Cherie drove me to become Catholic, reveals Tony Blair, claiming conversion felt like 'coming home'

[lemonbeam]

Tony Blair’s conversion to Catholicism was spurred by his wife. Speaking for the first time about his conversion two years ago, the former prime minister said wife Cherie Blair won the toss when they decided where to go to Mass. He told a religious conference in Italy: 'Frankly this all began with my wife. ‘I began to go to Mass and we went together. We could have gone to the Anglican or Catholic church - guess who won?’

Mr Blair chose to remain a member of the Church of England after spin doctor Alistair Campbell famously warned him: ‘We don’t do religion’. But the former premier, who set up The Tony Blair Faith Foundation, last night told the Communion and Liberation Committee in Rimini, Italy, that switching to Catholicism was like ‘coming home’ and is now ‘where my heart is.’ According to London’s Evening Standard, he said: ‘As time went on, I had been going to Mass for a long time… it’s difficult to find the right words. I felt this was right for me. There was something, not just about the doctrine of the Church, but of the universal nature of the Catholic Church.’

He told the delegates of how he had been to Mass in several countries in the past few weeks and described an incident at the end of a service in Tokyo where he had been asked to stand up and talk about himself. He said: ‘For the first time in a long while I was able to stand up and tell a crowd of Japanese, ‘I’m Tony and I’m from London’.’

Mr Blair, who began his speech in Italian, said: 'It is a pleasure always to be in Italy. It is here in this country that I have spent many happy times and where 30 years ago, almost to the day, I proposed to my wife and three decades and four children later, I at least am still pleased to recall the memory. ‘Ever since I began preparations to become a Catholic I felt I was coming home and this is now where my heart is, where I know I belong.’ In his speech entitled ‘Person, Community and State’, he made a brief reference to his own journey from popular Opposition leader to heavilycriticised premier.

'As Prime Minister of the UK for 10 years, but also as leader of the Labour Party for 13, during which time I reformed its constitution precisely around the relationship between the individual and the state, I learnt many things. 'I began hoping to please all of the people all of the time; and ended wondering if I was pleasing any of the people any of the time. But that’s another story. ‘In my foundation - dedicated to respect and understanding between the religious faiths - I always say clearly I am and remain a Christian, seeking salvation through our Lord, Jesus Christ.’

Read more: dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1209643/Tony-Blair-reveals-Cherie-led-Catholic.html#ixzz0PTjAqhQ4

 

[603304529]

Has the guy recanted his abhorrent, and painly non-Catholic views on contraception and abortion? He should never have been accepted into the Church, while still holding these views, and publically, very publically, recanting them.

He is a disgrace. And whoever it was who admitted him into the Church is a disgrace too.

 

[cthulhubryan]

Has the guy recanted his abhorrent, and painly non-Catholic views on contraception and abortion? He should never have been accepted into the Church, while still holding these views, and publically, very publically, recanting them.

He is a disgrace. And whoever it was who admitted him into the Church is a disgrace too.

Ummm, I’ve done some pretty bad things as well and I wish to be Catholic. Isn’t that what first confession is all about?

 

[Binary]

Has the guy recanted his abhorrent, and painly non-Catholic views on contraception and abortion? He should never have been accepted into the Church, while still holding these views, and publically, very publically, recanting them.

He is a disgrace. And whoever it was who admitted him into the Church is a disgrace too.

Really? I would think he’d just need to follow the rubrics of the church, like everyone else. Lollerskates.

 

[ora_pro_nobis]

Has the guy recanted his abhorrent, and painly non-Catholic views on contraception and abortion? He should never have been accepted into the Church, while still holding these views, and publically, very publically, recanting them.

He is a disgrace. And whoever it was who admitted him into the Church is a disgrace too.

Why should he have to publicly recant his former views? no one else has to. The Church has welcomed all kinds of sinners, me included. we repent and are forgiven and from there we continue to grow in in our faith, please God.

Politically, he may well be a disgrace, but his relationship with God is not our business. And calling the priest who received him into the Church a disgrace is just not on.

 

[anode]

I am no fan of Blair and feel that the majority of Brit’s aren’t either, and don’t care what denomination he is. He sold himself down the river by jumping on to Bush’s Invade Iraq bandwagon.

He can go to h*ll.

 

[Thunderbird]

anode:

He can go to h*ll.

You have no idea how thankful I am that God does not judge others as we seem to. Whatever his disposition, it isn’t our task to judge. He returns to the Flock and for that we should support and encourage our newest brother in Christ.

 

[Rawb]

Why should he have to publicly recant his former views? no one else has to.

Actually, some people do have to publicly recant their former views, if their views were very well known to the public. You see this most often with bishops who’ve deny pro-abortion politicians Holy Communion until a public recant is made denouncing their former views, and the scandal is thus ended.

 

[Binary]

Actually, some people do have to publicly recant their former views, if their views were very well known to the public. You see this most often with bishops who’ve deny pro-abortion politicians Holy Communion until a public recant is made denouncing their former views, and the scandal is thus ended.

My parish priest just mentioned this topic in his homily yesterday. He said that recanting such views in a confession was sufficient.

 

[traillius]

I am no fan of Blair and feel that the majority of Brit’s aren’t either, and don’t care what denomination he is. He sold himself down the river by jumping on to Bush’s Invade Iraq bandwagon.

He can go to h*ll.

It appears you may have jumped on to a different bandwagon. If I may ask, are you Catholic?

