Tony Blair Supports Marriage Equality in New Interview

Former prime minister Tony Blair says he is for marriage equality, making his support known as the United Kingdom debates whether to change its laws.

Blair had first made clear that he backs marriage equality in March when The Independent reported that his friends say the Catholic had broken with the pope on the issue. Now in an interview with Charles Moore in The Telegraph, Blair is speaking for himself.

Blair said he supports same-sex marriage even though he "accepts the doctrine of the Catholic Church."

"I'm not a doctrinal ideologue," said Blair, who is one of the country's most prominent converts to Catholicism.

Blair said the extremists on the religious right who get so much media attention are distractions on many issues, though he said "I understand why people take a different view" on same-sex marriage.

Blair is promoting a public debate today about faith hosted by his group, the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. Moore, Blair and Rowan Williams were panelists. Video of their discussion has not yet been posted to see whether Blair further elaborated on marriage equality.