Ghost Writer by Polanski review by Gilad Atzmon

[Jan Klimkowski]

I don't necessarily believe the exchange below, leaked by who?, is correct in all aspects.

However, fwiw it is superficially amusing:

At the time of the furore over Mr Blair's appointment of Ruth Kelly as Education Secretary – caused by her membership of Opus Dei – the Prime Minister asked Canon Russ: "What is Opus Dei?"

"A rather strict organisation of the Church," the priest told him, adding: "General Franco had 11 members of Opus Dei in his government."

"I've only got one – what's wrong with me?" the Prime Minister said.

Mr Blair spoke to Canon Russ several years ago about his desire to become a Roman Catholic deacon when he left Downing Street. He asked the priest: "Would this be possible?"

When Canon Russ told him it would usually take "two or three years" before he could be considered for such a role, Mr Blair replied: "The fact that I'm PM, could this make a difference?"

I asked Canon Russ if, when Mr Blair was free from politics, he would accept the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. He was convinced he would, saying: "He has a lot of potentiality for good. He is still looking for the meaning in his life." But for the time being he was "two different people."

Although Canon Russ no longer sees the Blairs – he was excluded from their circle after making critical comments about the Iraq War – he writes to Mr Blair weekly and still sends him his sermons, which he says contain coded messages to the Prime Minister.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/artic...already.do