If I leave the Church, will my Protestant marriage be valid?

[hoelkerj]

My wife left me after 24 years of marriage in catholic church(3 children). I don’t want to get an annulment because I went into the marriage meeting all 4 conditions of consent. I also don’t want to live alone the rest of my life or live with another woman. Since I work at a catholic school I could lose my job if I enter an invalid marriage. If I officially leave the catholic church and join a protestant church and get married, will the marriage be considered “valid” so I don’t lose my job?

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

Since you are a Catholic you are always expected to either be married in the Catholic Church or receive a dispensation to be married elsewhere. You would not be eligible for a dispensation if your first marriage is not annulled. Any marriage you enter into without an annulment would be an invalid marriage.

The Code of Canon Law currently does not recognize that someone can leave the Catholic Church. You might become a non-practicing member, but the Church’s laws consider anyone baptized Catholic to always be Catholic.

You stated that you do not want an annulment because you believe that you met all the conditions for proper intentions. However, a valid marriage needs both spouses to have the proper intentions for the essentials of marriage.