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Jennifer —
Annulments don't make anyone illegitimate. Your mother's first marriage was legal, which makes her children legitimate. Moreover, all marriages are presumed valid, and a marriage found later to be invalid does not affect the legitimacy of the children. In any case, the Church the does not consider legitimacy or illegitimacy anymore, though the state does.
As for the marriage, the question of its validity is judged by the Church. She may guess that it was valid, but that does not mean it was. If there was:
- pressure
- deception about something important
- inability
- fear, or
- ignorance of marriage,
then there is grounds for nullity so encourage your mom to bring the question to her local priest.
In the meantime, while she is working on the annulment, she can begin RCIA or at least begin attending Mass and learning. We don't need to live in fear with God. He makes all things work together for good if we trust Him.
Mary Ann
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