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If the woman with whom I am involved is committed to be a part of the Church, is it a problem that she has a child from a past relationship? We want to move forward with our relationship.

The child is never the problem. However, a blended family could have emotional, psychological, financial, and spiritual challenges. Thus, this step requires spiritual maturity, unconditional love, and a non-judgmental attitude. There are two common scenarios where a child is from a previous relationship: 1) divorce; 2) a child born out of wedlock. Each of these requires different attention. It is problematic if premarital sex has been part of this person's normal way of life and has not offered repentance. If repented, then all is new. In the case of divorce, there is a protocol for the dissolvement of marriage that would need to be followed in order for the Crowning Ceremony to take place if you were to marry in the Coptic Orthodox Church. You will need to discuss this process in detail with your confession father.