Hi, guys —

I am Orthodox and I am divorced. My divorce was due to being duped in the marriage. I have a daughter who was conceived before the marriage. There was never any love or commitment to my marriage by either of the parties and we were very young. I understand that we sinned by having sexual relations before marriage and I understand that we sinned by divorce.

Now, many years later, twenty years to be exact, I am in love with a Catholic lady who also loves me. We have not had any sexual relations but I believe we are committing a sin by our love.

• What do we do?
• Do we give up what we believe is our true partner for life?
  

We believe this spiritually. I am in the process of searching for guidance to convert to the Catholic church. I have led a less than colorful life because I did not follow a religious life due to being beaten and tortured by Catholic priests and nuns in a boarding school when I was very young. I blamed the Church for years due to that. I have found religion again very late in my life, in the past five years. I am 46 and love God and Jesus and, to be honest, I am very lost in all of this.

Please help me in my search to find answers on what we should do next. My lady has never had sexual relations and has never been married and is a staunch follower of the Catholic faith.
She has two aunts who are nuns and her whole family is very loyal to the Church.

We both feel very confused about all of this.

Thank you,

Alki