Religious Leaders & Institutions

reportMar 6, 2014

U.S. Catholics View Pope Francis as a Change for the Better

One year into his pontificate, Pope Francis remains immensely popular among American Catholics and is widely seen as a force for positive change within the Roman Catholic Church. More than 80% of U.S. Catholics say they have a favorable view of the pontiff.
reportMar 6, 2014

Media Coverage of Pope Francis’ First Year

One year into Francis’ papacy, an analysis by the Pew Research Center finds that the former Jesuit archbishop – who was named Time’s Person of the Year – ranked among the top global newsmakers in major U.S.-based digital news outlets.
short readsJan 21, 2014

Pope Francis moves beyond Europe with first class of cardinals

Pope Francis named his first group of new cardinals, often called “princes of the church,” last week. The 19 men will be formally appointed next month. Media reports have observed that Francis, the first pope from outside Europe in modern times, chose several cardinals from the developing world. Francis’ immediate predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, selected […]
short readsDec 11, 2013

Pope Francis’ big year

Pope Francis began this year as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, an Argentine archbishop. He finishes it as Time magazine’s Person of the Year.
short readsNov 25, 2013

No clear ‘Pope Francis effect’ among U.S. Catholics

The pope’s popularity hasn’t yet produced a Catholic resurgence in the U.S. in terms of the share of Americans who identify as Catholic, or the share of those who report attending Mass weekly.
short readsOct 24, 2013

Three-quarters of U.S. Catholics say it’s important for Pope Francis to tackle Vatican reform

Most Catholics say reforming the Vatican is an important priority for Pope Francis.
short readsOct 8, 2013

Big majority of Mormons (including women) oppose women in priesthood

Mormon leaders recently reaffirmed their position that women should not be eligible for the priesthood – a position supported by a majority of Mormons.
reportSep 12, 2013

Six Months Into Papacy, Large Majority of Catholics Continue To Express Favorable View of Pope Francis

After six eventful months, Pope Francis is rated favorably by eight-in-ten U.S. Catholics (79%), largely unchanged since the days immediately following his ascension to the papacy.
reportAug 6, 2013

Religious Leaders’ Views on Radical Life Extension

No religious group in the United States has released an official statement on radical life extension. However, here are brief summaries of how some clergy, bioethicists and other scholars from 18 major American religious groups say their traditions might approach this evolving issue.
short readsJul 11, 2013

American Catholics want Pope Francis to address abuse scandal

As Pope Francis begins to address issues facing the church, Pew Research Center surveys of American Catholics finds that seven-in-ten think it’s important for the church to address the sex-abuse scandal.