Tony Blair converts to Catholicism

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Mr Blair was received into the Catholic Church by the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, in the chapel of the Archbishop's House in Westminster on Friday night.

Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor said: "I am very glad to welcome Tony Blair into the Catholic Church.

"For a long time he has been a regular worshipper at Mass with his family and in recent months he has been following a programme of formation to prepare for his reception into full communion."

Monsignor Mark O'Toole, the cardinal's private secretary, led Mr Blair through his period of spiritual preparation before Friday night's ceremony.

The cardinal added: "My prayers are with him, his wife and family at this joyful moment in their journey of faith together."

The move comes after years of speculation that Mr Blair, whose wife Cherie and four children are Catholic, would convert from Anglicanism after he resigned from Number 10 in June.

One of his last acts as prime minister was to visit Pope Benedict in June - his third trip to the Vatican in four years.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams wished the former Prime Minister well in his spiritual journey.

He said: "Tony Blair has my prayers and good wishes as he takes this step in his Christian pilgrimage."