Research Shows That Pope Francis Is Gaining Popularity In The U.S., Almost Surpassing That Of John Paul II

A recent study conducted by Pew Research has shown that Pope Francis is increasingly popular in the U.S. The research shows that Pope Francis has more support from U.S. Catholics than the Holy Father before him, Benedict XVI. As it stands, Pope John Paul II — who served from 1978-2005 — was still the most popular of the three popes studied, though it has been discovered that Pope Francis’ approval level is close to reaching that of John Paul II.

Just how much do Americans approve of Pope Francis? Pew Research shows that not just half, but most of them find the Pope favorable.

“Fully nine-in-ten U.S. Catholics now say they have a favorable view of Francis, including nearly six-in-ten who have a “very favorable” view. Francis’ favorability rating among U.S. Catholics is comparable to ratings for Pope John Paul II in the 1980s and ’90s, and has surpassed any favorability rating for Pope Benedict XVI in Pew Research Center surveys.”

With nine-in-10 Americans considering Pope Francis favorable, it raises a question on who those nine people are. Pew’s study breaks the numbers down, including gender, race, age, education level, political party affiliation, and Christian denomination. The study found that 70 percent of women and 69 percent of men in the U.S. find Pope Francis favorable. This leaves 15 percent evenly of men and women who find him unfavorable. Reportedly, a large 73 percent of those who support the pope are White, followed by Hispanics at 71 percent and Blacks at 56 percent.

Also, according to the research, the group of Pope Francis supporters in the United States are predominantly college educated. College graduates account for 79 percent of those in favor of the Pope while those who attended “some college” hold 68 percent share and those who finished school at the high school level hold 65 percent.

Perhaps the most alarming news reported in the study was the percentage of support based on political affiliation and Christian denomination. Pew Research found that Pope Francis is quite favorable in both political parties. According to the study, 72 percent of Republicans and 70 percent of Democrats find the Pope favorable. The study also proved that most of the supporters of the current Pope where Liberal Catholics, however, the research also shows that Protestants in America find Pope Francis favorable as well.

The new found favorability in the United States, according to the research, shows that Pope Francis is breaking ground in getting the approval of non-Catholics.

Pew Research shows that the favorability of the current Pope is also as high as John Paul II. Pope Francis is found to have increased 13 percent in popularity.

[Image via the Independent]