Poll: Americans Widely Admire Pope Francis, But His Church Less So
Source: Washington Post
By Michael S. Rosenwald, Michelle Boorstein and Scott Clement September 20 at 12:01 AM
Pope Francis is adored by American Catholics and non-Catholics, who have embraced his optimism, humility and more inclusive tone. But as the 78-year-old pontiff arrives in the United States for his first visit, the public’s view of the Catholic Church is not nearly as favorable, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
That gap will be masked by the huge throngs of Catholics greeting Francis in Washington, New York and Philadelphia. Many of them see him as an agent of change, with a majority of Catholics saying that the church is in touch with them — a reversal from two years ago, when 6 in 10 said the church was out of sync.
“He’s calming, he’s relaxing and he’s reassuring,” said Mike Harvey, 53, a Catholic who lives in Wilmington, Del. “People separate the pope from the church. You look at this man trying to lead the movement for everyone, past and present.”
But in a country moving steadily away from organized religion and with the denomination still haunted by a clergy sexual-abuse scandal, there is no evidence that Francis’s likability has boosted Catholic identification, worship attendance or prayer.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/poll-americans-widely-admire-pope-francis-but-his-church-less-so/2015/09/19/f7f46188-5d71-11e5-b38e-06883aacba64_story.html
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