Only 48 per cent of Americans have a favourable view of Pope Francis, down from two thirds a year and a half ago, according to polling by CNN.
The most recent poll was conducted between September 6 and September 9 amid controversy over allegations raised against Pope Francis by his former US nuncio, Archbishop Carol Maria Vigano.
Among US Catholics, the Pope’s favourability rating fell from 83 per cent in January 2017 to 63 per cent now.
The survey results are all the more surprising because a poll by Pew Research Forum conducted in January found that Pope Francis was still highly regarded among Americans, with roughly six in ten expressing a favourable view of him. His popularity was particularly high among Catholics, with 84 per cent expressing a favourable view.
The CNN survey, conducted by SSRS, had a random national sample of 1,003 adults reached on the phone. The January 2017 survey was conducted with about half that number.
Full story at The Catholic Herald.
It should be noted that the Catholics that were polled were probably anyone who referred to themselves as Catholic. If the poll was for Catholics who attend Mass weekly, these numbers would undoubtedly be far worse.
Or better!
Instead of constant bickering about what the Holy Father and the bishops should or should not do, wouldn’t it be better to direct efforrs to where it it is most effective? The Holy Father amd his henchmen and accomplices will do whatever thay want, regardless of what is the right thing to do is or what the faithful think. Instead, we can take counsel from this example:
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/the-siena-option-what-one-saint-did-in-the-face-of-a-troubled-church-64108
All polling indicates that the American faithful think that gay civil marriage is OK. The self styled “Traditionalists” are a small minority. 63% is only “down” because 83% was so amazingly high. As the inconsistancies in Abp. Vigano’s attempt to engineer a palace coup come out, look for it to shoot up again.
C&H,
Please note that the inconsistencies are explainable and don’t impeach Cardinal Vigano’s integrity.
But Pope Francis’s response was revealing. Instead of a vigorous denial and a release of supporting documents, Francis’s delayed response was to be coy and to ask the media to bail him out.
I don’t think it was an attempt at a coup. I do think he was manipulated. “I don’t have much longer to live” so he is telling secrets he himself kept for how many years? The one person he implicated beyond any doubt is himself.
He should know enough to write a book but the only people he names are the people that have been targeted for years on the few websites he releases his testimony to (not including the Register here). Really?
Everything he said could be true. But why is everybody else so ignorant of it?
Is this the same polling which assured us that we would have a “President Hillary”?
And whether the so-called American “faithful” thing sodomite civil unions is OK, the Church’s teachings are not based on polls but on what is moral. And come to think of it but didn’t most favor crucifying Jesus?
C&H the majority of Catholics also user birth control which is wrong, some how you think because a so called majority of Catholics accept gay priests that its OK, well its not.
Gay marriage is an abomination. Homosexuality is unnatural. Those facts will never change, no matter what brain-washed, ignorant, incorrect opinions are shown in polls that support those things.
Why do you always bring up the gay stuff? You and YFC, it’s gay this and gay that all the time.
And you wish that Vigano’s credible accusations will be passed over or forgotten. They mark the beginning of the end of the Francis devolution.
In my book, a supporter of Francis is to be regarded with suspicion.
Adam, I virtually never bring up “gay stuff”. I respond when OTHERS “bring up” gay stuff.
I respond when others bring up gay stuff that is degrading, demeaning, or untrue towards lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexual people.
All Catholics should support Pope Francis. You do not have to agree with everything the press says that he said or did, but he is the Vicar of Christ.
The Catholic Church is not a political party, a corporation or even an organization.
It is a Communion in the Body of Christ. To regard anyone who support Pope Francis with suspicion is a reflection of you lack of faith. Pray for faith and charity.
Vigano’s allegations are credible enough to warrant investigation, but some of them are not highly credible. Some of them would be his word against the Pope’s word.
Anonymous,
The big problem with Francis is that he’s set the bar for both bishops and his own councilors very low — well below the dignity of Christ’s Vicar. Furthermore, such a low bar reflects poorly on his own moral integrity which effects his own actions.
At least he doesn’t get on the internet and say nasty things about people he doesn’t even know.
I wouldn’t call it nasty. Sometimes unpleasant things need to be said such as in this case to refute a bad idea. The issue isn’t whether it’s nasty or unpleasant but whether it’s true.
By the way, St. Francis has said nasty things about people. He once called some nuns a bunch of old spinsters.
Correction: I meant Pope Francis — not St. Francis. :)
What is wrong with being a spinster? Is that offensive now too?
So traditional Catholicism is now a bad idea and gossip from a few web blogs is now truth?
Seriously. No.
Anonymous,
The Sipe and Vigano letters were not from a blog.
Anonymous,
Regarding spinsters, who am I to judge?
Who cares what people’s uninformed opinions are? Whether gay marriage can ever support salvation is a theological question and it cannot as a matter of fact, not opinion. Remember the herd of swine hurtling themselves into the ocean. Very good metaphor for the homosexual “marriage” supporters. Very disordered.
