The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore has responded to claims from Waterford Minister John Halligan who says he was prohibited from acting as a sponsor for his godson's confirmation at the weekend, due to his views on abortion.
He says his godson's parents contacted him, saying they had been told by a member of the clergy that he could not stand as a sponsor at yesterday's ceremony, by order of the Bishop.
Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan, said in March he circulated guidelines to all parishes advising on the role of a Confirmation sponsor which says the person must be a confirmed and practising Catholic.
It said, 'sponsors should give the Confirmation candidate a good example of what it means to be a disciple of Christ and should take their own spiritual life seriously.
This will be shown by their [Sponsor’s] love of God, their love for the Word of God, for the Mass and the Sacraments, for the teachings of the Church, and by the love they show for others.
A Sponsor must be a confirmed and practising Catholic.’”