 

[tm30]

Ummm, I’ve done some pretty bad things as well and I wish to be Catholic. Isn’t that what first confession is all about?

The condition of absolution is that you do not intend to persist in the same sin. Now, I’m sure most of us have sins that, although we wish to stop, still commit, and find ourselves back in the confessional. That’s par for the course.

But if someone - say, the former prime minister of England, or his politically active wife - were to confess that they are guilty of supporting intrinsic evil, such as same-sex marriage or abortion, with absolutely no intent of either a) sincerely trying to mold their conscience to the teachings of the Magisterium, or b) making public reparation (since they are politicians) of their public evil by at least not spouting off in papers about how wrong the Church is on this issue, and even, heaven forbid, changing their political position on the matter - if neither of those takes place, it’s debatable whether or not they are forgiven of those sins.

Look, when someone runs for public office, they are given power by God. That means they are especially burdened with the task of protecting God’s people and advancing the Kingdom of God. They choose that path in life. It’s not forced upon them. The power and privilege - sorry to inform them - comes with strings attached. A public repentance doesn’t have to be a prime time confession of sins, but it can and should be a public disavowal of those previous beliefs, either in words or actions.

 

[tm30]

Why should he have to publicly recant his former views? no one else has to. The Church has welcomed all kinds of sinners, me included. we repent and are forgiven and from there we continue to grow in in our faith, please God.

Politically, he may well be a disgrace, but his relationship with God is not our business. And calling the priest who received him into the Church a disgrace is just not on.

Politicians carry the enormous burden of being empowered by God to care for His children. If, through their office or proximity to the mass media, they publicly validate, promote, or facilitate grave sin, then satisfaction of the damage they’ve done requires a public disavowal of some sort And yes, his relationship to God is absolutely the public’s business if he/she is going to directly contradict and lambast Church teaching.

 

[rlg94086]

As a fellow convert, I pray that Mr. Blair continues on his journey in understanding the full teachings of the Church. After my conversion, I still held views contrary to Church (including “personally opposed, but politically in favor of ‘choice’”) teaching because I thought it was acceptable. I grew in my understanding and continue to do so.

I don’t know the content of Mr. Blair’s preparation for conversion, his current understanding/acceptance of Church authority and teaching, etc. If he is in full communion because of erroneous understanding, then I pray for him to grow. If he was confirmed but defiantly holds views contrary to the Church, then I pray that he refrain from communion until he has fully accepted Church teaching, confesses and returns. If he has fully accepted Church teaching, then I would love to hear him championing life causes.

 

[anode]

It appears you may have jumped on to a different bandwagon. If I may ask, are you Catholic?

I am on no bandwagon.

Blair supported a pre-emptive war based on lies, which has cost this country many thousands of our troops, in lives killed and irreversibly maimed, and about one trillion taxpayer dollars. The Brits also lost many soldiers and a lot of money. They responded by voting him and his party out of office. I would not regard Blair as a prize convert.

 

[Thunderbird]

I am on no bandwagon.

Blair supported a pre-emptive war based on lies, which has cost this country many thousands of our troops, in lives killed and irreversibly maimed, and about one trillion taxpayer dollars. The Brits also lost many soldiers and a lot of money. They responded by voting him and his party out of office. I would not regard Blair as a prize convert.

Who is, really? Certainly not I, nor any other human being I suspect. He made mistakes as all of us are won’t to do. The question is, what does he do now? I don’t think quickly condemning him is the answer, nor is it a proper example of christian brotherhood.

 

[Rawb]

My parish priest just mentioned this topic in his homily yesterday. He said that recanting such views in a confession was sufficient.

Maybe according to your priest, but according to some bishops a public scandal requires a public recantation. We are obliged to obey bishops above obedience due to a priest.

Personally I don’t really care in particular about Mr. Blair, I was just passing on some information relevant to the topic.

 

[meridith]

I am no fan of Blair and feel that the majority of Brit’s aren’t either, and don’t care what denomination he is. He sold himself down the river by jumping on to Bush’s Invade Iraq bandwagon.

He can go to h*ll.

Guess you have quite a few stones you can throw. How did that happen?

 

[michael_john_ch]

I am no fan of Blair and feel that the majority of Brit’s aren’t either, and don’t care what denomination he is. He sold himself down the river by jumping on to Bush’s Invade Iraq bandwagon.

He can go to h*ll.

Remember King George VI before WWII said "That with war there cannot be FREEDOM, but without FREEDOM we cannot be without war. Also read President Kennedy’s inaugaral speech.
I do not think your anger is acceptable.

 

[anode]

Who is, really? Certainly not I, nor any other human being I suspect. He made mistakes as all of us are won’t to do. The question is, what does he do now? I don’t think quickly condemning him is the answer, nor is it a proper example of christian brotherhood.

There is a tendency to grandstand famous Catholic converts. This Blair thread sounded like this was taking place. I believe that this tendency is more pronounced among Catholics than when famous people convert to other denominations. I think that this tendency should be discouraged.

 

[spn82756]

Has the guy recanted his abhorrent, and painly non-Catholic views on contraception and abortion? He should never have been accepted into the Church, while still holding these views, and publically, very publically, recanting them.

He is a disgrace. And whoever it was who admitted him into the Church is a disgrace too.

WOW! I’m glad God is more forgiving. Ummmm “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”

I’m hoping that I’m not held accountable for things I’ve said and done and haven’t confessed to my little world (just to God and the priest)