These parts of your statement aren't accurate. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
1633 In many countries the situation of a mixed marriage (marriage between a Catholic and a baptized non-Catholic) often arises. It requires particular attention on the part of couples and their pastors. A case of marriage with disparity of cult (between a Catholic and a non-baptized person) requires even greater circumspection.
And:
1635 According to the law in force in the Latin Church, a mixed marriage needs for liceity the express permission of ecclesiastical authority.137 In case of disparity of cult an express dispensation from this impediment is required for the validity of the marriage.138 This permission or dispensation presupposes that both parties know and do not exclude the essential ends and properties of marriage; and furthermore that the Catholic party confirms the obligations, which have been made known to the non-Catholic party, of preserving his or her own faith and ensuring the baptism and education of the children in the Catholic Church.139
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c3a7.htm#1633
A Catholic can marry a baptized non-Catholic in the Church, with express permission, and a Catholic can marry a non-baptized person in the Church, with express dispensation.
Does anyone know the Catholic church position on cremation?
I married a non-Catholic in the Church. My sister married a non-Catholic in the Church. The only thing we did was inform the priest.
The Cathechism implies below that a Catholic can marry a non-Catholic with "special permission", not "special dispensation". So I don't see where I'm wrong on my statement that you don't need "special dispensation"
It says a special dispensation is required for a "disparity of cult" and then explains that a disparity of cult is between a Catholic and a non-baptized person, which is not the case in most mixed marriages. If there was a "special dispensation", we never knew about it.
I know that at one time, it was harder to marry a non-Catholic in the Church, as lakey said about her family in the 40s, but it certainly wasn't a big deal when I married.
My other statement was based on my knowledge of my grandparents case. They became Catholics after they were married for a long period of time, and the Church would not recognize their marriage or allow them to marry in the Church because they couldn't prove that my grandfather's first marriage was to a lady that had not been baptized. A Christian marriage, but not a Catholic one. About 30 years later the Church gave them permission to marry after they were able to prove she hadn't been batized and his first marriage was then considered not a marriage in the eyes of the Church. For as long as I can remember they had separate bedrooms and were two very devout Catholics in good standing with the Church.
I have my own personal opinion on this whole case, but I'll leave that out.
Anyway my knowledge is based on my personal experiences. It sounds like the "special dispensation" you refer to below must be hard to get between a Catholic and a non-baptized, person.
So, I stand corrected on the second statement. Evidently, with a "special dispensation" a Catholic can marry a non-batized person. I was interpolating from my grandparents case, since the Church recognized his first marriage and was told that if he could prove his first wife wasn't batized then he could remarry in the faith.