That's not correct. An annulment states that the SACRAMENT was invalid. The marriage, which is a civil institution occurred, and there may have even been children as a result of it. And no, the children of a couple whose marriage has been annuled are not illegitimate. Legitimacy is also a civil notion, so if a divorce doesn't make a child illegitimate, why should an annulment?
An annulment states that one or both of the parties was not able, for some reason, to freely choose the Sacrament, thus making it not valid. This is the main reason that priests, for the most part, refuse to confer the Sacrament of Matrimony on couples who are expecting a baby. They may not be freely choosing to marry in the Church, but feel pressure to do so for the sake of the baby. After the baby is born, they may seek to receive the Sacrament, when they presumably have the presence of mind to freely do so.
Ugh!
Maybe I will just stop writing here, in this forum
Ugh.
The sacrament of marriage. There is a (blech!) ok there is a sacrament of marriage and a civil marriage. the sacrament of marriage or the marriage in the church never took place when it is annulled.
sigh.