#1 - the Church does allow birth control = Natural Birth Control which takes into consideration the many very reliable signs that a woman is fertile (or not). It’s 99.9% effective if used correctly and consistently.

#2 - the Church does not condone use of artificial birth control. Mainly for reasons having to do with respect for human life and not thwarting the natural results of choices made.

If you want to read the 1968 encylical written by Pope Paul VI on this issue, here’s the linkhttp://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae_en.html

What it does not say (but which is widely portrayed to contrary) is that all sex should be for the purpose of creating babies. In fact the Pope leads off with some obervations that are pretty generally accepted by most people:

The encyclical opens with the observation that circumstances often dictate that married couples should limit the number of children, and that the sexual act between husband and wife is still worthy even if it can be foreseen not to result in procreation. Nevertheless, it is held that the sexual act must “retain its intrinsic relationship to the procreation of human life”, and the “direct interruption of the generative process already begun” is unlawful.

Also not always correctly relayed is information about the church’s stance on sterlization….It IS allowed for theraputic reasons (i.e. if a woman will die if she gets pregnant, by all means tie her tubes!). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanae_Vitae

Thus…. I don’t know what was being said by or to this school’s speaker - and hope that Repect for Human Life rules were followed by all concerned…. but I do tire of having the entire topic misunderstood, within and without the church!