--- title: "More than 8 in 10 U.S. Catholics view Pope Leo favorably" description: "U.S. Catholics are still getting to know Pope Leo XIV. But they like what they’ve seen so far, according to our recent survey." date: "2025-09-12" authors: - name: "Gregory A. Smith" job_title: "Senior Associate Director, Research" link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/gregory-a-smith/" url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/09/12/more-than-8-in-10-u-s-catholics-view-pope-leo-favorably/" categories: - "Catholicism" - "Pope Leo XIV" - "Religious Leaders & Institutions" --- # More than 8 in 10 U.S. Catholics view Pope Leo favorably [![](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/09/SR_25.09.12_PopeLeo_featured.jpg?w=640)](https://www.pewresearch.org/pope-leo-xiv-performs-regina-caeli-prayer-in-st-peters-square/) *Pope Leo XIV appears in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on May 11, 2025. (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)* U.S. Catholics are still getting to know Pope Leo XIV. But they like what they’ve seen so far. Overall, 84% of U.S. Catholics say they have a favorable view of Leo, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. Just 4% say they have an unfavorable view of him, while 11% say they have never heard of Pope Leo. [![Bar chart showing that 84% of U.S. Catholics view Pope Leo positively](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/09/SR_25.09.12_pope-leo_1.png?w=420)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=274324) At the same time, most American Catholics say they don’t know much about the new pope. Leo became pope in May following the death of Pope Francis. Some 67% say they know a little about Leo, and 25% know nothing at all. Just 7% say they know a lot about him. [![Pie chart showing that in the early days of Pope Leo’s pontificate, most U.S. Catholics say they know little or nothing about him](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/09/SR_25.09.12_pope-leo_2.png?w=310)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=274325) When it comes to expectations for his papacy, 52% of U.S. Catholics are unsure how Leo’s church leadership will compare with Francis’ or say they don’t know anything about the new pope to begin with. Another 33% think Leo will be pretty similar to Francis, while 13% think he will be pretty different. [![Bar chart showing that 33% of U.S. Catholics think Pope Leo’s leadership will be similar to Francis’](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/09/SR_25.09.12_pope-leo_3.png?w=420)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=274323) **About this research** This Pew Research Center analysis explores U.S. Catholics’ views of Pope Leo XIV. #### Why did we do this? The Center conducts high-quality research to inform the public, journalists and leaders. Studying [U.S. Catholics](https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/06/16/47-of-us-adults-have-a-personal-or-family-connection-to-catholicism/), including their views of the church’s leaders, is a key part of the Center’s long-standing research. [Learn more about Pew Research Center](https://www.pewresearch.org/about/). #### How did we do this? This analysis is based on findings from a survey of 9,916 U.S. adults (including 1,849 Catholics) who are part of the Center’s [American Trends Panel (ATP)](https://www.pewresearch.org/the-american-trends-panel/). The survey was conducted from July 8 to Aug. 3, 2025. The survey’s margin of error for Catholics is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. Here are the [questions used for this analysis](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/09/SR_25.09.12_ATP_W175_PopeLeoQuestions_RELEASE.pdf), the [topline](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/09/SR_25.09.12_Topline_v4_RELEASE.pdf) and the [survey methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/09/SR_25.09.12_W175_ATP_PopeLeo_Methodology_RELEASE.pdf). Leo XIV is the first U.S.-born pope. When asked how excited they are to have a pope who was born in the United States, 36% of American Catholics say they are extremely or very excited. An additional 40% say they are somewhat excited. On the other hand, 22% say they are not too or not at all excited to have a U.S.-born pope. The survey also asked non-Catholics about Pope Leo. Perhaps not surprisingly, non-Catholics are even less familiar with Leo than Catholics are. For example, when asked whether they have a favorable or unfavorable view of Leo, 31% of non-Catholics say they have never heard of him. Still, 56% of non-Catholics view Leo favorably. #### How views of Pope Leo XIV compare with views of Francis, Benedict XVI and John Paul II The Center has long conducted [research](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/03/04/10-facts-about-us-catholics/) on [Catholicism in the U.S.](https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/06/16/47-of-us-adults-have-a-personal-or-family-connection-to-catholicism/), including asking American Catholics about their [views of Catholic leaders](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/02/25/pope-francis-and-public-opinion-key-findings-from-our-surveys/). The share of Catholics who view Leo favorably today is identical to the share who viewed Pope Francis favorably early in his pontificate. In a March 2013 survey, 84% of American Catholics also expressed favorable views of Francis. [![Bar chart trending over time, showing that Favorable views of Pope Leo are on par with early ratings of Pope Francis](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/09/SR_25.09.12_pope-leo_4.png?w=640)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=274328) #### How views of Pope Leo differ by rates of Mass attendance U.S. Catholics who attend Mass at least once a week say they view Leo more positively and know more about him than other U.S. Catholics do. [![Bar chart showing that 95% of Catholics who attend Mass weekly view Pope Leo favorably](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/09/SR_25.09.12_pope-leo_5.png?w=420)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=274326) For instance, 95% of those who attend Mass weekly say they have a favorable view of Leo, compared with 84% who attend Mass a few times a month or once or twice a year, and 77% of Catholics who seldom or never attend Mass. Still, even weekly Mass attenders are largely unfamiliar with the new pope. Three-quarters say they know only a little about Leo, and 11% say they know nothing about him. #### How Catholic Democrats and Republicans view Pope Leo Vast majorities of both Catholic Democrats (89%) and Republicans (84%) view Leo favorably. [![Bar chart showing that most Catholic Republicans and Democrats view Pope Leo favorably](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/09/SR_25.09.12_pope-leo_6.png?w=310)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=274322) Catholic Democrats are about as likely to rate Leo positively as they were to rate Francis positively at the end of his papacy. In a February 2025 survey – shortly before Francis died – 88% of Catholic Democrats said they had a favorable view of him. By contrast, Catholic Republicans rate Leo significantly more positively than they rated his predecessor earlier this year. In February, 69% of Catholic Republicans expressed a favorable view of Francis. [Our polling](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/02/25/pope-francis-and-public-opinion-key-findings-from-our-surveys/) throughout Francis’ papacy found that majorities of Catholic Republicans and Democrats consistently viewed him favorably. However, Catholic Republicans gradually grew more negative toward him while Catholic Democrats did not, creating a divide during the later years of his pontificate. [![Table showing that more Catholic Democrats than Republicans think that Pope Leo will be like Pope Francis and that this is a ‘good thing’](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/09/SR_25.09.12_pope-leo_7.png?w=310)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=274327) These partisan differences in views about Francis are still evident in the new survey. Far more Catholic Democrats (44%) than Republicans (21%) think that Leo’s leadership of the Catholic Church will be similar to Francis’ pontificate and that this is a good thing. By contrast, more Catholic Republicans (18%) than Democrats (8%) say they think Leo will be different from Francis and that the change is a good thing. *Note: Here are the [questions used for this analysis](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/09/SR_25.09.12_ATP_W175_PopeLeoQuestions_RELEASE.pdf), the [topline](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/09/SR_25.09.12_Topline_v4_RELEASE.pdf) and the [survey methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/09/SR_25.09.12_W175_ATP_PopeLeo_Methodology_RELEASE.pdf).*