Help, Protestants & annulment

[James_2_24]

My sister calls me today and asks if my father was still trying to get an annulment.

I said, “yes”

she said, "What are they trying to say, that we are illegitimate? "

I said, “uh no, i don’t think so”

she said, “if there wasn’t a marriage in the first place then we are illegitimate. What else do you call it?”

I said, “i dunno…”

How does one answer this?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

James_2:24:

My sister calls me today and asks if my father was still trying to get an annulment.

I said, “yes”

she said, "What are they trying to say, that we are illegitimate? "

I said, “uh no, i don’t think so”

she said, “if there wasn’t a marriage in the first place then we are illegitimate. What else do you call it?”

I said, “i dunno…”

How does one answer this?

To be illegitimate one needs to be born outside of a legal marriage. A Marriage can be legal according Civil Law which concerns legitimacy and invlaid according to Canon Law which only concerns Sacred and Sacramental matters.

If a Marriage was legal the children are legitiment and have certain legal rights. Even if the Marriage is found later to be invalid by the Church in regards to it’s sacred status.