The UK and Godparents, was Re: Sirius and Gringotts

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 95846

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Cindy Jenkins" <CindyJ2 at c...> 
wrote:

Cindy:
> How do Godparents work in the UK?  Here (in the US) Godparents 
aren't a
> legal guardian.  Most people name Godparents for their children, 
then they
> also name a guardian in their will.  They may name the Godparent, 
but if
> they don't, whoever they do name becomes the guardian in the event 
of death.

Geoff:
Godparents are not always chosen in the UK. It is something more 
connected with the Church of England (Anglican) church or those folk 
who consider themselves vaguely to be Anglicans if they want to have 
them.

A Godparent would normally agree that they would consider themselves 
as one of those responsible for keeping an eye on the /spiritual/ 
development of the child rather than being some sort of legal 
guardian.

Within the Baptist church to which I belong, a child is brought by 
its parents to be dedicated to God (perhaps rather in the way that 
Jesus as a Jewish child was presented in the Temple). Thanks are 
given for the birth and the church as a community pledges itself to 
watch over the child and prayers are offered that the child will come 
to a knowledge of Christ and will seek baptism later in life. Other 
non-Conformist churches, such as the Methodists, may have a form of 
baptism at which similat vows are made - but again, no formal legal 
commitment.