70% of Americans View Pope Francis Favorably

Number has risen from a mere 57% from the last time that such a poll was conducted.

Pope Francis continues to be popular among Americans with 70% Americans revealing that they have a favorable view of the Catholic Pontiff. This is an interesting finding because in general leaders only lose their popularity with time. The Pope, on the other hand, has risen in popularity from a mere 57% in 2013.

70% of Americans View Pope Francis Favorably[/tweetthis]

Pew research found that 7 in 10 Americans have “very” or “mostly” favorable views about the Pope. The Pope’s popularity among American Catholics is much higher, not surprisingly, with 8 in 10 of them rating the Pope favorably. The Pope’s favorability among Americans can be attributed to his open and progressive ideas.[/tweetit] His acts of charity and the initiatives that he has undertaken for the betterment of the poor and downtrodden have been successful in creating goodwill towards him.

The Pope has also often spoken out against violence and war and called for peace in the world. His humanitarian efforts at helping refugees from war-torn countries have made him a much-respected figure in the world. Although America is largely Protestant, the fact that 70% Americans view the Catholic Church’s supreme Bishop in a favorable light speaks volumes about how well he has succeeded in being an inspirational leader.

The Pope is popular among atheists and religious “nones” as well. In 2013, only 39% of this group had a favorable opinion of the Pope. This time, the number has risen to 71%. A similar number, 72% to be exact, of white Protestants, have a favorable view of Pope Francis.

The Pope’s popularity has gone down only among the white evangelicals, although it’s not a very significant drop. While in 2013, 59% white Evangelicals had a positive view of the Pope, the number now stands at 53%.

11% Americans said that they were not able to rate the Pope.  In 2013, 29% Americans said they were unable to rate him. This clearly indicates that the reforms which the Pope has initiated have been noticed by people who otherwise couldn’t say anything about him. Among the religious nones, a mere 10% said that they had no opinion about the Pope.

Pope Francis is almost as popular as his predecessor, Pope John Paul II was. Now declared a saint, Pope John Paul II was also a revolutionary and had introduced a number of reforms in the Catholic Church. The more conservative Pope Benedict XVI was the least popular among the three.

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