Americans, including Catholics, continue to have favorable views of Pope Francis
63% of U.S adults have a “very” or “mostly” favorable opinion of Pope Francis, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in March.
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Three-quarters of U.S. Catholics view Pope Francis favorably, though partisan differences persist
Americans’ opinions of Pope Francis have rebounded slightly after hitting an all-time low almost two years ago in the wake of abuse scandals.
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When Americans think about a specific religion, here are some of the first people who come to mind
More than half of U.S. adults name the pope (47%) or a specific pope (7%) when asked who comes to mind when they think of Catholicism.
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U.S. churchgoers are satisfied with the sermons they hear, though content varies by religious tradition
There are differences by religious tradition in how satisfied churchgoers are with what they hear from the pulpit.
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Many churchgoers in U.S. don’t know the political leanings of their clergy
Among U.S. adults who attend services a few times a year or more, 45% say they’re not sure whether their clergy are Democrats or Republicans.
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Many Catholics in Latin America – including a majority in Brazil – support allowing priests to marry
In Brazil – home to the world’s largest Catholic population – a majority of Catholics are in favor of allowing priests to marry.
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U.S. Catholics less likely than Protestants to express confidence in advice from clergy
Catholics have less confidence in their clergy’s advice than Protestants – and are less likely to claim a close relationship with clergy.
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Americans’ perceptions about unethical behavior shape how they think about people in powerful roles
The more confident people are that members of powerful groups behave unethically, the less likely they are to have confidence in that group’s performance.
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Key takeaways about how Americans view the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church
A majority of U.S. adults say recent reports of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church reflect problems that are still happening.
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Americans See Catholic Clergy Sex Abuse as an Ongoing Problem
More than 15 years after U.S. bishops pledged “zero tolerance” for sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests, reports of previously unpublicized misconduct continue to receive wide media coverage.
