A second diocese in Sicily, where the Mafia has had a significant presence for decades, announced a temporary ban on the naming of godparents for baptisms and confirmations.
In a decree that went into effect January 1, Bishop Domenico Mogavero of Mazara del Vallo said the ban would be in effect ad experimentum (on an experimental basis) until the end of 2024.
“The office of godparent in the two sacraments of baptism and confirmation has lost its original meaning, limiting itself to a purely formal liturgical presence that is not followed by the accompaniment of the baptised and the confirmed on the path of human and spiritual growth,” the bishop wrote.
Rather than having godparents or sponsors, he said, those being baptised, confirmed or welcomed into the church as adults will be joined by their parents or the person who prepared them for the sacrament.
In October, the Diocese of Catania introduced a similar three-year ban.