Pope Francis waves as he rides in the popemobile around St Peter’s Square at the Vatican before his weekly general audience April 10, 2024. Photo: CNS/Pablo Esparza The latest Pew survey found that most Catholics in the US and Latin America still view Pope Francis favourably, although this percentage has declined over the years.
In his native Argentina, over the last decade his favourable rating has fallen from 98% to 74%. Chile has seen the second-largest decline, going from 79% to 64%.
In Colombia, the Pope’s favourable rating has fallen from 93% to 88%, in Brazil from 92% to 84%, and in Mexico from 86% to 80%.
In the US, his favourability has fallen from 85% to 74% and in Peru from 83% to 78%.
The survey also found that most Catholics believe “Pope Francis represents a change in the direction of the Catholic Church”, though whether that change is considered major or minor varies significantly.
In the United States, 42% of Catholics surveyed consider that Pope Francis represents a major change in the direction of the Catholic Church, while 30% say he represents a minor change, 12% say he represents no change at all, and 14% aren’t sure.
In Colombia, by contrast, 62% believe the Pope represents a major change, while 19% see only a minor change. Chile is where Catholics are least likely to believe Pope Francis is bringing major change to the Church’s direction, with 21% seeing it as major and 26% as minor.