Two friends of mine in different states both said they were not encouraged to read the Bible on their own. It was their understanding that priests would disseminate what was appropriate for them to know.
That's rather astonishing if true. But could it be that your friends were engaging in a bit of whimsy with you?
I'll admit to not knowing a great deal about the culture of the Catholic Church which is why statements like this and the one from the original poster took me aback. I'll be looking forward to additional information from those who are Catholics. From my standpoint as a church of Christ member, our preacher encourages that all in the congregation read the Bible. He (there are no female preachers in the coC) has repeatedly stated that the Bible is the instruction manual for life and we all ought to "...read the instructions."