of trouble on the baptism front, and since the bump has no catholic or baptism section, and everyone here seems very well informed, I figured it couldn't hurt to put up a little post.
A month ago or so, my husband's cousin and her husband asked me to be the godmother of their beautiful baby girl. I feel so honored! We live in different cities but in the same diocese. I checked the diocese requirements for godparentship, and they stated only that I needed to be a practicing Catholic, free to receive communion, and that if I am living romantically with someone that he needs to be a spouse I married in the Catholic. Check, check and check. Cousin told me that I needed submit a letter or form stating I'm a catholic in good standing from my local parish, which my priest is drawing up now.
I had to go to short preparation class w/ cousin and my fellow godparent, her brother (who is married only legally, with a pregnant wife, b/c they had to get married fast before he left for his military tour, then she became pregs, etc etc). The woman leading the mass had known cousin and her family since they were tiny tots. At the end when we were the last people their trying to determine an available date, the woman mentioned that since "they didn't know me" at her church, I probably couldn't be a godparent, but I could be a "christian witness." She stated they'd known cousin's brother "forever," but didn't know about me, even though it had been explained at introductions that I had married my husband, who she also knew as a small child, in a catholic ceremony. I told her that I was having my priest write me a letter (not to mention I have all my sacramental forms and a priest from their parish presided over my wedding), and asked if that would help, and she said it might.
I'm confused now, b/c I know my god parents were from out of state and had no problems. I don't understand how my cousin in law (who doesn't meet the three basic requirements, though I don't begrudge him for that), gets to be qualified just because "they know him," but I get demoted since I'm not from the same town. Is this normal in most parishes?