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

[meridith]

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)

exactly,

 

[spn82756]

exactly,

We so often forget that none of us are perfect. Walking on water is not easy.

The great thing is that everyone on these blogs is really trying to do our best. I fail often. That’s why I am so thankful for the forgiveness that we receive from out Lord! :clapping

Aren’t we BLESSED!!!

 

[stuart12]

I am glad that he has come to the Catholic Church, but his positions (or previous positions at least) are completely unacceptable. He must publically recant them as he is a public figure, if he does not, he is making a mockery of the Church.

He has commented that the Church needs to ‘rethink’ her teaching on homosexuality. The Church has rethought the issue and she has reaffirmed her abhorrence to such evil. His wife is just as bad. Bishops of England and Wales…you have a duty to do. Don’t continue to abandon your flock.

 

[rlg94086]

I am glad that he has come to the Catholic Church, but his positions (or previous positions at least) are completely unacceptable. He must publically recant them as he is a public figure, if he does not, he is making a mockery of the Church.

He has commented that the Church needs to ‘rethink’ her teaching on homosexuality. The Church has rethought the issue and she has reaffirmed her abhorrence to such evil. His wife is just as bad. Bishops of England and Wales…you have a duty to do. Don’t continue to abandon your flock.

Pray that both of them will grow in their faith, understanding and obedience. Who knows? Maybe Mr. Blair is still studying and learning and will have an effect on his wife. In my case, my wife grew up Catholic, and I converted. As I grew in my understanding and faithfulness to Church teaching, my wife did as well.

Unfortunately, their particular views (orthodox and heterodox) are magnified more than your average, every day Catholic.

 

[dsulpizio]

Blair may be forgiven of his sins IF he repents.
No sign of that…it is needed for a proper confession, so as it stands, he is at odds with his Church…an unrepentant sinner (versus a repentant sinner, which is a better thing to be).
Also, we don’t judge if people are damned to Hell or not…but we are supposed to discern right from wrong, so calling Blair a spade is OK in my book, since there has been no repentance of his support of homosexuality and abortion.

 

[rlg94086]

Blair may be forgiven of his sins IF he repents.
No sign of that…it is needed for a proper confession, so as it stands, he is at odds with his Church…an unrepentant sinner (versus a repentant sinner, which is a better thing to be).
Also, we don’t judge if people are damned to Hell or not…but we are supposed to discern right from wrong, so calling Blair a spade is OK in my book, since there has been no repentance of his support of homosexuality and abortion.

Indeed. Part of what led me to a more orthodox understanding of our faith was other Catholics pointing out my error in love. The latter part of that sentence is important. To correct with hatred doesn’t do much good. Some of the disdain directed toward Mr. Blair in regards to his conversion is misplaced. Perhaps he wasn’t instructed properly. Perhaps he believes that some stances are not absolutes. Give a person a benefit of the doubt, while at the same time correcting them. If they then, defiantly state that they don’t care what the Church teaches, then it is a different situation.

 

[kathykiritta]

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.

Hey Anode,
Who are you to judge?? Are you God? I’m afraid you are more dangerous than any human alive today!!! The guy only wanted to protect you to stay alive wherever you are!! Pray instead for all the soldiers who gave up thier lives for you.

 

[Binary]

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.

Yes, that is what the priest was saying: that confessing/recanting to a priest satisfied the requirement of publicity.

 

[KEVIN_WILCOX]

Mr Blair was subject to a mixed marriage, often accompanied his (Catholic) wife to Church with their (Catholic) children, but because of “politics and fear of public scandle” postponed officially entering the Catholic Church until he retired from office. Had she lived long enough I wonder what would have been the future of Princess Di, I also wonder about Prince Andrew as he keeps his mother’s rosary. And with Prince Andrew, the monarchy of England.

 

[LilyM]

Mr Blair was subject to a mixed marriage, often accompanied his (Catholic) wife to Church with their (Catholic) children, but because of “politics and fear of public scandle” postponed officially entering the Catholic Church until he retired from office. Had she lived long enough I wonder what would have been the future of Princess Di, I also wonder about Prince Andrew as he keeps his mother’s rosary. And with Prince Andrew, the monarchy of England.

