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Posted on 12/24/2007 5:48:49 AM PST by NYer
The decision by Tony Blair to convert to Catholicism has sparked a row over his government's policies during his term in office as prime minister of the UK.
Mr Blair was welcomed into the Roman Catholic church on Friday night by the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor -- leader of the Roman Catholics in England and Wales.
But his conversion was criticised by commentators who said some of his views while in office were at odds with church teachings.
And yesterday, the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) reacted with surprise to the news of Mr Blair's conversion.
John Smeaton, SPUC's national director in the UK, said: "During his premiership Tony Blair became one of the world's most significant architects of the culture of death, promoting abortion, experimentation on unborn embryos, including cloned embryos, and euthanasia by neglect.
"SPUC is writing to Tony Blair to ask him whether he has repented of the anti-life positions he has so openly advocated throughout his political career.'
However, last night Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor welcomed the politician's personal decision which culminated in the ceremony at the chapel of the Archbishop's House in Westminster.
Joyful
He said: "For a long time he has been a regular worshipper at Mass with his family and in recent months he has been following a programme of formation to prepare for his reception into full communion. My prayers are with him, his wife and family at this joyful moment in their journey of faith together.''
Mr Blair's formal conversion appears to have taken some months. It is thought his decision followed a period of contemplation rather than a "falling out'' with the Church of England over an issue such as the ordination of women priests.
Monsignor Mark O'Toole, the Cardinal's private secretary, led the politician through his period of spiritual preparation before last night's ceremony.
The move comes after years of speculation that Mr Blair, whose wife Cherie and four children are Catholic, would convert from Anglicanism after he resigned from Number 10 in June.
Converting while in office would have caused the former premier, now a Middle-East peace envoy, problems in connection with issues such as abortion, contraception, homosexuality and faith schools. Mr Blair's ex-spokesman Alastair Campbell once famously told reporters "We don't do God'', but has since said that his former boss "does do God in quite a big way''.
One of the politician's last acts during his time in office was to visit Pope Benedict in June -- which was his third trip to the Vatican in four years -- and give the Pontiff a signed photograph of Cardinal Newman, Britain's most famous convert to Catholicism.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams wished the former prime minister well in his spiritual journey.
Tory MP Ann Widdecombe, who converted to Catholicism in 1993, said it was possible in her opinion to be a practising Catholic and prime minister.
She said: "Well, I think the crucial thing to remember is at the point you are received (into the Catholic church) you have to say individually and out loud 'I believe everything the church teaches to be revealed truth."
This year the Episcopal Church has had two diocesan bishops resign and immediately begin their conversion process to the Roman church.
Welcome to the Church, Mr. Blair.
Paul’s conversion was life changing. I wonder if Blair’s is? Has he renounced abortion and gay unions? Is his conversion one of mind, soul and body? I wonder...
Er, dude, welcome home. But why didn't you do the right thing while you were still in office?
Did P.M. Blair have a rapid interior conversion only after he'd done all this damage? Either way, he really needs to renounce his Culture of Death promotion and do some public and serious penance, in my opinion, or he's rather a coward.
Don’t worry about it—God knows.
Everybody including Blair’s choice of religion is his own personal business.
We have no right to critize his choice for any reason. That includes Romney, Bush, and Blair!
All the leftists are upset because Blair joined a church that is pro-life and takes its faith seriously. All the “tolerant” multiculturists say in effect, “We can’t have Catholicism, we cannot allow that type of people to hold public office and it is unseemly for even an ex-politician to profess Christianity.” If Blair had converted to Islam, the left (including the radical gays and feminists) would have hailed this as a great thing. Anyone who questioned this would have been arrested for a hate crime.
The Anglican church offers nothing, and will be first to submit.
- John
YOur point is well taken and entirely fair. I would certainly hope and pray that the Pope would not personally welcome a political leader into the Catholic church who still embraced the slaughter of innocent children.
Yoiu can tell that the folks who wrote the article have never heard of conversion of hearts. They have no understanding of basic Christian concepts.
Only God knows the heart. I am happy for Mr. Blair.
Blair should tell them all to bugger off! God Himself knows what’s in Blair’s soul not a bunch of busy bodies.
Welcome Mr. Blair.
Yes, Paul was converted to Christ. Not Rome, of course.
The pro-Rome arrogance is a bit hard to take here. Let’s just be glad that he’s turned his heart toward Christ, all right, and not get into the “my church is better than your church” game.
Uh—did somebody mention Rome? Certainly not I.
Obviously Mr. Blair thinks Roman Catholic is better than Church of England; otherwise, why the conversion?
I certainly would never follow Christ through the teachings of the Church of England and the moron currently leading it.
Well Paul was already a Roman citizen so he would not have had to be converted to that. ;)
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