Majority Of US Catholics View Pope Leo XIV Favorably
NEW YORK — A large majority of American Catholics have a favorable view of Pope Leo XIV — even as many admit they know little about the new pontiff, according to a Pew Research Center survey released on Friday.
The survey found that 84% of U.S. Catholics view Pope Leo positively, just months after he assumed the papacy following the death of Pope Francis in May. Only 4% reported an unfavorable view, while 11% say they have never heard of him.
Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope in history, has generated some excitement among American Catholics. Nonetheless, without a political platform or campaign promises, a pope enters office without the expectations of an electoral mandate — yet still under the global spotlight.
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As a result, according to the survey, 36% said they are “extremely” or “very” excited to have a pope from the United States. Another 40% are “somewhat” excited, while 22% express little or no enthusiasm.
Despite this warm reception, knowledge of the new pope remains limited. Two-thirds of American Catholics (67%) said they know only a little about Leo, while 25% say they know nothing about him at all. Just 7% report knowing a lot about him.
Elected on May 8, Pope Leo stepped into one of the most complex and scrutinized spiritual roles on the planet. In this early phase of his papacy, Leo has resisted the temptation to immediately exercise his supreme authority — a power canon law makes clear he could wield from the moment of his election. He has to-do list over the coming months, including implementing much-needed financial reforms.
Pew found that uncertainty extends to expectations for his leadership. Over half (52%) of Catholics said they either don’t know how Pope Leo’s leadership will compare to that of Francis or don’t know enough about Leo to form an opinion. A third (33%) expect him to be similar to Pope Francis, while 13% anticipate significant differences.
Among non-Catholics in the United States, Pope Leo is far less well known — 31% admitted they have never heard of him. Still, a majority (56%) of non-Catholics express a favorable opinion of the Chicago-born pontiff.
The survey also highlighted differences among Catholics based on religious practice and political affiliation.
Catholics who attend Mass at least once a week are significantly more likely to view Pope Leo favorably (95%) compared with those who attend less frequently (84%) or rarely (77%). They also reported knowing more about him — though most still said their knowledge is limited.
Unlike Pope Francis’s penchant to bend the office to his person, this pope, who served as a missionary and bishop in Peru, appears bent on accommodating his person to the office he has assumed.
The new Pew study reflects just this. Politically, both Catholic Democrats (89%) and Republicans (84%) report positive views of Pope Leo. However, Republican support marks a noticeable shift compared to attitudes toward Pope Francis earlier this year. In February, just 69% of Catholic Republicans held a favorable view of Francis, compared to 88% of Catholic Democrats.
The 84% favorability rating for Pope Leo matches that of Pope Francis in a March 2013 Pew study conducted shortly after he had become pope.
There are some partisan differences. For example, the study found, far more Catholic Democrats (44%) than Republicans (21%) think that Leo’s leadership of the Catholic Church will be similar to Francis’ pontificate and “that this is a good thing.”
By contrast, Pew said more Catholic Republicans (18%) than Democrats (8%) said they believe Pope Leo will be different from Francis and “that the change is a good thing.”
Clemente Lisi serves as executive editor at Religion Unplugged.