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Peru Godparenthood
Family life at all levels of society is nourished by an
ample
number of ceremonial events marking all rites of passage,
such as
birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, or important
religious
events, such as baptisms, confirmations, and marriages.
Family
life is thus marked by small fiestas celebrating these
events and
passages. In this context, Peruvians have greatly
elaborated the
Roman Catholic tradition of godparenthood
(padrinazgo) to
encompass more occasions than simply celebration of the
sacraments of the church, although following the same
format. The
parties involved include the child or person sponsored in
the
ceremony, the parents, and the godparents who are the
sponsors
and protectors. The primary relationship in this triad is
between
the godchild (ahijado) and the godparents
(padrinos). The secondary bond of
compadrazgo (see Glossary)
is between the parents and godparents who after
the
ceremony will forever mutually call each other
compadre or
comadre. For the child, the relationship with the
godparents is expected to be one of benefit, with the
padrinos perhaps assisting with the godchild's
education,
finding employment, or, at the least, giving a small gift
to the
child from time to time. For the compadres, there
is the
expectation of a formalized friendship, one in which
favors may
be asked of either party.
Ritual sponsorship has two dimensions with respect to
its
importance to family and community. On the one hand, the
mechanism can be utilized to solidify social and family
relations
within a small cluster of relatives and friends, which is
generally the case for families concerned with enclosing
their
social universe for various reasons. Among the top upper
class,
it may provide a way of concentrating power relations,
business
interests, or wealth; among the Indian caste, the inward
selection of compadres may follow the need to
protect
one's access to fields or to guarantee a debt. On the
other hand,
many families deliberately choose compadres from
acquaintances or relatives who can assist in socioeconomic
advancement. In this fashion, the original religious
institution
has lent itself to social needs in a dynamic and flexible
manner.
In the more closed type of community setting, there are
only five
or six occasions for which godparents are selected; among
more
socially mobile groups, there may be as many as fifteen or
more
ways in which a family may gain compadres. Thus, it
would
not be unusual for the parents of a family with four
children to
count as many as forty or more different compadres.
In a
more conservative setting, the number might be less than
ten for
a similar family.
Data as of September 1992
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