www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall PM Blair to become Catholic after 10 Downing St.?

It has been widely prerceived that UK's Prime Minister Tony Blair is a "closet" Catholic, even as he attended Catholic Sunday Mass in London alone or with his entire family. His wife, Cherie, and all their children are Catholic.

Apparently, what prevented him from converting to Catholicism while in office was an obscure provision in the 1829 Emancipation Act that prohibited Catholic advisers to the monarch to hold civil or military office.

After he leaves office as Prime Minister this June, his spiritual adviser says he will be received into the Catholic Church after undergoing private instructions.

Full story:

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=9401

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/...+declaring+himself+a+Catholic/article.do

If so, welcome home, Mr. Prime Minister!

I offer my prayers for Mr. Blair.

I hope Mr. Blair has amended his view of the Eucharist and apologized for his hasty letter to Cardinal Hume.

This announced trip to the Vatican fuels public speculation that PM Blair will, indeed, convert to Catholicism after the end of his term this June.

Full story:

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=51347

Wonderful news! God bless him, if it is true.

Gordo

OH Please can we leave this till , if , it happens.

It keeps coming up - can we just ignore it ?

Three comments, none of which have anything in particular to do with Mr. Blair:

a) the Diaconate is not a "lay office", nor is a Deacon a layman;

b) diocesan priests do not take vows, and

c) a married man who becomes a Deacon remains a married man, of course - but this must be a first marriage both for husband and wife. If the wife should die, the husband (now a Deacon or Priest) may not marry again.

Fr. Serge

The comments by readers which follow the article point out that Mr. Blair acts and thinks like anything but a Catholic.

And how does a Cathoic think?
He or she should think with the mind of the Church.
And even within the Church their is a certain freedom for a variety of opinions.
Stephanos I

Please see my question arising from this point here.

I've heard the same gossip about any number of people including Prince Charles and President Bush.

I think it interesting that the rumors of their conversion are always to Catholicism or Orthodoxy. It is as if that is a huge taboo, a secret, something worth gossiping over, and something that would destroy their political ambitions so they have to hold off until their careers are down before announcing it. At the same time, it is of such great interest to the world. Why do the apostolic religions hold such sway over people? (I believe I know the answer to that.)

Being in favor of abortion ,and "gay marriage", along with all the other neo-pagan agenda items certainly would put Mr. Blair at complete odds with the mind of the Church. His opinions on these matters do not fall within that area of legitimate freedom which you bring up. They are outside the parameters within which one would be considered to be orthodox.

Dn. Robert

Hi,

Just a few clarifiactions.

The author of the article doesn't seem to be well instructed in Catholic Church lingo, or the Diaconate in particular, so I wouldn't give much significance to the "lay office" thing.

The author may wanted to say that the Diaconate is a non-priestly office, which is correct. In the Latin Church, Deacons are not considered to be Ordained to the priesthood, but rather Ordained to service.

Tony Blair's flirtations with the Catholic Church are nothing news and although I disagree with Mr. Blair's positions about a number of issues, I do not consider any of those unsurmountable obstacles in his joining our Church. He might need to convert, regarding a number of moral issues, but I think he is capable of opening himself to God's grace, so he can achieve that.

The call to the Diaconate is an entirely different beast and, if asked, I would recommend Mr. Blair a more or less extended preriod of discernment between his actual reception into the Church and his formally applying to join a Diaconate formation program.

Finally, regarding marriage. I think the current practice, and least here in Los Angeles is that the candidate, if married, needs to be married in the Church. As long as that is true, then marital status is not a problem.

I do not see why would it be if the candidate is in his, say, fourth marriage, if the previous three ended with the death of his wife.

I would have an issue if a candidate had a history three annulments, though. But I know of at least one regional bishop who disagrees with me on this one.

And yes, once ordained, the Deacon cannot re-marry, even in the eventuality of his wife's death. However, dispensations from this restriction are not impossible to obtain, especially ifthe widower Deacon still has to care for his young children.

I would pray for Tony Blair in his spiritual pilgrimage. May Christ, Our Lord lead him to the fullness of His Truth and may this pilgrimage make our brother Tony and his family happier, healthier and holier children of Our God.

Shalom,
Memo

Dear Memo,

It seems the people in Britain are having troubles dealing with the road the Anglican Church is heading. I know that Bishop Kallistos Ware said that we must pray for the many 'orthodox' within that Church. By that he meant the true believers within the Anglican community, and the direction the Church is taking.

I also believe that the Catholic Church reaches out to those that are in a position to help others. I can't help but feel that it was the Catholic Church that asked Princess Diana to do something about the land mines. The ones that were causing so many disabilities in Afghanistan and other third world countries. So in that sense, there would be some truth in the rumors of this person or that person leaning towards the Catholic Church and it's social concerns.

There might also be a deeper spiritual yearning in the English people, that is not being satisfied. I know that Prince Charles goes to Mount Athos once a year. Yet as the future head of the Anglican Church, I don't think he would dare become Orthodox.

God Bless,

Zenovia