C&H is proving herself a useful drone by parroting the homosexualist party line that Fr. Martin and Michael Winters have put out as marching orders: that Vigano’s highly credible charges are merely a baseless political attempt to stage a Vatican coup. They know the homosexualist secret order is about to be exposed, with devastating results for the evil effort to normalize homosexuality in the church. It is all about homosexuality with these people because they are self-interested.
Kate, here is one of the big questions. Every word of Vigano’s letter could be true. It needs to be investigated, like Cardinal Burke says. I don’t know who you are but I am a homebound housewife in flyover country USA. You claim to know there is a homosexual secret order that is about to be exposed. I’ve been hearing about the homosexual cabal at the Vatican for years online.
So why are all the bishops (including Cardinal Burke who has worked at the Vatican for a decade) so shocked by it? Why would it be a “nuclear bomb” at the Vatican?
In the United States the Pope’s popularity is particularly low among Republicans, with just 36 per cent expressing a favourable view in the latest CNN poll.
Segments of the population that were supportive of Pope Francis in the January 2017 polling have also seen sharp declines in approval. Among women, according to CNN, his favourability rating is down from 71 per cent to 51 per cent, and among Democrats it is down from 79 per cent to 59 per cent.
… In the last year of their papacies St John Paul II was perceived favourably by 44 per cent of Americans while Benedict XVI was rated favourably by 57 per cent.
The Gallup Survey
Americans’ opinions of Pope Francis have become less positive this month, with 53% now holding a favorable opinion of the pontiff, down from 66% in August. However, among U.S. Roman Catholics, perceptions of Francis are unchanged.
This is a monthly survey vs the 18 month survey mentioned in the article above. This gives a little more concise record of how the recent events have affected it.
Popular or not. Francis I is the only Holy Father that the Universal Church has. Consequently, he and his prelates will do whatever they want. Because of this, we need to pray to our Blessed Mother for the conversion of the Holy Father, the bishops cardinals, priests and religious, who have sinned greatly by allowing the “enemy” to infiltrate Holy Mother Church.
Pray the Rosary and renew our devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows:
https://epicpew.com/we-need-to-learn-the-devotion-to-our-lady-of-sorrows-now-more-than-ever/
May one correct a bit of usage? He is not Francis I. A monarch is known simply by his name until a second in his line takes the same name. Thus the first Queen Elizabeth became Elizabeth I only when the present queen took the throne as Elizabeth II. In the case of the English ,monarchy, the commonest man’s name in the language is John, but there has never been a second King John. Probably because he was the one who signed the Magna Carta, giving much of the king’s power to the barons. Subsequent royals don’t hold him in high esteem. We may assume that future popes, when they are elected, may likewise choose names other than Francis. So he will not be, and certainly is not, Francis I.
Within the Catholic Church he is Francis I.
No he is Francis
Pope John Paul was simply Pope John Paul until Pope John Paul II adopted the name. But really, who cares. The Church is burning, and we can’t be worried about what color the stained glass in the third window from the narthex was, until we rebuild the Church.
No. At his request, Albino Luciani was known as John Paul the First from the moment he stepped onto the balcony to greet the crowds. I recall that very distinctly, and it is a matter of public record. It had to do with JPI wanting it clearly known that “John” and “Paul” formed a single name with him.
Pope Linus. Pope Peter.
There is no need to argue the matter. Although you are generally correct, Cardinal Albino Luciani was an exception to the rule. He was known as John Paul I from the moment of his election, at his specific request, well before there was a John Paul II. Look up the public record…back issues of newspapers, archived newscasts, etc. It’s a fact.
You compare the Seat of to Peter to the thrones of earthly monarchs. The Holy Father, whoever he may be, is the Vicar of Christ on Earth. There is no comparison.
You miss the point, which was about titles of monarchs.
I don’t admire him. I gave him good will at the beginning of his pontificate because all Catholics want to love their pope and want him to do good, but then he started writing and saying and doing things that a pope shouldn’t — things that were damaging the church. Count me solidly in the “Francisco no” camp.
We always have the option that Our Lady gives us:
https://m.ncregister.com/58008/d#.W57jm3RlDqA
A Memorare now and then wouldn’t hurt either.
“Steve Seitz” is correct. In fact, except for venerating the “office” of the Pope, no American should feel supportive of Francis. He has proven himself to be untrustworthy regarding his adherence to the Deposit of Faith — i.e., just look at Ch. 8 of “Amoris Laetitia” — and unreliable to put his flock first, to be the “servant” that a Pope is supposed to be. Just look at the line-up Francis directed for the upcoming Synod to form an affirmative Catholic response to the “sexual abuse crises.” In truth, in the Pope’s Homo-Catholic Church, no child will be safe from the predations of homosexual clergy. (Seminarians, you are men; protect yourself.) Reject this evil.
