JamesR wrote:Lydia wrote:...and for the children who are born outside of wedlock.
Speaking of that, what exactly is the Roman Catholic Church's position on children born outside of wedlock? My parents weren't married when they had me and I know several Hispanic Catholics who were born outside wedlock and we seem to be frowned upon heavily by the Roman Catholic Church. Is a distinction made or something? Does the RC Church come to regard children differently after their parents get an Annulment?
From what I have learned and read concerning Roman Catholic annulments, if parents are married, but later seek an annulment, then their children are still legitimate. These children will not have incurred an impediment. I spent three years in a Catholic monastery, and had to produce a copy of my parent's marriage certificate. In order to be received into the novitiate, we had to check a list of various impediments and verify that we had not incurred them.
It is true that children born outside of wedlock in the Catholic Church have incurred an impediment in case they wish to enter monasticism or be ordained to the diaconate or priesthood. They will have to appeal to the ecclesiastical authorities to have the impediment removed, so it is still possible for an illegitimate child to become a monastic or to be ordained. However, monastic communities or seminaries may not be willing to admit them.
