There was a desire to identify fathers and prevent the burden of illegitimate children being born by the Poor Law and parish funds though that perhaps applies more to Established C of I than Catholic records.
"By an act of 1576 (Elizabeth), it was ordered that bastards should be supported by their putative fathers. If the genitor could be found, then he was put under very great pressure to accept responsibility and to maintain the child."
Although for England does provide background
https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Illegitimacy_in_EnglandCatholic Canon Law:
Can. 1138 §1. The father is he whom a lawful marriage indicates unless clear evidence proves the contrary.
§2. Children born at least 180 days after the day when the marriage was celebrated or within 300 days from the day of the dissolution of conjugal life are presumed to be legitimate.
Can. 1139 Illegitimate children are legitimated by the subsequent valid or putative marriage of their parents or by a rescript of the Holy See.
https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib4-cann998-1165_en.htmlThe Roman Catholic Code of Canon Law declares that if a child is born into a legitimate marriage, that child is legitimate. The father of the child is the mother's husband unless clear evidence proves otherwise. The child, however, does not have to be conceived within wedlock to be considered legitimate. If a child is born at least 180 days after the wedding, the child is considered legitimate. Similarly, if a child is born no more than 300 days after a divorce, the child is considered legitimate.
https://classroom.synonym.com/children-out-of-wedlock-the-catholic-church-12085888.html
