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"Does the Church forbid Catholics to contract marriage with non-Catholics? Yes; the Church does forbid Catholics to contract marriage with non-Catholics."

Taken from:

--"My Catholic Faith - A Manual of Religion" by Most Reverend Louis LaRavoire Morrow, D.D., Section 166 - Church Laws on Marriage (pp 344-352), (All material from "A Catechism of Christian Doctrine, 3rd Revised Edition of the Baltimore Catechism, 1954").

Are you saying that something changed between 1954 and now? Can you please refer to the document or decision that changed this?

Evidently yes. I don't have any documents, but as I said above, my cousin married a Hindu, my sister-in-law a Buddhist/agnostic and I know of a couple of friends who married Christians from the denominations. In all of these there were masses. I also went for pre-marriage courses (mandatory in the Church) where there were a few mixed marriages

In all of these, my personal experience was that they had masses, there was no priest during the pre-marital course or when we were arranging the masses (for cuz and sis-in-law) who said "this is forbidden".

the Baltimore Catechism seems to be not correct on that aspect. I don't know why, perhaps changed as per Vatican II, but as I said above, what I know from experience is that the Church recognizes that marriage to non-Catholics (even to non-Christians) -- note of course that this question is not a fundamental dogma, so, just like celibacy among priests can be changed with no change to the fundamentals of Christianity

From the Catechism I see 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 (between a Catholic and a non-baptized person) requires even greater circumspection.

Difference of confession between the spouses does not constitute an insurmountable obstacle for marriage, when they succeed in placing in common what they have received from their respective communities, and learn from each other the way in which each lives in fidelity to Christ. But the difficulties of mixed marriages must not be underestimated. They arise from the fact that the separation of Christians has not yet been overcome. The spouses risk experiencing the tragedy of Christian disunity even in the heart of their own home. Disparity of cult can further aggravate these difficulties. Differences about faith and the very notion of marriage, but also different religious mentalities, can become sources of tension in marriage, especially as regards the education of children. The temptation to religious indifference can then arise.

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 religion (between a Catholic and a non-baptised person) 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

So what the Church holds is that:

Mixed marriages happen :)
The couple need to recognize the differences
Differences of confession (i.e. between Catholic and non-Catholic Christians) is NOT insurmountable -- the couple should place in common what they have received and learn from each other how each lives in fidelity to Christ
But there are difficulties in a mixed marriage and can become sources of tension -- especially in regards to children
For marriage between Catholic and non-Catholic Christians, the bishop needs to give his permission (from my experience, this happens quite easily)
Between Catholic and non-christian something more than permission is needed -- a dispensation is needed for the validity of the marriage

I think it makes sense -- between say a Catholic and a Baptist, there are similarities in our lives of fidelity to Christ, but there is a lot of room for disputes and it can get hard with children (do we baptise them, etc. etc.) -- right, scooter, circ?

Between Catholic and non-Christian it's even more difficult -- between Christians it is not insurmountable. -- LibsrJerks - you only need permission, not a dispensation, to marry a non-Catholic Christian. The conditions are that you should try to bring up your offspring in the Church (note, you don't HAVE to), and your spouse should know about these obligations and both of you should attend the pre-marital courses so that the other knows that Marriage is a sacrament for Catholics, with all the deeper meaning that that conveys