The series of episcopal decrees suspending ad experimentum the office of godfather and/or godmother for the sacraments of baptism and confirmation continues. The latest, in order of time, was the intervention of the Bishop of the Diocese of Massa Carrara - Pontremoli, a few months following that of the Bishop of the Diocese of Sulmona-Valva who, last July, came to the decision to "abolish" the office indefinitely (see commentary).

The suspension of godparents decided by the Bishop of Massa Carrara is motivated by the fact that, in the current social and religious context, this figure is now relegated "to a simple liturgical presence," and that the choice of godfather or godmother would be dictated by motivations of emotional ties or social convenience, betraying the true meaning of the office and creating not a few difficulties, contradictions, or even tensions, in the community, given the open contradiction that, at times, is evident between the conditions required by the Catholic Church and canon law to carry out the office and the characteristics of the people who are presented to carry it out.

The stated aim of the suspension-as is specified in the decree-is to study the most suitable forms for restoring to the office of godfather or godmother the original strength and value with which the Church instituted it as well as to study possible new forms of accompaniment that would help recover its true meaning.

In presenting the decree to the faithful, the diocesan bishop then speculated that one could, in the future, have deacons, community referents or the parish priests themselves in smaller realities fill this role, but also catechists.

The question of the relationship between universal and particular law and that of a hasty interpretation of can. 872... all questions, still waiting for an intervention of the Italian Bishops' Conference, now secondary, taking into account that, some years having passed since the start of this action of "suspension to innovate," no concrete reforming proposal has been made and that the only solution reached has been to "abolish" the office once the period of suspension ad experimentum is over, with good peace of "pastoral creativity”.

Paolo Palumbo - Giustino Fortunato University