Pope Francis' favorability rating among U.S. Catholics has dropped over the past 10 years, with a significant decline in the last 3 years. Various controversial decisions and actions by the Pope, including endorsing civil unions and facing backlash from clergy, have contributed to this decline.
Key Points
Pope Francis' favorability rating among U.S. Catholics dropped by 7 percentage points from 2015 to 2021, and by 8 more percentage points in the last 3 years.
Controversial decisions by the Pope, such as endorsing civil unions and facing backlash from clergy, have contributed to the decline in favorability.
Past popes like John Paul II maintained high favorability ratings throughout their pontificates.