# Catholic church weddings and children born out of wedlock

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-church-weddings-and-children-born-out-of-wedlock/3746>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 3, 1999, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-church-weddings-and-children-born-out-of-wedlock/3746 "1999-10-03T22:06:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 1999, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-church-weddings-and-children-born-out-of-wedlock/3746/21 "1999-10-06T22:25:00Z")

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I’d have to see the actual pronouncement by the Pope to make a determination of what’s being said. No insult intended, but many people miss the nuances of official documents.

Peace.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 1999, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-church-weddings-and-children-born-out-of-wedlock/3746/22 "1999-10-06T23:53:00Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> “If it makes everyone happy?” Oh, please! What about all the other children  
> who have been labeled “illegitimati” by the RCC? “We don’t keep track of  
> legitamacy?” That statement is obviously wrong–why else would the current  
> Pope, in the 1990s AD issue such a decree if one does not keep track?

Possibly precisely because the child under consideration is a member of the ruling family of a principality considered to be Catholic. To assure the faithful of that country, who may not be educated in the nuances of canon law, that the child is indeed considered legitimate by an authority whose influence is strong, and under circumstances where one might indeed question “legitimacy.” Without that prounouncement, regardless of whether canon law does not consider the child illegitimate, the “rank and file” – so to speak – might think otherwise.

In two words: public relations.

-Melin

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