161 Q. Is Baptism of desire or blood sufficient to produce the effects of Baptism of water?  A. Baptism of desire or of blood is sufficient to produce the effects of the Baptism of water, if it is impossible to receive the Baptism of water.

162 Q. What do we promise in Baptism?  A. In Baptism we promise to renounce the devil with all his works and pomps.

163 Q. Why is the name of a saint given in Baptism?  A. The name of a saint is given in Baptism in order that the person baptized may imitate his virtues and have him for a protector.

The saint whose name we bear is called our patron saint.  This saint has a special love for us and a special care over us.  People take the names of great men because they admire their good qualities or their great deeds.  So we take saints’ names because we admire their Christian virtues and great Christian deeds.  We should, therefore, read the life of our patron saint and try to imitate his virtues, and the day on which the Church celebrates the feast of our patron saint should be a great day for us also.  The Church generally celebrates the saint’s feast on the day on which he died, that is, as we believe, the day on which he entered into Heaven.

164 Q. Why are godfathers and godmothers given in Baptism?  A. Godfathers and godmothers are given in Baptism in order that they may promise in the name of the child what the child itself would promise if it had the use of reason.

165 Q. What is the obligation of a godfather and a godmother?  A. The obligation of a godfather and a godmother is to instruct the child in its religious duties if the parents neglect to do so or die.

This is a very important obligation, and we should be faithful in the fulfillment of it before God.  Godfathers and godmothers are also called sponsors.  The following persons cannot be sponsors:  (1) All persons not Catholics, because they cannot teach the child the Catholic religion if they do not know it themselves. (2) All persons who are publicly leading bad lives; for how can they give good examples and teach their godchild to be good when they themselves are public sinners? (3) All persons who are ignorant of their religion should not take upon themselves the duties of godparents.  Therefore parents should select as sponsors for their children only good, practical Catholics—­not Catholics merely in name, but those who live up to their faith, and who will be an example for their children.  To repeat what has already been said, godparents contract a spiritual relationship with their godchild, and in the event of marriage, they must make known this relationship to the priest.  The godfather and the godmother do not contract a relationship between themselves, or with the child’s parents, but only with the child so that neither the godfather nor the godmother could later marry their godchild without first obtaining proper dispensation; that is, permission from the