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Man forventer at Tony Blair vil konvertere til katolicismen, når han stopper
som statsminister, - denne trosretning stormer frem i Europa og EU, og har
da også meget til fælles med islam, hvilket jo ikke gør det mindre uheldigt.
Spænd sikkerhedsbælterne.


Tony Blair, his wife, Cherie, and their children will have an audience with
Pope Benedict in the Vatican today, raising expectations that he will
convert to the Roman Catholic faith when he stands down as Prime Minister.

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Today's audience will be the first time that Mr Blair has met the present
Pope, but he had an audience with the late Pope John Paul II in 2003,
shortly before the Iraq War. It has been made clear privately that Pope
Benedict XVI is attracted to the prospect of a state visit to Britain, but
church leaders here havebeen told that the papal diary is full for next
year.

Today's audience follows Cherie Blair's unexpected meeting with Pope
Benedict in April, when she was on a speaking engagement in Rome. Cherie, a
devout Catholic, and her husband have regularly attended Mass in London, but
his conversion would be controversial if he was still a serving Prime
Minister.

A number of cabinet ministers are Catholics, including Ruth Kelly, the
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, who is a member of
Opus Dei, the Home Secretary, John Reid, and Des Browne, the Defence
Secretary. However, Mr Blair would be the first British Prime Minister to
convert to Catholicism. He has avoided any public comment about converting
to avoid upsetting traditionalists, who still object to any move that could
undermine the establishment of the Church of England.