The future of Princess Di? Do you mean in regards her faith? There is no indication that she ever at any point in her life considered changing her faith. The concerns were purely that her lovers Hasnat Khan and (alleged fiance) Dodi Al-Fayed were both Muslim, which would’ve made her position difficult given her status as mother-to-future-King-and-future-head-of-Anglican-Church. None of that is to say she was contemplating conversion at all.

Prince Andrew ‘keeps his mother’s rosary’? You know his mother is Queen Elizabeth II? Are you saying she has owned and gifted him with a rosary? If so it was probably a gift from one of the Popes or some other prominent Catholic cleric. No reflection on her or his faith.

And it has no impact whatsoever on the monarchy of England. Andrew is third in line to the throne, and thus extremely unlikely to inherit. Especially as William is now of an age to marry and have children of his own, and probably will do so in the not-too-distant future.

 

[KEVIN_WILCOX]

What a fool I am, thank you for pointing out the error of my ways. I do not have to go out of my way seeking humility when I am blessed with people of reassuring vigilance such as yourself.
Proving how many mistakes I can make with so few words.uch:

 

[KEVIN_WILCOX]

Lily (Prince William, who may become King Billy) kept his mother’s rosary. Princess Di was buried with one of her prized possessions (Blessed Mother Teresa’s rosary)
All makes for a great story - inter-racial / inter-faith tension. Life is never easy nor uncomplicated.

 

[LilyM]

Lily (Prince William, who may become King Billy) kept his mother’s rosary. Princess Di was buried with one of her prized possessions (Blessed Mother Teresa’s rosary)
All makes for a great story - inter-racial / inter-faith tension. Life is never easy nor uncomplicated.

How could William keep his mother’s rosary if she was buried with it? Only one of the two things can be true.

I’m sure Mother Teresa gave rosaries to numerous people, all of whom have kept them as treasured possessions from a beloved woman who did a great deal of good for many people.

Whether that has impacted on the religious faith of any of them is highly doubtful. In the case of such a superficial and self-confessedly unintelligent woman as Princess Di the likelihood is much less than usual.

Certainly it didn’t stop her seeing her usual bevy of astrologers and clairvoyants and the like, so there’s no reason at all to believe that there was any present or potential sort of faith ‘tension’ of the kind, except in the minds of the media who were happy to play up the fact that her lovers were Muslim. See, for their to be interfaith tension there would have to be faith, and in her case there seems to have been none.

As for Prince William - if he did keep her rosary - there is no more motive apparent or necessary than that it belonged to his mother. If my mother owned a statue of the Buddha I would probably keep it for the simple fact that it belonged to her.

He certainly has given no indication of having even the sort of ill-defined ‘spirituality’ that his father has at times shown. Not that in Charles’ case it has translated into anything approaching actual faith, if his cavalier disregard of his marital vows is anything to go by.

There’s not a single one of the current crop of Windsors, the cousin who converted to Catholicism and the Queen possibly excepted, who ever have known or ever would know faith if it hit them over the head with a plank. A St Paul-style miracle aside. And even then, they being intellectual midgets compared to us let alone St Paul, it would probably achieve nothing in their case.

 

[DILCIA]

To answer some of the points, some Anglicans pray the rosary, go to confession etc.
The problem is public scandal. To the world Tony and Cherie are pro choice, if there has been a change of heart of Tony since he came into the church then really he should let the public know. I understand that Cherie said that she stayed in the church of her grandmother so as to change it. Also Tony said the Holy Father was wrong in his stance on homosexuality.
I just think it’s sad if they are still pro choice.

 

[KEVIN_WILCOX]

If all the sinners left the Church;
If all those who struggle with their faith departed;
How many would be left?
How many of the disciples didn’t stagger and sway in their belief and conduct?
We, the Catholic Church, are a Church of sinners.