Tony Blair questions Vatican policy towards gays

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, has said in an interview that he thinks Catholic church leaders are out of step with ordinary believers in their attitude toward homosexuals.

Blair, who formally converted to Catholicism in 2007, said he believes there is a big generational difference on the issue, and that ordinary Catholics are more liberal minded than their leaders, PR Inside reports.

"Actually, 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," Blair said in an interview published in the gay magazine Attitude.

Pope Benedict, when he was still a cardinal in 1986, described homosexuality as "an objective disorder".

Asked about that comment, Blair said "there is a huge generation difference here."

"And there's probably that same fear amongst religious leaders that if you concede ground on an issue like this, because attitudes and thinking evolve over time, where does that end?" Blair said.

"You'd start having to rethink many, many things. Now, my view is that rethinking is good, so let's carry on rethinking.

Blair suggested that ordinary Catholics would disagree with the official position.

Asked if he meant that the average Catholic congregation speaks for the Catholic Church more than the Pope does, Mr Blair replied: "Well, I'm not going to say that! On many issues, I think the leaders of the Church and the Church will be in complete agreement. But I think on some of these issues, 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.

"If you asked 'what makes you religious?' and 'what does your faith mean to you?' they would immediately go into compassion, solidarity, relieving suffering. I would be really surprised if they went to 'actually, it's to do with believing homosexuality is wrong' or 'it's to do with believing this part of the ritual or doctrine should be done in this particular way'."

Source: PR Inside