Sponsor certificate
A document confirming a Catholic's canonical eligibility to serve as a sponsor.
A sponsor certificate is a document issued by a Catholic parish confirming that a parishioner meets the canonical requirements (CIC c. 874) to serve as a baptismal godparent or confirmation sponsor: at least 16 years of age, a confirmed Catholic who has received the Eucharist, leads a life of faith in keeping with the role, free of canonical penalties, and not the parent of the candidate. The certificate is requested from the parish where the sponsor is a registered parishioner; issuance typically takes about a week. Most US Catholic parishes require a sponsor certificate from any godparent or confirmation sponsor who belongs to a different parish than the one celebrating the sacrament.