By Richard Shaw CATHOLIC STUDENTS at Oxford University are to distribute a follow-up to the best-selling Christianity booklet free to all the members of the University.
The book, called Living Life to the Full, deals with the moral and social teachings of the Catholic Church.
It is written by Fr David Albert Jones OP, of the Linacre Centre for Health Care Ethics, a national Catholic research centre in northwest London, who wrote the popular Christianity booklet two years ago.
As with Christianity, a copy of the new booklet will be given free of charge to each of the 16,000 members of the University in a mass distribution which will take place on Sunday, May 7.
Fr David Albert Jones, the author, said: "The book is a presentation of the Catholic understanding of moral life which seeks to portray it not as a series of restrictions but as a way to live life to the full and to have a richer life.
"The Church's understanding of moral life is often misconstrued. I hope general readers and students in particular will take from it that the Catholic understanding of moral life is more reasonable than they thought."
Emily Towner, a Theology student at Christ Church, Oxford, the co-ordinator of the initiative , said the aim of the book was to show that following the Church's moral teaching leads to happiness.
She said: "The book is a carefully constructed argument for living a moral life; part of that being a relationship with God.
"It deals with moral issues from lying to cloning, taking in contraception and abortion along the way.
"The book shows that it is only be leading a moral life that one can be truly happy".
Reflecting on the reception of the first booklet, Christianity, a pithy introduction to the teaching of the Catholic Church, she said: "The first book was a great success; I hope this one will be as great a success.
"It is an evangelical venture reaching out to students with some truth. We hope to get people to think."
Fr Peter Newby, Oxford University Catholic Chaplain, gave a strong endorsement to the book.
He said: "It is a well written and clear work. I hope its impact will be beneficial both in the immediate and long-term. I hope people will take it with them away from Oxford."
Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Birmingham and Cardinal Ratzinger, President of the Council for the Doctrine of the Faith have each contributed L1,000 to the project.
Bishop David Konstant of Leeds and Bishop Crispian Hollis of Portsmouth have also given money.