For Pope Francis, the percentage of favorites among Catholic faithful increases

Pope Francis' favorable ratings among Americans of virtually every level increased from their low in 2018, according to a report released April 3 by the Pew Research Center.

Of the Catholics themselves, 77% have a "very" or "mostly" favorable opinion from the pope, based on the responses of 270 Catholics during Pew's telephone survey in January.

That's five percentage points higher than its 72% low in September 2018, when the United States church was hit by the revelations of sexual misconduct of the then cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick and by the issue of a Pennsylvania jury that reported that the detailed sexual abuse of more than 300 priests and other church workers in six state dioceses over a 70-year period starting in 1947.

Altogether 1.504 US adults were interviewed.

The number of votes in favor of Pope Francis has increased among Catholics who are, or thin, Democrats, as well as those who are, or thin, Republicans. It registered 87% approval among Democratic Catholics, but 71% among Republican Catholics, indicating a partisan division within the church that Pew found deepening in his recent poll on the issue.

He also recorded earnings among non-Catholics. While in the past Pope Francis had enjoyed the support of the majority of white evangelical Christians, a plurality of 43% now see it favorably, while 39% see it unfavorably. In the September 2018 survey, more evangelicals saw the pope unfavorably, 34% -32%

The preference of non-evangelical white Protestants went from 48% in 2018 to 62% in January. Americans who consider themselves unaffiliated with any denomination gave the pope a vote of 58%, up from 52%.

Due to the relatively small number of Catholics interviewed, analyzes of such demographic characteristics such as age, race and language are not available, according to Claire Gecewicz, a Pew researcher and co-author of the report.

In comparison, Pew asked the question of "favorability" on St. John Paul II three times between 1987 and 1996. His net aiding score was between 91% and 93%. Pew asked the question five times during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI in 2005-13, going from a minimum of 67% shortly after his election as pontiff to 83% during his pastoral visit to the United States in 2008. The others three times it reached 74%.

The same question has been asked about Pope Francis 10 times during his seven years as pope. His highest score was 90% in February 2015. Before the two most recent polls, his previous low was 79% in September 2013, six months after he became pope. Otherwise, it reached 81% -87% in polling.

The margin of error for the January survey was 3,0 percentage points for all respondents, 7,0 percentage points for Catholics, 11,5 percentage points for those who said they went to Mass weekly and 8,8 percentage points for Catholics who said they go to Mass less often.