Blair's Final Betrayal

So Blair has done what most people expected and converted to Catholicism. As to the conversion itself and anyone's personal beliefs I really don't care. I do, as a Catholic myself, feel deeply betrayed by this conversion and the timing of it.

This was not a decision made lightly or even in the few months since he left office. His wife is Catholic as are his children. He has attended Catholic mass for years. The conversion was really always on the cards. And again - a personal decision for him to make and act on himself.

But why in his years as Prime Minister, particularly the final year and a half when we all knew he was stepping down soon, did he never speak out against the institutionalised anti-Catholic legislation in Britain? Why did he never say that the Act of Succession which prevents a future monarch marrying a Catholic is wrong? Why didn't he say that the rule which prevents a Catholic being First Lord of the Treasury is an insult to the millions of Catholics in the country? Catholicism is the only religion that these rules apply to. Blair knew he was going to become a Catholic, why did he not speak out in defence of the religion he respects so much?

As usual with Blair it was a case of making sure his power trip came above everything else. He knew that by following his beliefs he would never have been PM, and that position mattered more to him than anything else. He's a hypocrite.

I spoke too soom

So there I was just the other day congratulating the Catholic Church on their eminently sensible and compassionate decision to abolish the state of limbo for babies who died before baptism. Was this a breakthrough into the 20th Century (still probably a bit early for the 21st)? Then this!

The Pope is planning to bring back the traditional Latin mass. O-kay. Which includes a prayer calling for the conversion of Jews. Not okay. The prayer reads:

"Let us pray also for the Jews, that the Lord our God may take the veil from their hearts and that they also may acknowledge our Lord Jesus Christ." and asks for Jews to be "delivered from their darkness."

Really? When anti-semitism is still prevalent in Britain is this really the best message for the Vatican to be giving out?

Jews (I assume as I'm not Jewish) don't want to be delivered. They have nothing to be delivered from. They aren't in darkness, they have their own faith and beliefs and these should be respected.

The Church is apparently concerned about the decline in church numbers and the alienation of some of the more traditional figures. It should consider people who are still basically Catholic but abhor the position on homosexuality and regard the position on contraception as killing millions of people across the world of AIDS.

One step forward - three back I'm afraid. For a more sensible point of view visit the Council of Christians and Jews.

Catholic Church Abolishes State of Limbo

This is a story that I first picked up on back in October last year. The Church has announced that the state of limbo for babies who die before baptism has been abolished

This is a great move which will bring comfort to thousands of religious parents who lose their babies before baptism. Previously babies were believed to exist in a state somewhere between heaven and hell and not able to experience the peace of heaven and the love of God. I would think that for a religious family this is a added burden at the worst time in their lives.

All we need now is for some movement on homosexuality and contraception and the Catholic Church will be moving into the 20th Century.