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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Blair's conversion 'unresolved' | Blair's conversion 'unresolved' |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Tony Blair said the issue of his conversion to Catholicism was "unresolved" ahead of his last meeting with the Pope as prime minister. | Tony Blair said the issue of his conversion to Catholicism was "unresolved" ahead of his last meeting with the Pope as prime minister. |
| Mr Blair, an Anglican, spoke after speculation he was planning to convert to the same religion as wife Cherie and their children after leaving office. | Mr Blair, an Anglican, spoke after speculation he was planning to convert to the same religion as wife Cherie and their children after leaving office. |
| Asked by the Times magazine if he would be converting, he said: "Things aren't always as resolved as they might be." | |
| He said he was "nervous" discussing the issue before Saturday's Rome meeting. | He said he was "nervous" discussing the issue before Saturday's Rome meeting. |
| Mr Blair's audience with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican will be the final foreign engagement of his "farewell tour". He is set to leave Downing Street on Wednesday. | Mr Blair's audience with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican will be the final foreign engagement of his "farewell tour". He is set to leave Downing Street on Wednesday. |
| Mr Blair said about the subject of conversion: "I don't want to talk about it. It's difficult with some of these things." | Mr Blair said about the subject of conversion: "I don't want to talk about it. It's difficult with some of these things." |
| There is no constitutional barrier to such a conversion, which would have made Mr Blair the UK's first Catholic prime minister. | There is no constitutional barrier to such a conversion, which would have made Mr Blair the UK's first Catholic prime minister. |
| However, it was suggested he would wait until after leaving office to avoid possible clashes such as over his role in appointing Church of England bishops. | However, it was suggested he would wait until after leaving office to avoid possible clashes such as over his role in appointing Church of England bishops. |
| Downing Street said Mr Blair wanted to discuss "interfaith issues" with the Pope. | Downing Street said Mr Blair wanted to discuss "interfaith issues" with the Pope. |