▁to ▁Australia ; ▁and ▁former ▁Prime ▁Minister ' s ▁wife , ▁Ch erie ▁Bla ir , ▁have ▁no ▁difficulty ▁making ▁their ▁Catholic ism ▁known ▁in ▁public ▁life . ▁The ▁former ▁Prime ▁Minister , ▁Tony ▁Bla ir , ▁was ▁received ▁into ▁full ▁commun ion ▁with ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁Catherine ▁P ep in ster , ▁Editor ▁of ▁Table t , ▁notes : ▁" The ▁impact ▁of ▁Irish ▁imm igr ants ▁is ▁one . ▁There ▁are ▁numerous ▁prominent ▁campaign ers , ▁academ ics , ▁entertain ers ▁( like ▁D anny ▁Bo yle ▁the ▁most ▁successful ▁Catholic ▁in ▁show b iz ▁ow ing ▁to ▁his ▁film , ▁Sl um dog ▁Mill ion aire ), ▁polit icians ▁and ▁writers . ▁But ▁the ▁descend ants ▁of ▁the ▁rec us ant ▁families ▁are ▁still ▁a ▁force ▁in ▁the ▁land ." ▁ ▁Sec ular ization ▁ ▁Histor ians ▁agree ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁Britain ▁was ▁a ▁Christian ▁nation , ▁with ▁its ▁religios ity ▁rein for ced ▁by ▁the ▁w art ime ▁experience . ▁Peter ▁For ster ▁found ▁that ▁in ▁answering ▁pol lst ers ▁the ▁English ▁reported ▁an ▁over wh el ming ▁belief ▁in ▁the ▁truth ▁of ▁Christian ity , ▁a ▁high ▁respect ▁for ▁it , ▁and ▁a ▁strong ▁association ▁between ▁it ▁and ▁moral ▁behaviour . ▁ ▁Peter ▁H enn ess y ▁argued ▁that ▁long - h eld ▁att itudes ▁did ▁not ▁stop ▁change ; ▁by ▁mid century : ▁" B rit ain ▁was ▁still ▁a ▁Christian ▁country ▁only