SPONSOR

SPONSOR. Classically the sponsor is the person who guarantees the character and motives of an individual seeking to enter the Church through Baptism (q.v.). Today, we consider it an honor to be a godparent, while in the classical system, the honor fell entirely to the adult catechumen (q.v.). The godparent would be held accountable to the Church for the actions of the individual whom he sponsored. There was a risk involved-so much so that the Greek name for “sponsor” in Asia Minor (q.v.) was the same term used for an individual who provided surety for a bank loan: a “guarantor.” It was, and in some places is, expected that the sponsor works closely with the catechumen, attending all catechetical classes with him or her, and helping with instruction. It was also assumed that the sponsor had an active life in Christ which could be shared on a personal, experiential level with the catechumen. The sponsor and the catechumen basically went through the entire procedure for entrance into the Church together.