Rachel Evans
The UK has had many prime ministers over the years, but has there ever been a Catholic prime minister? The answer is yes. Boris Johnson, the former prime minister, was the first baptised Catholic to hold the office. Johnson's religious life has been described as chequered, having been baptised Catholic as a baby, then converting to Anglicanism at Eton and later returning to Catholicism. His religious beliefs came under the spotlight when he married his long-term girlfriend, Carrie Symonds, at Westminster Cathedral, the seat of English Catholicism.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom, Northern Ireland |
| Name of Prime Minister | Boris Johnson, Michelle O'Neill |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| First Catholic Prime Minister | Yes |
| Year | 2019, 2024 |
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What You'll Learn
Boris Johnson is Britain's first Catholic prime minister
Boris Johnson, Britain's first Catholic prime minister, has had a chequered religious life, much like his political career. Baptised as an infant into the Catholic faith of his mother, Charlotte Johnson Wahl, Johnson later became an Anglican while at Eton and was confirmed into the Church of England.
Little is known about Johnson's faith in the years that followed. However, his faith came under the spotlight when he married his long-time girlfriend, Carrie Symonds, at Westminster Cathedral, the mother church of English Catholicism. The couple's son, Wilfred, was also baptised at the cathedral.
Johnson's wedding caused outrage among divorced Catholics refused remarriage by the Church. Similarly, Anglicans were angry that Johnson's previous weddings outside the Church were ignored, allowing him to marry in Westminster Cathedral.
The significance of having a Catholic prime minister is notable, given the historical discrimination against Catholics in Britain. The Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1829, for example, permitted Catholics to sit in Parliament and hold government office but did not allow them to advise the monarch on episcopal appointments within the Church of England.
The lack of fuss about Johnson's faith indicates how far Britain has come in terms of religious tolerance and the decreasing influence of organised religion in public life.
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Johnson's religious life has been chequered
Boris Johnson, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is Britain's first Roman Catholic prime minister. Johnson's religious life has been as chequered as his political career. Johnson was baptised as an infant into the Catholic faith of his mother, Charlotte Johnson Wahl. However, at Eton, he veered off into Anglicanism and was confirmed into the Church of England.
Little is known about Johnson's faith in the years that followed. He was not a churchgoing man, and no major questions about faith were asked when he became Prime Minister in 2019. Johnson's faith came under the spotlight in May 2021 when he married his long-time girlfriend, Carrie Symonds, at Westminster Cathedral, the seat of English Catholicism. Johnson and Symonds' son was also baptised Catholic in September 2020.
Johnson's religious involvement has been described as "topsy-turvy and dramatic". The Catholic Diocese of Westminster declared that Johnson and his wife were both baptised Catholics and parishioners of Westminster Cathedral. Johnson's earlier marriages were not considered valid by the Catholic Church because they took place outside of the Catholic church and without its permission.
Johnson's conversion to Catholicism shows how far Britain has come. In the past, it would have been unthinkable for a Catholic to hold the office of Prime Minister. The lack of fuss about Johnson's religion is also notable, given that the Church of England is the established religion of the country.
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Northern Ireland's first Catholic prime minister
On 3 February 2024, Michelle O'Neill became Northern Ireland's first Catholic prime minister. O'Neill, of the Irish nationalist and democratic socialist party Sinn Féin, is also the first woman to hold the position.
O'Neill's election is significant in a region that was created as a "Protestant parliament and a Protestant state." Historically, Northern Ireland's founding father and first premier, James Craig, described it as a “Protestant parliament for a Protestant people,” and the Catholic minority complained of widespread discrimination in terms of jobs, housing, and voting rights.
O'Neill's election demonstrates a shift in the region, where, for the first time in 2021, the census showed that more people identified as Catholic than Protestant. This intensified calls for a referendum on reunification with the rest of Ireland. O'Neill herself supports reunification, stating that she wants to see the British territory united with EU member Ireland.
Upon her election, O'Neill addressed the legislature, saying:
> This is an assembly for all: Catholic, Protestant, and dissenter. Despite our different outlooks and different views on the future constitutional position, the public rightly demand that we work and deliver together and also that we build trust and confidence in our ability to collectively do that.
Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, president of the Irish Bishops' Conference, commented on O'Neill's election, calling it an "opportunity for a fresh start and a new beginning."
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Catholics have slowly moved into positions of authority
In the UK, Boris Johnson is considered Britain's first Catholic prime minister since laws were changed barring Catholics from the role. Johnson was baptised as a baby into the Roman Catholic faith of his mother, Charlotte Johnson Wahl, but he later became an Anglican while at school. Johnson's marriage to Carrie Symonds, a Catholic, at Westminster Cathedral, a Catholic church, and the couple's decision to have their baby baptised Catholic, came as a surprise to many. Despite Johnson's "'lukewarm' adherence to the Catholic faith", his position as Prime Minister symbolises a breakthrough moment for Catholics in the UK, showing that it is no longer a problem for Catholics to hold high office.
In Northern Ireland, Michelle O'Neill was elected as the first Catholic prime minister in 2024. This was hailed as an "opportunity for a fresh start and a new beginning" by Ireland's most senior churchman, Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh. O'Neill's election marked the first time that Catholics held the top political job in Northern Ireland, and it came after years of widespread discrimination against Catholics in terms of jobs, housing, and voting rights.
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Johnson's marriage and his child's baptism
Johnsons' Marriage and His Child's Baptism
Boris Johnson, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was baptised as a child into the Roman Catholic faith of his mother, Charlotte Johnson Wahl. However, as a teenager, Johnson converted to Anglicanism and was confirmed into the Church of England. Despite this, Johnson's child with his wife, Carrie Symonds, was baptised as a Catholic in September 2020.
Johnson's religious life has been described as "chequered", with his private life described as "rackety". Johnson's marriage to Symonds in Westminster Cathedral in May 2021 caused controversy, as it was his third marriage, and the Catholic Church does not recognise divorce. According to Catholic canon law, Johnson's previous marriages were not considered valid because they did not take place in a Catholic setting and without the permission of the Church. As a baptised Catholic, he needed the Church's approval for his earlier marriages.
The Diocese of Westminster stated that "all necessary steps were taken, in both church and civil law, and all formalities completed before the wedding". Johnson's marriage to Symonds, who is also Catholic, took place in accordance with Catholic norms, and they are both parishioners at Westminster Cathedral, the nearest Catholic church to 10 Downing Street.
The controversy surrounding Johnson's marriage highlights the complexities of religious law and personal beliefs. While some criticised the marriage as an example of special treatment for the wealthy and powerful, others argued that Johnson's Catholic marriage was consistent with a political and private life in which the normal rules did not seem to apply.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Boris Johnson is Britain's first Catholic Prime Minister. He was baptised as a Roman Catholic but became an Anglican while at school.
Yes, Michelle O'Neill is Northern Ireland's first Catholic Prime Minister.
Yes, there have been several Catholic Prime Ministers in the Republic of Ireland, which has a Catholic majority.
