Pope Francis' Popularity Remains High Nationally

SAINT LEO, Fla., March 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Pope Francis continues to enjoy the high regard of the American public, according to the latest national survey from the Saint Leo University Polling Institute.

In an online survey conducted in March with 1,016 adults, 68 percent of respondents said they have either a strongly favorable (29 percent) or somewhat favorable (39 percent) opinion of the pope. Eight percent said they have a somewhat unfavorable opinion, and 6 percent said their view is not at all favorable.

Among the 202 Catholic respondents, 84 percent reported a strongly favorable (48 percent) or somewhat favorable (36) opinion of Pope Francis. Only 5 percent reported a somewhat unfavorable opinion and none of the Catholics surveyed said they hold an unfavorable opinion.

The findings echo results from the December 2014 quarterly survey by the Saint Leo University Polling Institute.

Pope Francis will visit three cities in the United States in September: New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC, where he will speak to a joint session of Congress. In June or July, he is expected to issue a highly anticipated encyclical (letter) on Catholicism and ecology.

The March survey also asked respondents whether they agree with a widely reported statement Pope Francis made during a Mass in February, when he asserted that protecting the environment is the responsibility of all Christians.

A majority of the respondents, 77 percent, said they either strongly agree (38 percent) or somewhat agree (39 percent) with Pope Francis on that point. A population of 9 percent said they somewhat disagree, and 7 percent indicated strong disagreement, for a combined population of 16 percent at some level of disagreement.

Among Catholics, 86 percent said they either agree strongly with the pope (47 percent) or somewhat agree (39 percent). Six percent said they somewhat disagree, 3 percent said they strongly disagree, for a combined population of 9 percent.

The response of the 797 non-Catholics surveyed almost exactly mirrored the overall population, with 75 percent who said they agree either strongly or somewhat with Pope Francis, and 17 percent saying they disagree either somewhat or strongly.

The Saint Leo University Polling Institute survey results about Florida politics and Pope Francis' popularity can be found here: http://polls.saintleo.edu.

SOURCE Saint Leo University Polling Institute

Related Links

http://www.polls.saintleo.edu

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED