Tony Blair assents to Catholic Church's teaching
The former Prime Minister, Tony Blair has been received into the Catholic Church by Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor in the Cardinal's private chapel at Archbishop's House, Westminster. Secular papers could be forgive for referring to this as a "private ceremony" because it was held (understandably) in a context where members of the general public were not freely admitted. However, as Catholics know, every liturgical service is a part of the public worship of the whole Church. This includes the part where Mr Blair (as with anyone being received into full communion with the Catholic Church) was asked to say:
"I believe and profess all that the Holy Catholic Church believes, teaches and proclaims to be revealed by God"In response to the news of Mr Blair's reception into the Catholic Church, John Smeaton, the National Director of SPUC said:
"During his premiership Tony Blair became one of the world's most significant architects of of the culture of death, promoting abortion, experimentation on unborn embryos, including cloned embryos, and euthanasia by neglect,"The SPUC Director continued:
"SPUC is writing to Tony Blair to ask him whether he has repented of the anti-life positions he has so openly advocated throughout his political career."On previous occasions, various commenters have said that we must not judge another individual's conscience. Of course, I agree with them. However, since Mr Blair has, in the public forum, made statements, voted, and taken action publicly in contradiction of Catholic teaching, it reasonable to expect some public disavowal those positions and a reassurance that he now adheres publicly to the Catholic Church's teaching on everything. I pray that SPUC will receive a reply that will reassure Catholics who have been working tirelessly in the pro-life cause.
Coverage:
Daily Telegraph: Tony Blair turns Catholic in private ceremony
Times: Tony Blair finally becomes a Catholic
This is London: Tony Blair converts to Catholicism - as immigration means Britain is now a Catholic country
Guardian: Blair converts to Catholicism
10 comments:
People often forget that a part of repentance is trying to undo the damage they have done.
People realize that if a thief confesses he is still obligated to return what he stole. Certainly a culture of death politician if repentant will work to undo to the extent they can the damage they were instrumental in creating.
Archbishop Marini, Prime Minister Blair. Who will be the next visitor to Westminster? If you can tell a man by his friends Cardinal Cormac is in trouble. Time for a change perhaps?
In the welter of instant punditry - most of it negative - a generally welcoming commentary has been provided by the editor of the Tablet, writing in the Telegraph. A pertinent quote is: "This is not to say that the Catholic Church should, or does, operate its own whip on certain ethical issues. Politicians ... have to act according to their conscience and negotiate the tricky path between their own beliefs and their work in the public arena." Why am I not surprised?
Today's Times has a very positive piece from Ruth Gledhill (not yet online), quoting the PP of the Catholic parish in which Chequers finds itself: "St Paul hed been a frightful anti-Christian before he became a convert and did great things for the Church", and also Lord St John of Fawsley: "St Thomas Aquinas believed abortion was legitimate until 40 days after conception".
This, courtesy of NewsBiscuit, might amuse.
Wuth Best Wishes for a Holy and Happy Christmas and a rewarding 2008. Gloria in Excelsis Deo!
This could well be a further contribution to the confusion of the people in the pew. Perhaps to mitigate it we should preach and teach the devout hope and expectation that Tony Blair's publicly recorded Hans Kung-like preference for values over doctrines, as well his public anti-life stances, were indeed fruitfully challenged during his preparation to become a Catholic - as they surely should have been.
Of course such challenge is not particularly fashionable today. One result is that numerous RCIA programmes in the past and present do not involve such challenge concerning inconvenient teachings, even when especially needed. Numerous parish priests and catechists can confirm this. No doubt talk of "Gospel Values" predominates.
If no public clarification, for the sake of our people's souls, is forthcoming our devout hope begins to look a bit forlorn. That situation is at least a public caution about using modern reception figures too triumphantly. "300 .... How many came on board in a Tony Blair-like manner?"
An opportunity for warning that this situation cannot be leading to integral renewal.
Fr Hugh
What kind of a Catholic will Tony be? I remember a few years back Tony and Cherrie asked to dinner none other that Hans Kung. So he will be like his wife a very liberal catholic.
The RCIA permits all sorts of people to become Catholic. Let us be optimistic that Tony is at the beginning of the correct road. If he was received properly, he will have confessed all previous sins and had his slate wiped clean. If he made the vow to believe all that the Faith teaches, then he is bound to it. We are not is a position to judge his conscience, and he is alone answerable to God. We are not ones to demand he makes amends for his sins, and I suspect that like most Catholic priests, this was not the conditional penance of his absolution.
Matt - I addressed this question in the last paragraph of the post. As I said, it is not a matter of judging a person's conscience but of the reasonable expectation that some public indication be given that Blair now repudiates those anti-life and anti-family positions that he has publicly stated, voted for, and brought into the law of our country.
I am genuinely interested to know whether you accept that there is a distinction between this and judging someone's personal conscience or whether you disagree that there is a distinction - or what it is that you think about this question of public action versus private conscience. The Church does seem to make a clear distinction but many people like yourself seem to fail to see the distinction. As I say, I am genuinely interested to know why.
Thank you Father. I feel that Blair is spiritually at square one, if the RCIA was done correctly. Therefore he should only be corrected and rebuked for further public outrages against the Faith. I think we must assume he knew what he was doing by becoming a Catholic. I just hope the relevant Church authorities knew what they were doing when they received him. As I said, RCIA fails time and time again in its constant attempt to seem inclusive and welcoming, rather than keen for candidates to renounce heresy in a formal way, as was previously necessary before liturgical changes.
So in summary I'd say: yes we were right to publically condemn Blair in his public policy whilst PM. But NOW - I feel we do not have enough information to demand he do anything publically to reverse it.
One last question: when penitents confess their sins to you, do you give them standard penances (prayers, etc) or demand a public retraction and making amends of their sins. We must admit that average Catholics fall short here (which is probably why we need purgatory) and should not expect Blair to be any different.
I'm sure Pope Cherie I will change all this when she usurps Benedict...
While it is certainly none of my business that Mr Tony Blair will have done all that is required between him and God, in becoming a Catholic there still remains the grave scandal (surely in Canon Law somewhere?) that such a public figure who has voted so often on abortion and issues relating to family life and the protection of children gives scandal by not publicly announcing his wrong.
I cannot believe that this has not happened in some quiet way or through a member of the Heirachy. It has quite appalled and distressed me, and many others.
It cannot possibly be right not to do so.
Matt - I see where you are coming from. You are comparing this to a private confession. But it is not. It is a public (i.e. trumpeted in the newspapers) reception of Mr Blair formally into the Catholic Church by the Archbishop of Westminster. At the very least, it would be nice to have some affirmation by the Cardinal that Blair has abandoned his previous support for abortion etc.
The silence is deafening.
And, by the way, if a penitent were known to me as someone who had publicly supported abortion, yes I would suggest that since part of the requirement for a valid confession is a firm purpose of amendment they should make some efforts to make good publicly the harm that they had done.
Post a Comment