Cherie Blair Says Catholic Church Sexist, Credits Personal Success to Contraception(Catholic Caucus)

LifeSiteNews.com ^ | 2 March 2009 | Hilary White and John Jalsevac

[A.A. Cunningham]

Monday March 2, 2009

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Cherie Blair Says Catholic Church Sexist, Credits Personal Success to Contraception

By Hilary White and John Jalsevac

LONDON, March 2, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Church "marginalizes" women and keeps them "virtually invisible" in its public face, says Cherie Blair. Speaking on a BBC television program, the wife of former Prime Minister Tony Blair said that "ambivalence" towards women is a "fundamental weakness" of Christianity and of Catholicism in particular.

The controversial remarks were made during the final installment of a documentary, Christianity, that was aired on BBC's Channel 4 on Sunday night.

During a section of the program that dealt with the Catholic Church's teaching on contraception, Blair credited her use of contraception for her personal success. Blair said that every time she didn't use contraception, "I seemed to have a baby."

"I'm a feminist…How could I have done all the things I have done if I hadn't used contraception?" she asked.

Despite being a self-professed devout Catholic, Blair has been an outspoken advocate of artificial contraception, which the Catholic Church teaches is an intrinsic evil. In her recently published autobiography, "Speaking for Myself," Blair infamously admitted that at least one of her children was conceived when she had "forgotten her contraceptive equipment" when on holiday.

During the program Blair also appeared to insinuate that it is only with the ordination of women to the priesthood that the situation of the "invisibility" of women in Christianity could be remedied.

In an interview with Cormac Cardinal Murphy O'Connor, the Archbishop of Westminster and the head of the Catholic bishops of England and Wales, Blair rebuked the cardinal, saying, "If you actually look at the formal structures of the Catholic Church, you don't see a woman's face when you see people speaking for the Catholic Church. Can we change that?"

The cardinal responded, "I don't think that [the Church] will develop towards priesthood or episcopacy [for women] because of the tradition of the Church in that role." But Mrs. Blair objected, saying, "Until the traditional churches fully resolve their relationship with the female half of the population, how can they expect Christianity to have a future in the modern world?"

Blair, a long-time feminist and activist for "progressive" causes, said, "I firmly believe the traditional churches in Western Europe can be saved but there are a number of urgent steps that need to be taken.

"Today, while women remain marginalised, Christianity cannot flourish. Women and men must be equal partners in 21st-century Christianity."

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

No Comment from Bishops as Cherie, wife of Former PM Blair, Touts Catholicism While Extolling Contraception
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/may/08052104.html

URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09030209.html

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[Jaded]

She must not know anything about Islam and how they regard women. What an ijiit.

[joe fonebone]

"This thread is tagged a "Catholic caucus" in the Religion Forum."
OK "That means only Catholics are to post here. So if you are not Catholic, leave the thread."
As I have stated, I am a Catholic "Also, neither the article nor the reply posts are to speak about other beliefs. So stop making comparisons to non-Catholic beliefs."
I do not believe I have spoken about non Catholic beliefs. If there is no room here for apologetics, I will leave on my own...

[marshmallow]

Also, neither the article nor the reply posts are to speak about other beliefs. So stop making comparisons to non-Catholic beliefs.

LOL................

What if Ms. Blair's suggestions for the Catholic Church have already been tried by "other beliefs" and failed? That's not a put down of "other beliefs". It's simply proof that her suggestions don't work.

Can't mention that, huh?

How 'bout if I phrased it this way....."Um Cherie......how are women "priests" working out for other churches, whose names I'm not allowed to mention?"

Would that be better?

[Religion Moderator]

Your posts were pulled because you were comparing Catholic v. Protestant sex scandals and reactions, e.g. clearing hourses.

Once a poster on a "Catholic Caucus" speaks in behalf of non-caucus belief systems (in this case Protestants) then they have an interest in speaking for themselves. If I did not pull your posts, the caucus would be broken and the thread status changed to "open" allowing a town square like free-wheeling debate.

By comparison, caucus threads are treated as if they are occuring behind the closed doors of a church.

You are welcome to start a new thread or post your comparisons on "open" or "ecumenical" threads. Unlabeled threads are "open" by default.

[Religion Moderator]

No it would not, because once you mention other beliefs - even vaguely - then they have an interest in speaking for themselves.

[Cicero]

This has been obvious for a long time. Cherie Blair is an extreme leftist, with all that that implies. She favors abortion and gay rights. Tony Blair also has always favored abortion and gay rights. He was responsible for lowering the age of homosexual consent with minors, and he had gays in his cabinet. He favors euthanasia.

Tony Blair became a Catholic convert. Why, I don’t know. Usually people who convert to the Church do so because they really believe, and they tend to be more Catholic than the Pope, as the saying goes. usually people like Cherie Blair stay in the Church because they find it convenient, or because they want to undermine it.

Judge not, lest ye be judged. I wish them well. But they still need to CONVERT, because they have been responsible for a lot of evil in the world.

[Salvation]

http://www.traditio.com/comment/com0812.htm

Abortion-advocate Cherie Blair claims publicly to be a "faithful Catholic" and remains "in good standing" with Benedict-Ratzinger's Newchurch of the New Order.

She is NOT a faithful Catholic, but a CINO.

[NYer]

Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[NYer]

We have too many people like this claiming to be “Catholic”. It’s not a tribe: it’s a set of beliefs.

Quote of the day!

[Romulus]

they have an interest in speaking for themselves.

Islam is mentioned at least twice in this thread.

[tioga]

that is a good quote....

Cherie Blair needs to visit the Pope for a tutoring session...I am sure sanfranNan can advise her on how to get an audience....

;^)

[Religion Moderator]

Are you Islamic?

[Romulus]

I’m Catholic. Why do you ask?

[ArrogantBustard]

That poster over at “traditio” is not a Catholic, either.

[Northern Yankee]

Oh for goodness sakes... we have the Blessed Mother Mary, Mary Magdelene, St. Elizabeth, St. Teresa of Lesiuex, St. Bernadette, St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Bridget of Ireland... etc.

You think people like Cheri Blair would think before speaking. Good grief!

[9YearLurker]

Oh, please! So women are wrong to point out and try to counter gross sexism where men are the leaders and women only followers? That would have been part of an enlightened view—maybe about 500 years ago!

[Religion Moderator]

Because unless a Muslim were to complain and/or ask to speak up, I will not open the thread.

As an example, many Bible passages refer to Jewish beliefs and nevertheless are appropriate for a Catholic Caucus such as the Daily Mass readings. If however a Jewish Freeper complained and/or asked to reply, then I would open the thread or perhaps extend the caucus to include the Jews.

[Varda]

Christ set up the form of the Church. Complain to Him.

[9YearLurker]

I think I’ve pretty well read everything that Christ said as quoted in the bible and I don’t see anything like the Catholic or other ‘Christian’ churches as exist today.

[Varda]

The Church is Apostolic. Christ chose 12 male Apostles one of whom was Peter, the rock on which the Church is built.

ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS
"1. Priestly ordination, which hands on the office entrusted by Christ to his Apostles of teaching, sanctifying and governing the faithful, has in the Catholic Church from the beginning always been reserved to men alone. This tradition has also been faithfully maintained by the Oriental Churches."