Cherie Blair made a controversial appearance at a Vatican college and told the audience: 'I am not Miss Perfect but I don't think I have horns and a tail.'Mrs Blair made her comment at the end of a speech she gave at the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas, better known as the Angelicum.
Security had been stepped up for her after more than 200 complaints were received by the University with many of them accusing Mrs Blair of being a 'celebrity Roman Catholic.'
'I don't have horns': Cherie Blair, pictured meeting Pope Benedict XVI in 2006, she gave a talk to a Vatican college today
Police officers stood guard outside and burly security guards with earpieces stood by the door in case demonstrators decided to take a more direct form of action against her.
After finishing her 30 minute speech she was asked questions about her appearance and said:'I am pleased that the University was not put off by the complaints and although I am not Miss Perfect for sure but I don't have horns and a tail.
'I have been a practicing Catholic all my life and it would be rather strange if I didn't adhere to the teachings of the Church.
'My own life illustrates that but there is a real danger in this debate if we ally contraception and abortion as the same and the Church needs to engage in this issue properly.'
Officials said they had been surprised at the amount of controversy her appearance had provoked with many Catholic websites condemning Mrs Blair and the University for inviting her.
Many criticised Mrs Blair for her admission of using contraception and of her support of groups such as the Family Planning Association and Planned Parenthood.
In a TV interview earlier this year, Mrs Blair - whose husband converted to Catholicism last December - declared that she could still be a 'good Catholic girl' and use contraceptives.
And in her controversial, and widely disparaged, biography 'Speaking for Myself', she described how her youngest son was conceived during a visit to the Queen's residence at Balmoral when she forgot to pack her contraception.
But her public admission to using birth control contradicts the Church's strict teaching on contraception.
In her speech 'Religion as a Force in protecting Women's Human Rights' Mrs Blair touched on her own personal life and use of contraception.
She said:'The Church rightly makes a clear distinction between controlling fertility and terminating a life once conception has occurred.
'I experienced that myself when I refused to have an amniocentesis test which was regarded as automatic for an elderly mother such as myself when I found myself pregnant with my fourth child.
'Two years later I was more conscious of a life lost when I miscarried a second late pregnancy.'
Then in a clear reference to her own views Mrs Blair added:'I am on the record as having had difficulties with accepting the current teaching of responsible parenthood.'
Mrs Blair also surprised Vatican observers by calling for more women in the Church and said:'There is no reason why half of all Curia (governing body of the Catholic Church) posts should not be filled by women.
'It seems an impossible dream.'
Sister Helen Alford, of the University, who had invited Mrs Blair to speak, said:'For us inviting Mrs Blair here was just not an issue but we did get numerous complaints about it.
'She made it clear in her speech that she has problems with the Church's position on contraception and she recognised that and said that debate was needed.'
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(Source: DMO)