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LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair will meet Pope Benedict at the Vatican to prepare to convert to Roman Catholicism, British newspapers reported.
PM Tony Blair and wife Cherie will meet with Pope Benedict XVI in a private audience at the Vatican.
The Guardian quoted unidentified sources in London and Rome as saying Blair, who is Anglican, had decided to seek admission to the Catholic Church. Blair is due to step down as prime minister next Wednesday, handing over power to finance minister Gordon Brown.
The newspaper quoted informed sources as saying Blair had been prepared for conversion by a Royal Air Force chaplain who had said private mass for the Blair family for the last four years.
The Telegraph said it understood Blair would begin formal moves to become Catholic as soon as possible after handing over to Brown.
Blair’s wife Cherie and their four children are Catholics and there has long been speculation that Blair might convert once he left office.
VATICAN CITY (AFP) – Unnamed sources in London and Rome dismissed the rumours Blair would use the Vatican trip to convert, saying he wanted to speak to the pope about spreading harmony between Christianity, Islam and Judaism, The Times reported.
A spokesman for Blair said last week he would discuss “as he has in the past” not only interfaith questions but also world issues such as peace in the Middle East.
Before going into their private talks Saturday, pool journalists reported that Blair and Pope Benedict greeted each other and talked about the European Union summit, which Blair had attended before coming to the Vatican. “I heard it was a success,” the pope said to Blair, who confirmed that the talks on an outline for a new EU treaty had ended in accord.
The reference in the Vatican statement to British legislation was thought to refer to a law obliging adoption agencies to accept applications from homosexual couples, which upset the Catholic Church.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
