what is a godparent

A godparent is a person who bears witness to a childs baptism and later is willing to help in their catechesis, as well as their lifelong spiritual formation, in denominations of Christianity. The role of a godparent is to help the christened person understand and live out their faith and religious responsibilities. In both religious and civil views, a godparent tends to be an individual chosen by the parents to take an interest in the childs upbringing and personal development, to offer mentorship or claim legal guardianship of the child if anything should happen to the parents. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother. The child is a godchild (i.e., godson for boys and goddaughter for girls) . The role of a godparent is not necessarily a religious one, and it can be an adult presence in a childs life who they feel comfortable going to with issues they may not want to broach with their parents. The person or people chosen as godparents should be willing to be there for the child through every stage of their life.