LONDON – Outgoing Prime Minister Tony Blair will declare himself a Catholic after he leaves Downing Street, according to a leading cleric.
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(Photo: AP / Dave Caulkin)British Prime Minister Tony Blair, right, sits with his probable successor Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, at the British Museum in London, in this Friday March 11, 2005 file photo. Blair signaled his resignation as as leader of the Labour Party Thursday May 10, 2007, opening the way for a leadership contest which is expected to be won by Brown.
Fr. Michael Seed, who has been a spiritual confidante to Blair and his family for the last six years, made the prediction to friends at a recent memorial service.
Known for bringing high-profile politicians and aristocrats into the Catholic fold, Seed said that Blair was ”a Catholic by desire” although that did not necessitate a formal conversion.
There has long been speculation that Blair, an Anglican, would convert to Catholicism, the faith of his wife Cherie. Downing Street, however, refused to comment on Blair's religious intentions.
"This story is always circulating in one form or another,” a spokesman said.
"The Prime Minister remains a member of the Church of England."
Blair, who will leave office on June 27 after 10 years in power, has been noted by the leader of the Anglican church, Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, as “a man of genuine personal faith.”
Williams also paid tribute to Blair's commitment to religious freedom. "Tony Blair has understood as well as any Prime Minister in recent times why religion matters,” he stated, “how faith communities contribute to the common good and why religious extremism should have no place in a progressive society.”
The Anglican head’s comments came last week after Blair formerly announced that he would step down from office.
Britain’s Treasury Chief Becomes a Lock for PM
In related news, Britain’s treasury chief, Gordon Brown was confirmed Thursday as Britain's next Prime Minister. He immediately vowed to offer a new style of government to rebuild trust, much of which was lost by Tony Blair’s Middle East stance.
However, Brown was also quick to announce that he was not altering in any way Britain’s relationship with the United States.
Speaking after he was confirmed as the next Labour leader, with the overwhelming backing from his party, Brown said: "I will lead a new government with new priorities. It is about a different type of politics, a more open and honest dialogue."
Further promises made by the soon-to-be Prime Minister were a restoration of public trust in politicians, to listen and learn, and to make health and education his top priorities.
Brown now looks set to take over as Britain’s premier when Blair resigns on June 27. However, the fact that he will not face a vote for the job, not even internally, has been criticized. Conservative leader David Cameron called the transition "ludicrous."
"If Gordon Brown really wants to restore trust, he should give the British people the chance to vote on him in a general election," he said, in a statement.
Brown was guaranteed his position as the next Prime Minister after his only potential rival failed to win enough support from fellow parliamentarians to bring about a leadership contest.
In an image of unity from the party, Brown won the backing of 313 of the 353 Labour deputies.
Brown reacted to the news saying that he was “humbled” at the backing offered to him by the party. He made a rallying call to voters saying: "To those who feel that the political system doesn't listen and doesn't care, to those who somehow feel powerless and have lost faith ... I will strive to earn your trust.”
Already opinion polls indicate that since the start of Brown's leadership campaign, the Labour party has closed the gap on the Conservatives although the Tories still lead.
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