CLIMATE CHANGE/IMMIGRATION/POPE FRANCIS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Pope Francis remains broadly popular with Roman Catholics in the U.S., according to a new study from the Pew Research Center, but a growing number of Catholic Republicans are concerned about the direction of the church under his leadership.
Overall, 84% of Catholics in the U.S. hold a favorable opinion of the pope, a figure that has changed little since 2014, the first full year of his papacy. The survey says that 9% view him unfavorably. His approval rating among American Catholics remains higher than it ever was for his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.
Still, signs suggest diminishing support for Pope Francis among his American flock. Thirty-four percent now believe the pope is “too liberal,” up from 19% in 2014; 58% say he is changing the church for the better, down from 68% four years ago…
With his focus on combating climate change and welcoming immigrants—and his conciliatory comments about gay priests—Pope Francis has been welcomed by liberal Catholics as a needed reformer. Conservative bishops, meanwhile, have bristled at some of the changes he has sought to make, especially his teaching suggesting that divorced Catholics could receive communion in some cases.”
-Ian Lovett, “U.S. Catholics Continue to View Pope Francis Favorably, Survey Shows,” The Wall Street Journal online, Mar. 6, 2018 10:00am