KEY POINTS:
Tony Blair is "certain" to become a Catholic shortly after he steps down as Prime Minister next week, according to friends.
They believe it will happen "sooner rather than later".
Blair is likely to discuss his conversion with Pope Benedict XVI, with whom he will hold talks in Rome this weekend after attending his last summit of European Union leaders in Brussels, where he and other leaders are trying to agre on a European Union constitution.
Aides say that in the private one-to-one meeting he will also discuss his plans to set up a Blair Inter-faith Foundation aimed at fostering closer links between people from different religions.
Downing Street has always insisted that he remains a member of the Church of England.
Now, as his time in Number 10 draws to a close, friends say Blair will formalise his already close affiliation to the Catholic Church.
They say his "spiritual guide" in making the decision has been his wife, Cherie. They have brought up their four children as Catholics.
- INDEPENDENT
