Can You Be a Godparent If You Haven't Been Confirmed?
No. Catholic law requires a godparent to be fully initiated — baptized, confirmed, and having received First Communion — so a Catholic who was never confirmed cannot serve as a godparent until they are (can. 874 §1, 3°). This is the single most common surprise families run into, because many practicing adult Catholics were baptized as infants and made their First Communion but, for one reason or another, never got confirmed. The good news is that this is the most fixable obstacle on the list, parishes deal with it constantly, and there is more than one way forward. This guide explains the rule, why it exists, and exactly what to do — including when the baptism is only weeks away.
What exactly does the rule say?
Canon 874 §1 lists the conditions for serving as a godparent (the Code calls the role "sponsor"). The third condition, 874 §1, 3°, requires that the person "be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist." In plain terms: all three sacraments of initiation — Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion — must be completed. Confirmation is not optional or a technicality a parish can quietly overlook; it is written into the requirement itself.
This sits alongside the other conditions in the canon: a godparent must be at least 16, lead a life in harmony with the faith, be free of any canonical penalty, and not be the child's own parent. If you want the full list in plain English, see Catholic godparent requirements, or run the free godparent eligibility checker, which asks seven questions and tells you exactly where you stand with the canon cited.
Why does confirmation matter so much?
Because of what a godparent is for. The Church asks a godparent to "help the baptized lead a Christian life in keeping with baptism, and to fulfill faithfully the obligations connected with it" (can. 872), and the Catechism says godparents "must be firm believers, able and ready to help the newly baptized on the road of Christian life" (CCC 1255). Confirmation is the sacrament that completes Christian initiation and strengthens a person for exactly that kind of witness (CCC 1285, 1303). The Church's logic is simple: someone who has not yet completed their own initiation is not yet in a position to sponsor someone else's.
What do I do if I'm not confirmed?
You have three realistic paths, depending on how much time there is before the baptism.
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Get confirmed. This is the real solution, and it is more doable than most people expect. Adult Catholics who were never confirmed can complete Confirmation through a short preparation at a parish — often a handful of sessions, sometimes folded into the parish's RCIA/OCIA track or a dedicated adult-confirmation group, with the sacrament typically conferred by the bishop (or a delegated priest) at a scheduled liturgy. Many adults finish precisely because a godchild gave them the push. Call your own parish and say, "I was never confirmed and I'd like to be." They will know the next cohort and the timeline.
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If the baptism is close, talk to the parish now. Confirmation preparation usually cannot be finished in two weeks, so if the date is near, be honest with both parishes early. Some will suggest naming a different qualified godparent for the register and letting you stand informally with the family; some baptisms can be moved a few weeks; occasionally a pastor will have other counsel. What you should not do is stay quiet and hope — the requirement is checked, often through the sponsor certificate your own pastor is asked to sign, which attests that you are a confirmed, practicing Catholic.
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Serve in the role you're eligible for. If completing Confirmation in time truly isn't possible, a family can name a different Catholic who does qualify as the godparent of record, while you remain fully present and committed to the child's faith in every way that matters outside the register. (A separate situation: a baptized non-Catholic Christian cannot be a godparent at all, but can be admitted as a Christian witness alongside a Catholic godparent — that is about church membership, not confirmation.)
Will the parish actually check?
Usually, yes — and not to catch anyone out. Most U.S. parishes ask each prospective godparent to obtain a sponsor certificate (a letter of good standing) from the parish where they are registered. The godparent's own pastor signs a short form stating that the person is a confirmed, practicing Catholic eligible to serve (can. 874). A pastor cannot truthfully sign that form for someone who has not been confirmed. So the requirement tends to surface at exactly the moment it is hardest to fix in a hurry — which is the whole reason to check your own status early.
Does a baptism preparation class fix this?
No, and it is worth being clear about the difference. A baptism preparation class satisfies the Church's instruction requirement (can. 851, 2°) and ends in a completion certificate many parishes ask for. Confirmation is a sacrament. A class — online or in person — prepares you to understand and fulfill the role; it cannot substitute for receiving Confirmation, and no course can or should claim otherwise. You may well need both: complete your Confirmation, and complete whatever preparation the baptizing parish requires.
The short version
- Can an unconfirmed Catholic be a godparent? No — Confirmation is required (can. 874 §1, 3°).
- Is it fixable? Yes, and it's the most fixable requirement there is — complete Confirmation through a short adult preparation at a parish.
- Baptism is soon? Tell both parishes now; name a qualified godparent of record if you can't finish in time, and stand with the family regardless.
- Will they check? Usually, via the sponsor certificate your pastor signs.
- Does a class count instead? No — a class is instruction; Confirmation is a sacrament. You may need both.
Not sure where you stand? The free godparent eligibility checker will tell you in about a minute, with the canon cited — and if confirmation is the only thing in the way, you now know the fastest road around it.