The Baptist, Benedict, and Blair

Today marks the feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist. Or, as my seminary professors liked to call him, John the Baptizer...so as not to confuse him with members of the Baptist denomination!

One of the marks of John the Baptist was his burning desire to speak the truth of God, no matter what the consequenses. John boldly told Herod and Salome that they were adulterers, even though he knew that it could, and did, cost him his life.

Another prophet of our day, Pope Benedict XVI, met yesterday with outgoing British PM Tony Blair. According to the Times, it was a meeting where Benedict reportedly had some very direct words about Blair's recent political support for, among other things, abortion, same-sex unions and embryonic stem-cell research.

This is an interesting turn of events, considering just days ago, the media was awash with reports that Blair, as soon as he leaves office, is set to formally join the Roman Catholic Church when he leaves office. His wife, Cherie, is a Catholic, and Blair regularly attends Mass with her. Blair has not swam the Tiber yet, ostensibly because Britain has never had a Catholic PM, and there is still a latent amount of Anti-Catholicism in the UK. There have even been suggestions that Blair, when and if he comes home to Rome, would be interested in ordination as a deacon.

It appears that Benedict has made things crystal-clear to Blair: Forget about ordination - if you are going to become a Catholic, let alone a cleric - you've got to hold all that the Catholic Church teaches on faith and morals. The cafeteria is closed. It's the full meal deal or no deal.

Benedict knew, as did John the Baptist, that no one, however temporally powerful they may be, is above the laws of the King of the Universe. Our Catholic leaders must boldly speak the truth to them, no matter what the cost. If anyone does convert, it must be, as Benedict said today while discussing the Baptist, in perhaps a not-so-oblique reference to Blair, a "true conversion".

(To see Benedict's excellent catechesis on the Baptist from today's Angelus at St. Peter's, go here, with the usual hat tip to Whispers in the Loggia.)