Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
In the early days of Pope Francis’ papacy, more than eight-in-ten U.S. Catholics (84%) say they have a favorable impression of the new pontiff, including 43% who express a very favorable view.
The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has a variety of resources on Catholicism and Pope Benedict XVI, including public opinion polls, research studies, event transcripts and interviews.
About six-in-ten U.S. Catholics say it would be good if the next pope allows priests to marry.
On Aug. 8, 2013, the Pew Research Center brought together some of the leading experts in survey research on religion in the U.S. for a round-table discussion with journalists, scholars and other stakeholders on the rise of the religious “nones” and other important trends in American religion.
Interviews with religious leaders and bioethicists reveal a range of thoughts about how their religious traditions might react to a world that could include radical life extension, but the Pew Research survey finds only modest differences of opinion on the topic among large religious groups in the general public today. (For thoughts from leaders and […]
As the pontificate of Benedict XVI winds down, three-quarters of American Catholics express a favorable view of the pontiff. Meanwhile, most U.S. Catholics say it would be good if the next pope allows priests to marry. And fully six-in-ten say it would be good if the next pope hails from a developing region like South America, Asia or Africa.