Washington: Most Americans think highly of Pope Francis, who has won praise for speaking out on global warming and urging his church to show more compassion toward sinners, says a poll released Wednesday.
The Quinnipiac University survey was released as the reform-minded pontiff prepares to visit the United States from September 22-27, after a stop in Cuba.
Sixty-six per cent of those polled have a favorable or very favorable opinion of the Argentine-born pope, the survey found.
Among Catholic Americans, the support was even greater at 88 per cent.
Among Americans in general, 43 per cent said they think the pope is leading the Roman Catholic church in the right direction, compared to 21 per cent who say he is not. Among Catholics 70 per cent say he is leading the church in the right direction.
Thirty-five per cent said they did not know, or had no answer to the question.
The poll conducted last month surveyed 1,829 American adults and had a margin of error of 2.3 percentage points.
During his stay in America, Pope Francis is to visit New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC, where he will be received by President Barack Obama and address a joint session of the US Congress.
Francis has won plaudits for defending the environment, denouncing income inequality and showing concern for the poor.
He also has said, famously, that he is not in a position to judge gays, although he has retained the official church position that homosexuality is wrong.
The Quinnipiac University survey was released as the reform-minded pontiff prepares to visit the United States from September 22-27, after a stop in Cuba.
Sixty-six per cent of those polled have a favorable or very favorable opinion of the Argentine-born pope, the survey found.
Among Americans in general, 43 per cent said they think the pope is leading the Roman Catholic church in the right direction, compared to 21 per cent who say he is not. Among Catholics 70 per cent say he is leading the church in the right direction.
Advertisement
The poll conducted last month surveyed 1,829 American adults and had a margin of error of 2.3 percentage points.
Advertisement
Francis has won plaudits for defending the environment, denouncing income inequality and showing concern for the poor.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
"Choose Lesser Of Two Evils": Pope Francis On Donald Trump, Kamala Harris Pope Francis Reaches Muslim-Majority Indonesia To Start Asia-Pacific Tour 43-Hour Flightime, 32,000 km: 87-Year-Old Pope Francis' Epic Voyage 3 Grams Of Explosives Per Pager: Israel's Complex Op To Hurt Hezbollah What Is A Pager And Why Hezbollah Still Relies On This Outdated Device "Wear Proper Undergarments": Delta Airlines' New Memo For Flight Attendants Opinion | Should We Be Worried About Unemployable Human Bots? National Cinema Day 2024: Movie Tickets To Cost Just Rs 99 On September 20 Railway Official Loses Rs 9 Lakh Online As Fraudsters Pose As CBI Men Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.