Tony Blair to convert to Catholicism this month

Former British Prime Minister is preparing to convert to Roman Catholicism within weeks, reports have said Thursday.

|PIC1|The move, which has been touted since before Tony Blair stepped down from office, has now prompted Catholics to demand Blair renounce his previous support for abortion - something that goes against the Vatican's teachings.

The Tablet, a Catholic newspaper, has said the conversion will be carried out in a service to take place later this month.

Cherie Blair, the former prime minister's wife, and their four children are Roman Catholics. According to reports Blair will now carry out his conversion in a Mass in the private chapel of Cardinal Cormac Murphy- O'Connor, the leader of Roman Catholics in England and Wales.

The Tablet has said Blair has been receiving instruction from two priests, RAF chaplain John Walsh and Father Mark O'Toole, the cardinal's secretary.

A candidate for reception into the Catholic Church is usually received by their parish priest.

However, the Archbishop of Westminster's involvement seems to suggest Blair's process of conversion began while he was still prime minister.

A spokesman for Blair refused to deny the reports, simply saying: "This is the same old speculation".

Tory MP Ann Widdecombe, who also previously converted to Catholicism over her opposition to women priests in the Church of England, said: "I hope we will get a public statement repudiating his votes on abortion. Indeed, the Church will require it.

"The Church requires that we say at the point of reception that everything the Church teaches is revealed truth. There's no hedging. Mr Blair has taken a very public stand on the matter of abortion, and the Church stand being very publicly different, we are entitled to know what he now thinks.

"Without that, it cannot possibly be a serious move."