Rumors From Vatican: Bush May Convert

President Bush visited Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican yesterday, sparking rumors that the president may convert to Catholicism, the Telegraph reports. They spoke in a garden where the pontiff prays daily, not in the library where Benedict greets most world leaders. “What an honor!” said Bush, who has been called the most “Catholic-minded” president since JFK.

Benedict wished to reward Bush for the “warmth” he received during a recent US visit, the Vatican said. But it fumed over Italian media talk that Bush, a Methodist, might convert after leaving office, the Independent reports. The idea isn't without precedent: Tony Blair converted after his tenure as PM, and Jeb Bush converted before marrying. (More George W. Bush stories.)