19th April, 2009
With bated breath some have been awaiting the Vatican’s response to Tony Blair’s words on the Catholic Church and homosexuality. And answer came there none.
Blair is speaking in Canada again soon on his Faith Foundation. See The Star article.
The article pasted below, as in the current edition of the weekly Catholic Newspaper The Tablet , is the nearest we get to a Vatican comment. It is interesting how critics are suggesting that Blair’s stance might actually HARM his Faith Foundation. (Attack being the best form of defence?)
That dismissive approach fails to understand what Blair’s Faith Foundation is all about. It is about cross-religion grass-roots participation, debate, communication, understanding and at a practical level charitable works on a co-ordinated scale. It is NOT a vehicle for threatening religions’ many hegemonies or power bases, although it would seem that the foundation’s success might minimise the isolationist tendencies of all religions. I fail to see why THAT is such a threat.
Even unbelievers, perhaps particularly secular unbelievers should hope for more power to the Blair elbow.
‘Tablet’ article follows:
Blair pushes the boundaries
Isabel de Bertodano
The former prime minister’s criticism of church teaching on homosexuality has reportedly caused consternation in the Vatican. But opinions are divided as to whether his liberal approach will help or hinder the work of his new Faith Foundation
When the long-anticipated reception of Tony Blair into the Catholic Church came about in 2007, it caused headlines around the world. His interest in religion and admiration of Catholicism were well known – it is the faith of his wife and four children – and he was wholeheartedly welcomed by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor in a private service at Archbishop’s House, Westminster.
However, once the news broke it did not take long for some in the Church to raise doubts about whether Mr Blair could keep the promise he had made in the declaration of faith: “I believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches and proclaims to be revealed by God.”
The question marks were caused by Mr Blair’s liberal views and his parliamentary record of voting well outside the boundaries of Catholic teaching on abortion, stem-cell research and civil partnerships, not to mention the invasion of Iraq.
At the time, Mgr Andrew Faley, assistant general secretary of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, said the profession of faith “does not mean we have to go over his past actions and ask him to explain them all again. The future starts here.” If this indicated that Mr Blair was starting with a clean slate as far as the Church was concerned, that slate was defaced last week when he publicly criticised the Vatican’s stance on homosexuality.
The Catholic Catechism makes a clear distinction between homosexual people and homosexual acts. While acts are described as “of grave depravity”, it says of gay people that “every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided”. Many gay people find the distinction unworkable and in his interview for Attitude magazine with the former prime minister, the journalist Johann Hari asked him why the Pope regarded homosexuality as a tendency towards an “intrinsic moral evil”. Mr Blair referred to a “huge generational difference” and said, “We need an attitude of mind where rethinking and the concept of evolving attitudes becomes part of the discipline with which you approach your religious faith.” He went on, using the language of politics: “You can either hold to your core vote, basically, you know, say: ‘Look, let’s not break out, because if we break out we might lose what we’ve got, and at least what we’ve got, we’ve got, so let’s keep it.’ Or you say, ‘Let’s accept that the world is changing, and let us work out how we can lead that change, and actually reach out.’”
Mr Blair’s reference to the “core vote” was taken by many to demonstrate that he had misunderstood the way the Church works, regarding it as a political party which could be lobbied and was always working towards winning the next election. The former international development secretary, Clare Short, who was herself raised as a Catholic, was among those critical of this approach. “He thinks the Pope should do what he did with New Labour – he thinks if you stick with core voters you don’t get anywhere. He’s a convert and thinks they’ll catch up with him now. It was a naive and incredibly arrogant thing to do.”
Mr Blair also asserted that most Catholics disagreed with the Pope when it came to homosexuality. “If you went and asked the congregation, I think you’d find that their faith is not to be found in those types of entrenched attitudes,” he said.
A seasoned observer of Vatican affairs reported that these remarks had caused consternation in Rome because they were understood to imply that Mr Blair knew the Catholic world better than the Pope. “What really annoys people is the arrogance of dictating to the Pope and saying that his liberal class, liberal angle is more in tune with Catholics than the Vatican,” said the source. There is a “huge tension between [Blair's] socially liberal politics and the Church he has joined – he has to square the circle of his views and his religion.” A spokesman for Mr Blair told The Tablet this week that: “teaching and doctrine does evolve and is elaborated over time by successive generations”.
