Tony Blair becoming Roman Catholic

Last night Tony Blair swum the Tiber and became a Roman Catholic and for the full news story see - http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/uk/7157409.stm

Whilst not now a "Roman" Catholic, although I was once a so called "Convert" to Roman Catholicism, I am very pleased that Tony Blair's spiritual pilgrimage has led him in this direction and congratulate him. I hope he will be very happy. I am sure that it must be a tremendous joy to his whole close family.

I can well understand how he has waited until now to take the plunge as it were. One is never a "nutter" to follow ones spiritual calling as a Christian, and I do not think that this was a good reason for the delay, but I can see how his moving to RC'ism might have adversely affected some political aspects. The delay has probably avoided some controversy that some might have worked up had he still been PM.

I am most grateful to my own experience of becoming a Roman Catholic Christian. It has enriched my Christian faith tremendously, including by putting me much more in touch with the ancient heritage of the Christian faith, and its outworking through the centuries, that cannot be grasped through raw Bible knowledge alone.

(Incidentally, in reality, one does not "Convert" to the Roman Catholic Church. One can only convert to becoming a Christian, in faith and love with Christ. However in transferring to the Orthodox and Catholic faith, as new RC's do, one comes into a fuller experience of Christian faith than before, the faith of most of our ancestors if our country has an ancient Christian heritage. It is much easier to do now that the RC Church, as a result of the Reformation, and its inner reform, no longer has features that Luther was quite correct in preaching against).