梵蒂冈未作回应 : y% j V" s. n* C, `$ @0 W0 ~% s a( _3 X% t) u
中新网伦敦6月22日电 据英国《卫报》，《每日电讯报》等媒体消息，英国首相布莱尔23日将在梵蒂冈晋见教皇本笃十六世，并将皈依天主教。6 s6 l- K4 k& p4 P) t
# g$ N6 E5 a% I- f4 D 《卫报》援引匿名的英国和梵蒂冈消息人士话说，原本信仰英国国教的布莱尔已经决定加入天主教。布莱尔预定27日正式辞去他的首相职务，结束他的10年任期，财政大臣布朗将接任首相。《卫报》报道称目前还不清楚布莱尔皈依天主教的具体时间，目前也不清楚布莱尔妻子谢莉是否会与布莱尔一同和教皇会面。 % @" l& j; Q/ C 9 L$ s0 k& ]' M: E! v. {& F 而《每日电讯报》则报道称，布莱尔在将首相职务移交给布朗后，将开始采取正式行动，成为天主教徒。该报还援引消息人士的话称，“很多人都知道这件事迟早会发生”。布莱尔发言人对媒体的相关报道没有回应，但表示“首相的信仰是他私人的事”。 # i+ C5 f, n& N$ h) G 9 R1 W0 O3 V! v: T! d据悉，布莱尔的妻子谢莉和他们的4个孩子都是天主教徒。长期以来，外界一直猜测，布莱尔离开首相府后就可能改信天主教。% \/ ]9 g5 u7 k+ q- G
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据传布莱尔在2003年时，曾经从已故教皇保罗二世手中领过圣礼，但是梵蒂冈从没有证实过这个传闻。梵蒂冈此次也没有对布莱尔皈依天主教的报道发表任何评论。梵蒂冈只是证实布莱尔将访问的消息，还透露本笃十六世会为他安排了午餐会。 5 @! u, Z4 I- P& o( U
8 U6 t- `" u) |6 {* g1 N: Y0 H: n# _5 u6 l6 T! r! M 2 f* [. y% p0 A7 P9 H1 |& IThis will be Tony Blair's third visit to the Vatican City in four years 5 {5 C' Q \" m7 U % ^: i" }: U- h6 Z9 I! B8 V7 l- o" p/ k( U' R E4 k
Blair will convert to Catholicism 'soon' 7 O: Y Z! z, F, B$ S( w% l
Tony Blair is planning to announce that he will convert to Roman Catholicism soon after he meets the Pope at the Vatican tomorrow, according to Church sources and friends of the Prime Minister. , I1 ^1 A' d( p% D) k* ]3 r* i* P8 H* c
Mr Blair, an Anglican, may even inform the Pontiff of his intentions and seek his approval at the audience, which he is due to attend with his wife Cherie, a devout Catholic, and their daughter Kathryn. # [: |/ Z% j1 F4 a( w4 x4 [ ' m/ v+ |- f( _8 |1 G) O. dDowning Street would not confirm the intended conversion last night. : @5 q: o: m8 D+ N5 @" X8 ^/ @ 4 V X: j% L$ `- N+ I4 `5 ]/ JHowever, The Daily Telegraph understands that it is the Prime Minister's firm intention to begin formal preparations as soon as possible after the hand-over of power to Gordon Brown next Wednesday.- ~+ j3 P( o! O6 E
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A source said: "It is clear to many people that this is now going to happen." 7 ]9 J/ m$ X9 ]) p6 i/ U 9 N+ b) @- w+ i& L/ Y7 u% o- gThere has never been a Catholic Prime Minister in Britain, although there is no longer a formal constitutional bar. However, Mr Blair would have been aware that to convert while in Downing Street could have caused a potential conflict with his role in choosing Church of England bishops.8 J6 Y2 [% u8 @6 ^3 P# z
His reluctance to convert while Prime Minister may also have been accentuated by delicate negotiations with both sides in the Northern Ireland peace process, his party's tolerance of abortion and support for gay rights as well as his personal enthusiasm for stem cell research, which the Catholic Church opposes. 6 R; X2 `1 i) y# l ( G" [6 Q& h; OIt is likely that he will begin a private course of instruction with a spiritual director and he will be expected to be formally received into the Catholic Church at a service. & E: f: v. J! K% G ; G& U5 s" F! J# |: NHis audience with the Pope - which could be in jeopardy if the European summit overuns - will be his third visit to the Vatican in four years and reflects his growing fascination with Catholicism.) |- ?: f* S; H: u0 q$ x3 I) l/ \5 L
) T- ^& Q# X' u/ f2 X% k! ?4 ?Sources said that he may revive a long-standing invitation to Pope Benedict to visit the UK. Mr Blair is also expected to discuss the Middle East situation and his growing interest in promoting understanding between faiths, which friends say will be a key part of a new foundation he plans to establish.5 h9 Z4 Y- I: L& \, U) C G$ M2 A3 n4 W
; x6 H0 H# t! }' @0 Z" ] GChurch sources have been saying for some time that Mr Blair, whose four children have been brought up as Catholics, was already a Catholic in all but name as he rarely attended Anglican services except on state occasions. In the past he has attended Mass at Westminster Cathedral in London with his family and, for security reasons, in Downing Street. - U* ^% t. t# z" ]; S : x9 E, d3 A5 i! X4 ~* m) uHe has also attended Mass regularly at Chequers and is said to attend services on his own when he is abroad." D6 u/ T* Y/ T: H3 {
4 d1 i% |3 k8 v4 Y+ E3 }2 D# bThree years ago his parish priest at Chequers, Fr Timothy Russ, disclosed that Mr Blair had discussed becoming a Catholic with him. : d2 ?' `9 N" D- v# Y! G : U* U: A, P z5 jBut Fr Russ added that Mr Blair, whose views on a range of issues from abortion to stem cell research are at odds with traditional Church teaching, had "some way to go" on important moral issues. In a new book, Fr Russ also reveals that Mr Blair even discussed the possibility of becoming a Catholic deacon, a position below that of a priest that can be held by lay people.( G4 H1 i" e+ f/ ^; B) a
8 c) a# X5 Z, g' c5 AIn 1996, Cardinal Basil Hume, the late Archbishop of Westminster, wrote to him demanding that he should cease taking Communion at his wife's church in Islington. 8 Z5 B/ j7 b3 B" a+ d ; O; p6 r: U! X5 r o# eMr Blair made clear that he did not agree, asking in a letter to Cardinal Hume: "I wonder what Jesus would have made of it." 2 g! i: i% _3 I1 r0 a3 J. V+ u 8 A. c. l- E6 X4 V: j- ^" ` 0 O) h+ I2 F7 a0 _2 r- b
