Andy Burnham, Britain's new prime minister, represents exactly the kind of Catholic politician America needs. Though raised Catholic and rarely attending Mass while leading the center-left Labour Party, Mr. Burnham's Catholicism remains central to his leadership, oriented toward the common good rather than culture wars.

"Catholic social teaching underpins my politics," he said. He advocates moving from a crisis of trust to a "culture of encounter," a phrase from Pope Francis. This approach — a "healthy culture of negotiation" that leaves no one behind — has gone missing from American church and politics. For decades, U.S. Catholic politics has been more battlefield than search for common ground.

Catholic politicians like Al Smith in the 1920s and R. Sargent Shriver in the 1960s once focused on social justice. More recently, Catholics focused on divisive issues, with U.S. bishops calling abortion the "preeminent priority." Prominent politicians including Vice President JD Vance argue with the pope about theology.

The day Mr. Burnham took office, he visited a London homeless center founded by Cardinal Basil Hume, then pledged at 10 Downing Street to end homelessness. His roots are in northern England between Manchester and Liverpool, where working-class Catholics faced discrimination and experienced Margaret Thatcher's neoliberal policies.