Monday, December 24th, 2007
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Tony Blair’s conversion to Catholicism has been criticised by commentators who argue his views as PM were at odds with church teachings.
Tony Blair has met Pope Benedict
Mr Blair was welcomed into the Roman Catholic church by the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor - leader of the Roman Catholics in England and Wales.
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.
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.”
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 him problems in connection with issues such as abortion, contraception, homosexuality and faith schools.
The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) reacted with surprise to the news.
John Smeaton, SPUC’s national director, 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.”
Tory MP Ann Widdecombe, who converted to Catholicism in 1993, told Sky News it was possible in her opinion to be a practising Catholic and prime minister.
She said: “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’.
“And that means if you previously had any problems with church teaching, as Tony Blair obviously did over abortion, as he did again over Sunday trading…you would have to say you changed your mind.
“And I think people will want to know that he did go through that process, because otherwise it will seem as if the church did make an exception for somebody just because of who he is.”
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Criticism For BUTCHER Blair Over Conversion
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I think the main point of his conversion has been missed and I can’t think for the life of me why? He professed his faith before, during and after the ‘Iraq Invasion’ and said in interviews how he truly believed that had he been wrong to take the country to war then he would no doubt have to face his God in the next life and would expect to be Judged about this act! All well and good, but how bloody convenient that as soon as he offed the reigns of Prime Minister, he then converted to Roman Catholicism! Now all he has to is ‘confess’ his sin and then with no more than a couple of ‘Aves’, 3 Hail Mary’s [it is a serious sin he would be confessing - hence this harsh penance??], and 1 Our Father and his Transgression would be forgiven. Indeed with a ‘flip flap’ of his Priest’s hands, total absolution recieved.!! Thus making the nasty scene in Heaven with the Judge he was expecting to have to face, would no longer be the Fate he would have to endure!
LUcky he converted then eh! Well I would hate to think of poor baby faced Tony being judged for his life and deeds, political or otherwise! Bless him! And if he forgets to confess any of his sins before his ‘time’ comes, well then the Sacrement of the Last Rights will make sure there are no ‘loose ends’! So there you have it, never could he have intended to be ‘judged’ by his God. He always intended to convert, one might say he could do as he wanted, make war with whomever, without any justification or consequence for his’soul’, because he always intended to slip his hand into the celestial Monopoly box and grab himself the ultimate ‘Get Out Of Hell Free Card’!!!
And if he throws some of his ill gotten funds into the offertary, he could even end up becoming ‘Blessed Blair’! Hell Frank Sinatra bought himself an audience with JPII, can’t think why he thought he needed a ‘Papal Absolution’! Can You? SO now you know what you have to do if you think your mortal soul is in peril! Everything has a price in the Catholic Church, though I doubt they are orphans in that respect!
I must point out the statement about being judged was no more than a couple of weeks before he converted!!!
Cynical? Moi? Damn right I was raised and opressed in the Roman Catholic Church! But I got out! Though can’t say the inevitable ‘guilt’ has subsided yet at my doing so! OLD Habits, die hard! Eh….?
ps Don’t forget that Pope Benedict xvi, was prior to his elevation the head of the powerful group within the church known as the Congregation Of the Doctrine Of The Faith! Whilst you may not be aware of this group, you will, I’m sure be familiar with the name it used to bear…..’The Inquisition’! I kid you not! Well, as the old saying goes…’if the cap fits, wear it!’
yours somewhat sincerely!