A Catholic British Prime Minister?

When was the last time a Catholic occupied 10 Downing Street, the official residence and office of the British Prime Minister? The answer is never. In fact, until around 200 years ago, legal barriers prevented a Catholic from sitting in Parliament. Fast forward to today, when 94 percent of the members of the British Labour Party voted to make Andy Burnham the first publicly professing Roman Catholic prime minister.

Perhaps the question itself is mystifying: Who cares where Andy Burnham—or any other leading politician—goes to church?

Not so long ago, many did care. Across the Atlantic, John F. Kennedy’s Catholic faith presented a major obstacle for American voters. It actually became a central issue in the 1960 presidential election. Groups of ministers publicly questioned whether a Catholic president could be trusted to make decisions independently of the Vatican. Nevertheless, he won, and by 2020 the Catholic issue had flipped. Many saw it as a net positive for eventual winner Joe Biden, whose campaign allies often described as a “devout” adherent despite his major differences with the Roman church on issues such as abortion and gay marriage.

While surveys suggest Americans are among the most religious populations in the developed world, they have often been willing to embrace politicians who do not share their doctrines. Even Mitt Romney, a lifelong practicing Mormon, took almost half the national popular vote in 2012, thanks in part to strong support from religious conservatives of all stripes.

Americans, alongside other non-Britons, may therefore be forgiven for wondering why Catholics were banned from top government positions in Britain until the early 19th century. The roots of this alienation date most directly to Henry VIII’s break with Rome as a result of his failing to obtain an annulment from his then-wife Catherine of Aragon. This split created the Church of England and to this day, the reigning king or queen is also the "Supreme Governor" of the Anglican church.

So why is the British Labour Party throwing its support behind a Catholic prime minister now?

Perhaps one way to answer that question from the average Briton’s perspective is to ask another question: What kind of Catholic is he?

In an interview with the Guardian back in February 2009, he said: “Three things are important in my life, apart from family. Everton FC [a soccer team], the Labour Party and the Catholic church, in that order. The reason I say that is, it all comes back to cultural identity.”

Soccer. Politics. Church. In America that would be an unlikely prioritization for a public figure to admit to. The United States and Britain see religion very differently. U.S. politicians—even Catholic ones—are willing to publicly display their churchgoing. Americans may be comfortable with Mormons like Romney, but they have never elected an atheist. In Britain, where Burnham is succeeding acknowledged nonbeliever Keir Starmer, a politician is more likely to be caught sneaking into Mass rather than arranging a photo op. It’s probably therefore advantageous for Burnham to present himself as a “cultural” rather than a “devout” Catholic.

So why does anyone care at all? Because religion has driven history—especially in Europe. The Catholic Church’s seat of power resides in Rome, a city whose namesake empire is figuratively called “Babylon the Great” in Bible prophecy (Revelation 17:5-9). The rise of what came to be known as the Roman Empire was actually foretold in the book of Daniel (chapters 2 and 7), hundreds of years before its ascendancy. In the first century it persecuted Jesus’ followers. When Jesus gave up His life for mankind, His death was confirmed by the blow of a spear delivered by a Roman soldier. But in the greatest reversal in human history, Jesus’ death was not His defeat but His greatest victory, resulting in His resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father.

Here the story diverges, however, depending on which church tradition you follow. Some believe Christianity eventually conquered the pagan Roman Empire, starting with Emperor Constantine’s public profession of faith. The biblical and historical evidence points in very much the opposite direction: Christianity was instead paganized by empire. Not all of it, of course—but the most popular, visible forms of it were exploited in order to maintain Rome’s grip on political power by uniting Christian and pagan constituencies. Constantine himself continued practices associated with sun worship. For the empire, it was less a baptism and more a rebranding. Rome took on the outward clothing of Christianity without giving up the beastlike ambition of human domination.

In the book of Revelation, the apostle John is shown a vision that takes the prophecies of Daniel and extends them through John’s own era, up to the time that Jesus returns to take possession of all kingdoms on earth. We find that at the end of the age this counterfeit Christian system will still be very much alive and persecuting the saints of God, before it is finally brought to an end by the King of Kings.

Andy Burnham’s religion may not make much of a difference in the grand flow of history, but there is coming a day when you and I will each need to lay our faith on the line. If we don’t know God’s Word and are not led by His Spirit, we may be taken in by the revived Roman Empire and Babylon.

Many people will be deceived into actually fighting against Jesus when He returns, but you don’t have to be one of them. Read Daniel. Read the book of Revelation. Read Jesus’ story in the Gospels. Understand how religion and politics are intertwined and how they can and will impact you.

For a more in-depth walkthrough of how biblical prophecy describes the world-ruling empire that will oppose Christ, read our short study guide, The Final Superpower.