Martin Pendergast, a steering group member of the Catholic caucus of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, who coordinates twice-a-month Masses for London’s lesbian and gay Catholic community, thought Mr Blair had been right. “Tony Blair has simply echoed the views of many ordinary Catholics in this country, particularly those who have lesbian or gay family members,” said Mr Pendergast. “As on many other contemporary issues, the Vatican becomes more and more isolated in its rhetoric, even from many of its priests and bishops.”
James Alison, a Dominican theologian who has written on gay issues, said: “It was a breath of fresh air for it to be said in public what we all know: the Catholic faithful are by and large much more relaxed and friendly about gay people than is our clerical structure.”
While Mr Blair’s comments may resonate with some Catholics, there is wider concern at the consequences for his work on the international stage, where his access to the corridors of power, both in the political and religious worlds, is second to none. As peace envoy to the Middle East on behalf of the Quartet – Russia, the US, the EU and the UN – he works intensively with political and religious communities in the search for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He teaches a study group on faith and globalisation at Yale, a course which has been adopted by four other universities abroad and which he hopes will spread further.
Last year he also set up the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, an interfaith organisation to “promote respect and understanding about the world’s major religions and show how faith is a powerful force for good in the modern world”. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, the outgoing Archbishop of Westminster, has been approached about taking up a role as a non-executive trustee in the organisation, a suggestion he is understood to have responded to positively. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, emeritus Archbishop of Washington DC, and Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, have also been in discussions with the foundation about possible involvement. Church insiders say that the involvement of such high level Catholic figures is jeopardised by Mr Blair’s criticism of the Pope. “There is already a sense that the foundation is an empty shell and has not got a real purpose,” said one source. “This latest episode has caused real dismay in the Vatican.”
Stephen Pound, Labour MP for Ealing North, said Mr Blair was wrong if he thought that his public profile gave him sway in church matters and that the comments would damage support for his faith foundation, not only in the Vatican but also in the Muslim and Jewish worlds. “It is extremely counterproductive,” he said. “Entrance to the Vatican is only gained through a series of iron clad, hermetically sealed, heavily padlocked and bolted doors, and I can hear them creaking shut as we speak.”
Mr Pound, a Catholic, pointed out that, as a newcomer to the Church, Mr Blair appeared not to understand how the Vatican worked. “Make your voice heard in a private audience if you’re going to do it,” he said. “Not by dictating to the Pope through the media. He has recently arrived as a guest in our house and he should respect the housekeeping rules.”
Mr Blair’s spokesman emphasised that the foundation valued the support of the Vatican. “Mr Blair made absolutely clear his deep admiration for the Pope and for the immense amount of good work done by the Catholic Church throughout the world. He did not make any personal criticism whatsoever.”
Mr Blair genuinely believes that interfaith work is the key to solving many of the world’s problems, although he has acknowledged that the transition from politician to religious diplomat is hard for some to swallow. “In the end, I believe I can make a real difference in this area,” he said this week in a BBC radio programme about his foundation. “It takes some time for people to adjust to see someone like me in a different light but I believe so much in what I’m doing I’ll just carry on doing it.”
Sir Sigmund Sternberg, co-founder of the Three Faiths Forum, doubted the faith foundation’s good work would be diminished by its leader’s remarks about homosexuality. “Blair is well regarded in the Vatican,” he said. “He represents one point of view but the Pope is open to listening and I don’t think this will affect [Blair's] access to the top.”
Chris Bain, director of the Catholic aid agency Cafod, agreed, saying his own organisation often found itself in situations in the developing world where it successfully worked with partners it did not see eye to eye with. “This episode should not stop people supporting the faith foundation. Encouraging faiths to act together on the developing world is critical work. At the same time it reminds those who seek to use their influence of the need to think through the impact of what they are saying on different audiences.”
Sir Sigmund acknowledged that others involved in the foundation, including the chief rabbi, may disagree with Mr Blair’s approach towards gays, but he did not expect them to take offence. “There’s no reason why the leader of a faith foundation should stay out of political issues like this one,” he said. “Blair has opened the debate – there’s no reason why he shouldn’t.”
ON THE OTHER HAND
Religions are to blame
