Pope's ruling bars Blair from taking Communion with family

The London Times ^ | April 17, 2003 | Richard Owen in Rome and Tom Baldwin

[Willie Green]

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.

ANY hope that Tony Blair had of enjoying a happy, Catholic Easter with his family will be crushed today by the Pope.

John Paul II is issuing a new encyclical that The Times has learnt will explicitly forbid Protestants like the Prime Minister taking Communion with Catholics such as Cherie Blair and their children.

The 83-year-old Pope has chosen Holy Week to stamp on what he sees as dangerously “liberal” interpretations of the Roman Catholic doctrine that only those “in full communion with Rome” can take part in the Eucharist.

Mr Blair, who remains a committed, if ecumenical, member of the Church of England, regularly attends Catholic Mass with his family. He also used to take Communion with them at the St Joan of Arc church in Islington.

But in 1996, he received a letter from Cardinal Basil Hume asking him to desist. In his reply, Mr Blair did not conceal his dismay at such theological conservatism. Saying that he merely wished to worship with his family but had not realised his behaviour was causing offence, he promised he would not do so again. The letter added: “I wonder what Jesus would have made of it?”

Since then Mr Blair, who admits he is strongly drawn to Catholicism, has more than once explored the limits of this doctrine. Britain has never had a Catholic prime minister and in 1998 he had to deny reports he had converted after being spotted going to Westminster Cathedral for Mass unaccompanied by his family. Suggestions that he had received the Eucharist on this occasion were never confirmed.

There have also been rumours that when Mr Blair is on holiday abroad he has taken Communion with his family.

The Pope´s fourteenth encyclical slams the door on the many Catholics and Protestants who currently take Communion together and represents a setback for Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is a firm advocate of ecumenism. When Mr Blair visited the Pope at the Vatican last month, he may have got a hint of what was to come. While his family went to take Communion with the Pope, the Prime Minister only received a blessing. The Pope also made it clear that he disagreed with Mr Blair about war in Iraq.

[Admin Moderator]

Knock it off.

[FirstTomato]

If anyone dares to disagree with you, you call them viscious names, and denounce them as scum, haters, etc.

If there were an ignore list on this forum, you would be the first on it.

Instead of attacking your fellow posters, you should be working to clean up the Catholic Church, which is infected by pedophilia, which clearly the Pope has chosen to ignore, hoping it will just go away.

The rampant homosexuality in the Priesthood is much worse a problem than allowing Tony Blair to take communion. (But on consideration prompted by a very nice poster--not you of course--I do agree that non-Catholics should have respect and not take communion)

[FirstTomato]

And your hate clearly clouds everything and everyting you say.

Stop acting like a poster from DU.

[FirstTomato]

Sorry, I have gotten over-upset about this. I know someone who was abused by a Priest. I don't (nor does he) hold it against the Church, but what the Church has allowed itself to become--a haven for homosexuals who are often pedophiles.

I want the Catholic Church to become what it once was. And in that, I do agree that traditions must be followed.

I just think that there are priorities. I just happen to be more offended by homosexuality in the Church than communion partaken by non-Catholics because I think one causes much more destruction and pain than the other.

So, lets call a truce.

[JohnnyZ]

Yes. Things can get heated sometimes, and I, of course, am the only one who ever keeps a cool head {/sarcasm}

Water under the bridge, as they say. :)

[JohnnyZ]

Oh, and I'm widely known as a PLAYER-hater.

Though I guess that counts as a hater.