[fgiampa]

Hi! I am in the process of marriage plans. My fiance is divorced and has 2 children. We are looking to get married in a Catholic church. He is going through steps with my church so we are able to get married in the catholic church. His previous marriage was not in a church but done by Justice of the Peace. He has a concern that although his previous marriage will be unrecognized by the church, does it mean that his children of the previous marriage will also be unrecognized though the catholic church?

[Frieda Arpoika]

A Catholic Church annulment does NOT in any way impact children. There was a civil marriage. The Church annulment does not undo that marriage. It merely declares that the marriage was "NOT A SACRAMENT". The Church understands marriage to be a sacrament, that is a covenant for life that images God's love which is for life. (All Christians see baptism is a sacrament, but Catholics also see marriage as a sacrament). Something was lacking from he vows that made it less than a true sacrament. In your fiance's case, it was that as a Catholic he was bound by canon law to marry in the Church and he didn't. That is what was lacking in his case. He did not follow "canonical form'.
Children are NEVER affected by annulments. With an annulment there is always the assumption that at the time of their marriage the couple believed their marriage to be legitimate and therefore the children were legitimately conceived. Any later anulment does not undo the fact that there was the assumption of a marriage at that time. The Church recognized that.

[fgiampa]

Thank you very much for clearing that up for me! It makes my fiance feel so much better in understanding.