WASHINGTON, July 23 (UPI) — Pope Francis’ approval rating in the United States has significantly dropped, particularly among conservatives who have come at odds with Francis’ views on money and climate change, a new Gallup survey shows.
Just weeks ahead of his first trip to the U.S., the poll shows the pope’s favorability rating among a large share of American Catholics has dropped from 76 percent in early 2014 to the current 59 percent. That’s similar to the 58 percent rating from Americans when he was elected in 2013.
Among Catholic Americans and political conservatives, the decline is even greater, the poll showed. Last year, 89 percent of American Catholics had a favorable image of the pope. Today, that stands at 71 percent. Among the conservatives, 45 percent view him favorably, down sharply from 72 percent last year.
“This decline may be attributable to the pope’s denouncing of “the idolatry of money” and linking climate change partially to human activity, along with his passionate focus on income inequality — all issues that are at odds with many conservatives’ beliefs,” the poll said.
The pope’s image has also taken a hit from political liberals and moderates too. His favor fell 14 percent among liberals, many who have criticized him for not embracing a more stringent culture of change among the church, including allowing priests to marry and women as priests. Many of those polled expressed “no opinion” about the pope or said they did not know who he is.
“His papacy is still relatively new, however, and in time he may address these long-standing doctrinal questions more fully,” the poll said.
Even with all this, Francis has generated more favor than former Pope, Benedict XVI, who left the papacy with a 40 percent favorability rating from American Catholics when he left the chair in 2013.
Stephen Schneck, head of the Institute for Policy Research & Catholic Studies at Catholic University of America in Washington, told USA Today pundits, who include Rush Limbaugh and Rachel Maddow, are “politicizing” the pope’s teachings, lending to his popularity decline.
“He’s not a conservative or progressive, not a Democrat or Republican. So stop trying to clobber him with those yardsticks,” Schneck said. “How many times do our pundits need to be told that he’s carrying the same message as John Paul II and Benedict XVI?”
Francis is set to visit the U.S. in September, traveling to New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. He will be the first pope to address a joint session of Congress.
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