What is a real Godfather?

"someone to look for guidance!" The path for most to a Christian faith invariably involves Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. In many Christian sects, acts of Baptism and Confirmation are enacted at the same time. In the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, acts of Baptism and Confirmation are separated by about 12 to 14 years if the person to be baptized is an infant. Otherwise, they too are enacted at the same time. Regardless, each act of Baptism and Confirmation requires, usually two, sponsors, known as Godparents. Each sponsor must be a “firm believer in his or her faith and are ready to help the newly baptized person on the road to Christian life." (Catechism of the Catholic Church) Because the act of Confirmation in the Roman Rite comes at the "age of reasoning", the traditional expression is that the newly confirmed person has become a new "soldier of Christ." As in the military, new recruits defer to superior officers for guidance and leadership. So is the parallel in this essay about Godparents. The young boy, or girl, growing in age and experience enjoys a unique avenue to a mentor relationship with his, or her, Godparent. Today some youths choose the path, while others choose not to enter into the mentor relationship. This essayist is in his seventies, and at the time of his confirmation, almost without exception, the Godparent was one of the most important members of the Gallo extended family. Uncle Benny (Beniamino, or Benjamin) is an excellent example of the Godfather image that developed in America during the vast immigration of Italians during the late 1800's and the early 1900's. Uncle Benny was an immigrant who had a faculty to quickly understand the American way of doing business, whether commerce, politics, or arbitration. Within a short time after arriving in America, Uncle Benny had established a successful real estate and insurance business. He would be the kind of sponsor at Confirmation parents would be honored to have. While every Catholic male at Confirmation would have a Godfather, it might be a case of the Godfather being nominal, or in name only. Uncle Benny was a "hero" Godfather. "Hero" Italian Godfathers like Uncle Benny were sought out by the Italian immigrants beyond the immediate Confirmation family to gain help in solving problems. This how the term "family" came into being when it involved persons unrelated to the Confirmation family. If the Godfather did one a good term, the person helped would extol that fact and how they were "part of the family." Unfortunately, as the notoriety of some Godfathers expanded, so did they abuse their power over the Italian immigrants in some cases? Mario Puzo created godfather characters in his best-selling novel, The Godfather, from which Francis Ford Coppolo filmed the epic masterpiece that gained ten Academy Award nominations. What Mario Puzo did was to do what all great novelists do, and that is to take facts and give them a dramatic twist. He portrayed quite well the "hero" Godfathers of the Italian community in the early 1900's? Puzo wrote accurately how a “hero” Godfather assisted persons outside the Confirmation family in times of need? And Puzo described how the persons assisted in time of need were considered to be "family" members? In the end, the central theme Puzo targeted was the fact that some Godfathers were corrupt? And thus entered into the story Don Vito and Michael Coreleone. Most Italian males, or ones of Italian extraction, which understand the character of a "real" Godfather, aspire to be one. While the tales of early America Godfathers entertained them, the understanding of the "real" Godfather was never diminished. When I hear education leaders lament the lack of mentors to guide the youths of today, I understand. Mentor? The dictionary says it's "a faithful counselor." That's a Godfather!