On Sunday July 31st, the Catholic Church in England and Wales marked its annual Day
for Life, an observance called for by the late Pope John Paul II to celebrate the
dignity of every human life. This year, the theme of the Day for Life focused
on the meaning of authentic happiness – a theme that Pope Benedict discussed with
children and students from Catholic schools during his pastoral visit to Britain in
September last year: "Happiness is something we all want, but one of the great
tragedies in this world is that so many people never find it, because they look for
it in the wrong places. The key to it is very simple – true happiness is to be found
in God. We need to have the courage to place our deepest hopes in God alone, not in
money, in a career, in worldly success, or in our relationships with others, but in
God. Only he can satisfy the deepest needs of our hearts". Fr John Sherrington
is a moral theologian from the diocese of Nottingham and is shortly to become auxiliary
bishop of Westminster – his Episcopal ordination will take place on September 14th
in Westminster Cathedral. He told Philippa Hitchen about the importance of this Day
for Life, celebrated in parishes across England Wales on Sunday….