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Blair in Vatican for pope talks Blair talks with Pope in Vatican
(about 3 hours later)
Tony Blair has arrived at the Vatican for his last meeting with the Pope as prime minister. Tony Blair has met Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican, amid fresh speculation the outgoing prime minister might be planning to convert to Catholicism.
There has been speculation Mr Blair, an Anglican, is planning to convert to the same denomination as wife Cherie and their children after leaving office. The two men discussed Iraq, the Middle East and the European Union, a Vatican statement said, making no mention of a change of faith for Mr Blair.
He has said the issue of his conversion to Catholicism is "unresolved" ahead of his private audience. Mrs Blair, who is Catholic, accompanied her husband. She greeted the Pope after her husband's 20-minute meeting.
There has been speculation Mr Blair, an Anglican, is planning to convert.
Sainthood
The Pope and Mr Blair were joined after their talks by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster and the head of the Catholic church in England and Wales.
The Blairs gave the Pope a frame containing three period photographs of a famous British convert to Catholicism, Cardinal John Henry Newman, who died in 1890.
Cardinal Newman converted in 1845 and was later made a cardinal of the Catholic Church.
In 1991 he was declared "venerable", putting him on the road to Catholic sainthood.
After the Pope welcomed Mr Blair into the study, the prime minister told him he had just flown in from the European Union summit in Brussels where European leaders reached agreement on a deal to overhaul the 27-nation bloc.
"I heard it was very successful," the Pope told Mr Blair. "Yes, but it was a very long night. We finished up at 5.30 in the morning," Mr Blair said.
'Nervous'
Speaking before his private audience with the Pope, he said the issue of his conversion to Catholicism was "unresolved".
Asked by the Times magazine if he would be converting, he said: "Things aren't always as resolved as they might be."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 meeting.
Mr Blair's audience with Pope Benedict XVI will be the final foreign engagement of his "farewell tour". He is set to leave Downing Street on Wednesday. Mr Blair's audience with the Pope was 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 has been 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 has been 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 before the meeting that Mr Blair wanted to discuss "interfaith issues" with the Pope.