Jul 12, 2011
A dear friend in a neighboring state lives in a parish with two deacons. She sponsors RCIA candidates, teaches RCIA, CCD, and now she and her husband are asked to counsel engaged couples. She tells hem the only means of birth control approved by the Catholic Church is the condom. I was appalled and shocked, asking her where she got that information. She said from the deacon. Am I out of touch? What has changed?
You are not out of touch. Nothing has changed. It’s possible that your dear friend misunderstood the deacon, and it’s possible that the deacon does not know any better. So I’m happy you came to the right place for the correct answer. The Catholic Church does not approve of any kind of artificial birth control – pill, condom, IUD, vasectomy, or tubal ligation -- because it only makes the situation worse.
If a married couple needs to avoid pregnancy for serious and generous reasons, the couple can have recourse to natural family planning, a method which strengthens the marital bond because it relies so heavily on spousal communication.