Andy Burnham is set to become the first openly Catholic Prime Minister of the country, nearly 500 years after King Henry VIII's split from the Roman Catholic Church. This historic transition triggers specific legal measures designed to protect the Church of England.
Under a law dating back to the 19th century, specifically the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1829, Burnham will be prevented from advising the King on senior appointments within the Church of England. The act stipulates that any individual violating this provision would be "deemed guilty of a high misdemeanour, and disabled for ever from holding any office." In practice, Burnham is expected to delegate these particular responsibilities to another government minister.
This constitutional situation previously arose during the premiership of Boris Johnson, who is widely considered Britain's first Catholic Prime Minister despite initially entering Downing Street as an Anglican. Tony Blair also converted to Catholicism after leaving office.
Burnham, who was born in Merseyside, has been open about his Catholic faith, which he inherited from his mother and which informed his education at Catholic schools. In a 2009 interview with The Guardian, he listed Everton FC, the Labour Party, and the Catholic Church as the three most important things in his life, aside from family. However, in a 2015 interview with the Huffington Post, he described himself as Catholic by upbringing but "not particularly religious now," while still emphasizing his belief in the values and grounding provided by a Catholic education for his children.
He has also voiced opinions on the Catholic Church's stance on social issues, suggesting in the same 2015 interview that the Church had become out of touch with many British Catholics on issues such as gay rights and birth control. He recalled the church of his youth as being more forgiving and humane, contrasting it with a perceived shift towards a more judgmental mode focused on sexuality.
Despite these evolving personal views, Burnham has stated that Catholic social teaching underpins his politics. Richard Moth, the Archbishop of Westminster and leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, has previously suggested that Burnham's faith would inform his approach to office. The Archbishop noted that Catholic teaching places a strong emphasis on the value of the human person and expressed hope that this would translate into a focus on humanity's needs, from large-scale concerns to the specific needs of families and the homeless.
The historical divide between the Crown and the Roman Catholic Church dates back to the 16th century when Henry VIII broke from Rome, establishing the Church of England. This historical event has shaped the religious and political landscape of the country for centuries.