I Would Welcome Tony Blair to the Church

1 Corinthians 12, 26

But all these things are the work of one and the same Spirit, who allots to everyone according as he will. For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, many as they are, form one body; so also it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free; and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole body were hearing, where would be the smelling? But as it is, God has set the members each of them, in the body as he willed. Now if they were all one member, where would the body be? But as it is, there are indeed many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I do not need thy help"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." Nay, much rather, those that seem the more feeble members of the body are more necessary; and those that we think the less honorable members of the body, we surround with more abundant honor, and our uncomely parts receive a more abundant comeliness, whereas our comely parts have no need of it. But God has so tempered the body together in due portion as to give more abundant honor where it was lacking; that there may be no disunion in the body, but that the members may have care for one another. And if one member suffers anything, all the members suffer with it, or if one member glories, all the members rejoice with it.

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St Paul wrote those words in his very famous passage about the various gifts of the Holy Spirit, and how they are apportioned differently among the faithful. Remember, St Paul did not have an established base of Catholics - everyone he spoke to was a convert to the faith! They were converts from Judaism, they were converts from Gentile pagan religions ... everyone was a convert. So St Paul was able to see first hand how each convert brought with them their individual backgrounds, with their strengths and their weaknesses. In his letters St Paul often had to "coach" these fledgling converts in their parishes in all things, from huge theological issues to minor but important behavioral matters. St Paul makes the fascinating and insightful point in the above passage that often the weakest part of the body that comes to the church brings ultimately the strongest and most valuable part.

I urge people to be more open minded about those who convert or revert to Catholicism who may bring baggage or who struggle with baggage from their secular or pre-Catholic life. For example, I am perfectly able to take Presidential candidate Mitt Romney at face value when he says he has had a change of heart regarding abortion and is now sincerely pro-life. I even wrote him an email of support on this subject. For is that not what everyone is trying to do? To bring more people to faith in what we believe? And should we not be happy when that occurs, even when that person, such as Mr Romney, are not part of the Catholic church but profess to belief in Jesus Christ. How much more so should we welcome conversion of not only faith, but in understanding of the pro-life position of that faith, when someone joins the Catholic Church? Rather than question their heart, or the progress of their conversion, we should applaud and support the process, just as St Paul says in the above passage.

For let us be honest, secular society has dirtied everyone in some way. The importance of cleansing has been emphasized over and over in the Bible, both Old Testament and New, and Jesus Christ himself washed the feet of his Apostles. I know some very correct in the faith Catholics who have an uncomely demeanor due to their pride over others. While it may be a journalist's job to roll their eyes with words of skepticism about Tony Blair's past social positions that are contrary to the Catholic Church's beliefs, I do not think it is the role of the faithful to scorn or undermine his path to conversion. Over and over the Bible warns against putting stumbling blocks in one's path. We know from the many who have "crossed the Tiber" that they often become some of the strongest pillars of our Catholic faith, no matter how long the swim was, or from what truly alien and foreign shore they may have swam from.

So I would welcome Tony Blair should he announce his intention to convert to Catholicism and would look forward to his learning of the Catholic beliefs in the open, as he has not been truly able to as yet. And I understand that the journey from believing in abortion to becoming staunchly pro-life can be one that takes time and raises questions, and I'd be delighted no matter how many conversations and contemplations Mr. Blair needs to have to fully embrace all the beliefs of the Church, as I am confident that he will. After all, I think that Mr Blair has some great "street cred" in his own home, when he and his wife had that sweet baby while in office. I remember thinking at the time that he did not get as much moral credibility as he merited in the example he set in his own life. So like St Paul, I think that should Mr Blair announce his intention to convert he will contribute "abundant honor" so there is "no disunion."