I love him. If he has made any mistakes, I forgive him. Just like Jesus.
Anonymous,
If Francis is part of the lavender mafia, he won’t seek repentance. Therefore, Jesus can’t forgive him.
He is very humble. He is not part of a lavender mafia. He seeks the will of God. He is very devoted to Our Blessed Mother. That is why Satan attacks him. Satan wants the house divided. He is very very active.
Satan attacks him publicly because he’s the Pope. That divides the “house” in and of itself regardless of the state of his soul. And it’s pretty apparent that many of these “attacks” he has brought upon himself. Satan doesn’t attack him because he’s humble or any of your other personal opinions about him.
I’m going strictly by gut instinct here, but nothing about Pope Francis makes me even remotely suspect that he is part of any “lavender mafia”. Sure, he confuses me a lot. But gay? Not a chance. In fact, he reminds me of my grandfather a lot.
Folks, may I remind you all of Canon 1373, which forbids inciting hatred against the Pope and the Holy See? Let me quote the law for you all: “A person who publicly incites among subjects animosities or hatred against the Apostolic See or an ordinary because of some act of power or ecclesiastical ministry or provokes subjects to disobey them is to be punished by an interdict or other just penalties.” I say that the ridicule and mockery that most of you have been throwing at the Holy Father are canonically forbidden.
Fr. Pedigo. enough.
Bingo!
Yeah, right, I’m “Fr. Pedigo”.
That’s not a denial.
Wait til “Canon 1373 jon” tries to excommunicate Jesus at His Second Coming for “upbraiding” the hierarchy “, all the way up to the top,“for their lack of faith.” (My. 16:14)
With certain exceptions, the hierarchy, the cardinals, bishops, right on up to the pope, need to face their accountability to Christ, as each of us must. Anyway we are beyond being threatened into silence by the auto-response sock-puppets of dioceses.
Angelo, that you are “beyond being threatened into silence” is wrong on two counts. First, no one is threatening you here. Secondly, open castigations of the anointed shepherds of the Church is reflective of the corrosion of decency in our times. Rather than being “better” and elevated, most Catholics have merely “gone with the flow” so to speak. Sad. Here is Pope Leo XIII’s “Est Sane Molestum”: “No, it cannot be permitted that laymen who profess to be Catholic should go so far as openly to arrogate to themselves in the columns of a newspaper, the right to denounce, and to find fault, with the greatest license and according to their own good pleasure, with every sort of person, not excepting bishops, and think that with the…
I don’t think Pope Leo envisioned a scenario where bishops were publicly advocating acceptance of homosexuality, sacrilegious communions, etc. I don’t think Pope Leo anticipated that priests would harm youths entrusted to them and that bishops would aid and abet them. I don’t think Pope Leo ever expected a pope to refuse to deny allegations of moral turpitude against him. In short, I don’t think he envisioned a time when the faithful would be forced to choose between loyalty to the bishops and loyalty to Christ.
Lawrence Northon: do please read history. The Church has gone through tougher times than this, yet Leo XIII has taught that it is not permitted to denounce the ministers of the Church. It is NEVER acceptable, no matter what is being alleged about them.
Anytime someone finger-wags canons with threats of excommunication at people, it’s just another cowardly effort to silence and to intimidate them.
The Church of Silence is over.
Sorry, but an “interdict or some just punishment” which is the punishment for inciting animosity against a bishop (such as the Pope) is not the same as an excommunication. The laity has no right, as Pope Leo XIII himself has written in “Est Sane Molestum” to openly denounce the ministers of the Church unjustly. NONE!
The key word is “unjustly.”
Unfortunately Pope Francis has caused much scandal and severe damage to the Church. His fellow Jesuits did not want him elevated to the episcopacy or to the college of cardinals. Fewer Catholics are receiving the Sacraments since he was elected, and the Church is rapidly decreasing. Going against tradition and the magisterium of over 1900 years is not something that is beneficial to the Church. The more the Church becomes worldly and Protestant, the more she will self destruct.
The Church was decreasing long before Francis became Pope, and the present complaints about him stem from the inaction of his predecessors, and a notion that he is still not doing enough on the priestly sex abuse scandal. His decline in popularity has zero to do with his doctrinal stances.
Realize C&H that Archbishop Vigano’s information has not been discredited. Will you not see that homosexual predators and sympathizers in the Church have caused massive problems? It’s about sin and those willing to cover it up. Shining truth into the darkness is a good thing!
And regardless of the polling, so-called same sex marriage will NEVER be OK.
So much wasted energy against the Holy Father
A classic case of over reacting to other’s faults
And under reacting to our own. It is very sad
Pray to become the good you want everyone else to be
The log in our own eyes
The evil one rejoices in the judgement and disunity
Lord. Where would we go
Paul opposed Peter to his face because Peter was manifestly in the wrong.
This is about pleasing everybody. and we see Pope doesn’t seem to please every american.