Divorced Catholics: Are you "out of the closet" in your parish?

[Anonymous]

I've been divorced 6 years. My daughter's parochial school knows and assured me that there are more divorced parents than I'd guess. A few people in my parish know, but most assume I am an unmarried mother. I have had absolutely no flack either way, but I feel like I ought to come clean that I had a civil divorce and haven't had the Church annulment.

[Anonymous]

I'm very active in my Catholic Church, and I really wouldn't care. No need to lie about it, but you don't have to go out of your way to tell people either. It's not their business.

[Anonymous]

Our schools and parish have tons of divorced and divorced and remarried couples.

Be true to yourself. Not everybody needs to know everything but you don't need to hide this.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, definitely reassuring.

[Anonymous]

I am not Catholic, so please forgive my ignorance: would it be considered religiously more desirable to have had a child out of wedlock than it would be to have had a child while married, but divorced (civilly) without an annulment?

[Anonymous]

My parish is very welcoming of unmarried mothers (the whole pro-life thing).

[Anonymous]

Why would your divorce be an issue? If you wanted to remarry I can see them advocating for an annulment so you could remarry in the church. Otherwise, what does it matter? Divorce is not a sin.

[Anonymous]

As a very active Catholic I can assure you that most of us think you are divorced and don't care.