London, Dec. 25: A Roman Catholic priest, who was instrumental in guiding Tony Blair on his path to Rome, has compared the former British Prime Minister to St Paul.

Canon Timothy Russ, a parish priest at the Great Missenden, the nearest Catholic church to the prime ministerial country residence at Chequers, called on Catholics who resented Blair because of his voting record on abortion and stem cell research to remember the example of the Christian Church’s greatest Apostle, St Paul, a key figure in spreading the message of Christianity.

St Paul was ruthless in his persecution of early Christians before his dramatic conversion on the Road to Damascus.

“Quite a lot of people will be quite anti-Tony Blair at first. They will be unhappy that he has become a Catholic so easily. But they have to realise that St Paul had been a frightful anti-Christian before he became a convert and did great things for the Church. I would advise people who are critical to wait and see what sort of man this will be, and how he might help our cause, ” The Times quoted Canon Russ, as saying.

The leaders of this religious fraternity have played down Blair’s conversion to Catholicism. The office of the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Con-nor, has described Blair as “just one more individual”.

In the past, Blair has been criticised for not taking a sufficiently “Catholic” line in votes in Parliament on abortion and stem cell research. (ANI)