Tony Blair joins Catholic church

[awayinNaeManger]

here

that he had to wait until he wasn't PM anymore. (good lord! am I softening to Blair?? )

Ann Widdecombe was on the radio earlier today being v snotty about his attitude to abortion - implying that either he lied about being pro-choice before, or that he must have lied about being "pro-life" (is that the term?) now before he could have been accepted into the RC church.

I am a lapsed Catholic and my problem with them lies really in what the last poster said "before he could bave been accepted into the RC church."

Why should anyone have to be a certain type of person before they can worship God and go to church? Why should you have to be 'accepted'? Does God not love us all? As far as I can see the RC church exist to make money and impose impossible ideals.....how can they be against contraception and against abortion? Surely they have to accept that in this day and age people will have sex..not just to pro-create but for enjoyment.

The RC church are out-dated. I would never set foot in a RC church ever again.

thought this was known ahges ago

and for me it naters not

I was a bit bemused that this was the top story on the news tonight.

As for conversion from Anglican to RC - my grandfather did this. (I think he liked carrying the crucifix in processions and also the social life.)

You're probably right Marina but I am a bit concerned about what TB's true feelings are on issues like abortion and gay marriage. As I am a bit uncomfortable about Ruth Kelly's stance on the same issues, not to mention things like disagreeing with women being priests, etc. I'm sure there is much room for moral dialogue in the RC church in the same way as there is in the CofE, but I just wonder what his reasons are for conversion [apart from the fact that Cherie is RC].

His reasons are known to him and God.

quel surprise.

I do wonder what real Catholics thought of him when he took communion in a Catholic church a couple of years ago. Aren't you supposed to actually be a Catholic before you do that kind of thing? Certainly my Grandmother, who used to take me to Mass despite me being Christened and brought up CofE, kept an iron grip on my shoulder when everyone went up for Communion. (In an embarrassed way - I don't think she wanted her friends to know her grandchildren were what she regarded as Heathens.)

Also wonder what yer actual Catholics thought of all those CofE people who converted in protest at women priests - I mean, do you really want a bunch of people who are clearly just a load of misogynists?

I always tease my Dad, who abandoned the Church as soon as he got away from home, that as a cradle Catholic he'll call for a priest on his deathbed. He's pretty firm that if I do coax one along, he'll disinherit me!

I think its very sad our PM in office has not the freedom to choose or speak as he wishes.. what hope is there for the rest of us mere minions if our political leader cannot!

is it true that ruth kelly and the opus dei thing means she wears some kind of garter stapled to her leg that hurts as a penance

It is not the garter taht is worrysome but the intolerance they wear and display.

Regarding women priests and gay marriage... well I wouldn't convert to CoE to protest agaisnt the sexism in RC church (mainly because they one care one iota!) but I really wish they were able to accept it, I also thing that allowing priests to marry would be a good thing, it is not as if you can properly advise and understand most members of the congregation when you have not been there.

My Gran really shocked me by coming round to married priests when she was very elderly. She had always been a pillar of the church, a reception teacher in a Catholic school, Madam Chairman of the Mothers' Union, went on anti-abortion marches in the 60s (my mother was on pro-choice marches - they didn't really get on!). Very anti-Israeli (I think she really did blame the Jews for killing Christ in that very old-fashioned Catholic way - shocking.)

Yet in her 80s, she decided married priests were necessary because otherwise the priesthood would just die out. Very practical woman, my Gran.

I'm convinced that being married will give them a better perspective on people's lives.
Besides, how do you expect a person who is to speak about love (lve for thy neighbour, god, etc) not to fall in love at some point?

I knew a priest that I quite respected as a priest, he really was "living the message" then one day he left the priesthood because he had fallen in love, after a couple of years she married the woman. He was butchered with criticism for doing that, I respected him even more, it rakes a lot of courage to be honest to yourself and the others.

Actually our Priest is married and was previously C of E. I've only just moved into the parish, so I've not yet been able to compare him to unmarried priests properly. He seems very much a family man though.

I was a bit surprised at Anne Widdecombe, suggesting that TB should have difficulty reconciling his involvment in the Iraq war with his catholicism....surely opposition to our involvement in the war isn't a purely Catholic stance? Aren't Anglicans allowed to oppose war as well?

MerryTissmas: you don't have to be religious to oppose the Iraq war - don't forget that farking Bush and his assorted bucketheads reckon that Jeeeezus was on their side. As for Blair, well I wouldn't have been any more surprised to be informed that water is wet, really. It doesn;t make me disdain him any more - or less.