Dear Bujang,

If I understand your situation:

• you are currently an Anglican who plans on joining the Church soon and
  
• you and your future wife have had an out-of-wedlock child.
  

Given this you want to know:

• Why did Father tell both of you that you can't get married until your future wife has delivered your new-born child?
  

I will defer to Fr. Jonathan for a good answer since he works on related issues.

Seeing you may be preparing to take RCIA classes in the near future, I would encourage you to consider buying a cheap copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church to learn everything we believe as faithful Catholics.

Under each boxed format for the Catechism you want, you will see, below the box, an option to buy a used version, which many times, is not really used but close to new.

Mike

Bujang,

This is not a rule in the Church.

Rather, this is something the priest has sensed that you and your fiancée need.

Once the baby is born the pressure you are under to get married just for the sake of the child will be over and you will marry for the right reasons.

Priests do this especially when:

• the couple is young or
• the couple have only known each other for a short time.

Be patient and ask the priest himself why. If the priest does not have a reason, talk to another priest.

Fr. Jonathan