The UK and Godparents, was Re: Sirius and Gringotts

[ghinghapuss]

No: HPFGUIDX 95855

> 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.


Mandy here:
I'd like to add that in my experience which was a very loose Church 
of England upbringing.  (The Death or Cake religion, as per the 
brilliant Eddie Izzard.)  Godparents were chosen the parents to be 
secondary guardians.  People who the child could go to incase of 
trouble or difficulty.  It was expected, although not legally 
binding, that the Godparents would adopt the child if anything 
happened to the parents. 

But most importantly each child has 3 godparents.  2 men and 1 woman 
if the child was a boy, and 2 women and 1 man if the child was a 
girl.  So who are Harry's other Godparents?  Yet another question he 
has yet to ask.

Mandy