Tony earns his colours

In 1996 the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, the late Cardinal Basil Hume, wrote then British prime minister Tony Blair a personal letter. In it, the leader of the Catholic church in England demanded that the prime minister stop taking communion at the Catholic church in Islington.

The reason? Blair wasn't a Roman Catholic.

That's pretty tough stuff. I mean, geez, who knew you had to have "colours" to be allowed to eat a piece of tasteless bread and get a sip of cheap wine?

Well, Tony can relax. Yesterday he made team. Blair, once George Bush's second favourite lap dog, has earned his colours.

The former prime minister joined the faith at a service in a chapel in Westminster last night.

Under normal circumstances this would have no bearing on anything, anywhere. But Blair's politics ran counter to the policies of the Catholic church.

Fr [Timothy] Russ added that Mr Blair, whose views on a range of issues from abortion to stem cell research are at odds with traditional Church teaching, had "some way to go" on important moral issues.

Which means that Blair, in order to pass his final exams and orals to get his Catholic ticket, had to recant his previously held position... on just about everything.

In a book, Fr Russ also revealed that Mr Blair even discussed the possibility of becoming a Catholic deacon, a position below that of a priest that can be held by lay people.

Ahh... going for a power position.

Toss out that little daily dispenser, Cherie! Tony's heard the word of Bennie and he's making a stab at becoming a full patch one percenter.