My wife and I have been married for 3 years. We have a child together. She was married previously. I was married previously and have 2 children from this marriage. We were both raised Pentecostal and our previous marriages were in a Pentecostal church. Our marriage together was officiated by a Pentecostal minister. We are interested in joining and becoming members of the Catholic church. Would we be allowed to join the church? Would we be required to file for an annulment of our first marriages before we could become Catholics? Would my children from my previous marriage be treated poorly by people in the church, knowing they were from a 1st marriage?

-- Jim Ryan (ryan7714@hotmail.com), March 02, 2005

Answers

"Would we be allowed to join the church?" Certainly! Christ died and rose to save everyone, and everyone is welcome to join the Church.

"Would we be required to file for an annulment of our first marriages before we could become Catholics?"

No. But when you join the Church you should live as brother and sister unless and until each of your previous marriages is declared invalid by the Church. When and if this happens, you may then marry your lady in the Church and resume sexual relations with her.

"Would my children from my previous marriage be treated poorly by people in the church, knowing they were from a 1st marriage? "

Certainly not! I have never heard of any Catholic treating children poorly because they came from a "first marriage". If anyone did so, they would be committing a serious sin.

-- Steve (55555@aol.com), March 02, 2005.

Yet another excellent reply, Steve. Keep up the good work.

-- (coriolanus@lordstown.com), March 02, 2005.