Monday, March 18, AD 2024 11:15pm

PopeWatch: Falling Favorability

 

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The favorability rating of Pope Francis has declined in the latest Gallup poll from 76% in early 2014 to 59% today.

The drop in the pope’s favorable rating is driven by a decline among Catholics and political conservatives, two groups that have been ardent supporters of the modern papacy. Seventy-one percent of Catholics say they have a favorable image of Francis, down from 89% last year.

Favorable Ratings of Pope Francis, 2014 vs. 2015

Pope Francis’ drop in favorability is even starker among Americans who identify as conservative — 45% of whom view him favorably, down sharply from 72% last year. This decline may be attributable to the pope’s denouncing of “the idolatry of money” and linking climate change partially to human activity, along with his passionate focus on income inequality — all issues that are at odds with many conservatives’ beliefs.

The pope’s image has taken a hit among liberals and moderates as well. Francis’ favorable rating among liberals fell 14 percentage points. Many liberals have criticized the pope for not embracing ordination of women as priests or allowing priests to marry. His papacy is still relatively new, however, and in time he may address these long-standing doctrinal questions more fully.

Go here to read the rest.  Of course religion is not a popularity contest.  One can imagine a snap poll in Jerusalem of the favorability rating of Christ as he hung on the Cross.  However, one aspect of Pope Francis has been what a rock star in popularity he is.  That factor seems to be lessening.

 

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Paul W Primavera
Thursday, July 23, AD 2015 4:21am

The Seat of Peter is not a popularity contest. Nevertheless, try to appeal to everyone and you appeal to no one; try to please everyone and you please no one; try to stand for everything and you stand for nothing except perhaps your own self.

Don L
Thursday, July 23, AD 2015 4:30am

I recall Christ’s favoribilty rating as over the top as He rode into Jeruselem, but it evolved quickly into “give us Barabbas….”

T. Shaw
T. Shaw
Thursday, July 23, AD 2015 5:00am

Francis who?

Michael Dowd
Michael Dowd
Thursday, July 23, AD 2015 6:29am

Pope Francis is his own worst enemy. He is a politician for socialist causes which is not big over here. He is a cafeteria Catholic at best, so doesn’t have much to offer religiously. In fact, he has contempt for Catholics who take their religion seriously. He talks about subjects like climate change for which he has no expertise. And he is generally ambiguous and confusing on just about any subject. I am surprised his popularity is as high as it is. Like many politicians Pope Francis doesn’t seem to stand for anything.

Paul W Primavera
Thursday, July 23, AD 2015 8:01am

Michael Dowd, you got that wrong. Pope Francis does stand for something: himself. He is like all politicians before him.

c matt
c matt
Thursday, July 23, AD 2015 11:20am

his decline may be attributable to the pope’s denouncing of “the idolatry of money” and linking climate change partially to human activity, along with his passionate focus on income inequality — all issues that are at odds with many conservatives’ beliefs.

Who wrote this dribble? Income inequality and environmentalism are not “at odds with many conservatives beliefs.” It is the dubious science behind climate change, and the proven ineffective solutions proposed to alleviate poverty that are at odds with many conservatives beliefs.

Foxfier
Admin
Thursday, July 23, AD 2015 12:34pm

Funny; the stuff that they think conservatives disagree with the Pope on are (piles of) judgement calls, while the ones for liberals are binding teachings….
****
C matt– maybe they’re reaching for “we don’t believe the disasters exist”? Or we don’t agree with the theories?
Heaven knows I don’t thing someone’s human dignity is destroyed by someone making a zillion times more than they do– income is just a tool that’s useful for care of that human dignity, not a measure of it. You could have zero “income” and have your human dignity better protected than someone at the very top of the pile, if you’ve got a self-sufficient homestead and all their money can’t buy what’s needed to feed themselves and their family.

Alan
Alan
Thursday, July 23, AD 2015 6:18pm

After the “Hammer and Sickle” debacle, the telling a woman in Argentina that she can take communion at Mass while divorced without a annulment, I decided to ignore his teachings all together. He is truly a “FrankenPope” who will lead the church to schism.

Pinky
Pinky
Thursday, July 23, AD 2015 6:36pm

C Matt – I was more offended at the notion that conservatives support the idolatry of money.

Philip
Philip
Thursday, July 23, AD 2015 6:40pm

Foxfier.

You make a good point.
Self sustaining households.
Becoming more popular, depending on who’s profiting from the data, but nonetheless a worthy venture.

One point that Holy Father doesn’t consider is the generosity of hundreds of thousands of philanthropist that give more than a tenth of the income to the poor. Not..Not in the form of contraceptive’s or providing free abortions in third world countries, but in feeding, building and teaching the poor to become self sustainable in their communities. Even raise enough produce to sell at market. Where would the funds come from if not from generous souls who have benefited from free market societies themselves and wish to share their blessings?

Our family is below the national average of household income, yet we sponsor a child in India through “Unbound,” because of their low overhead for operations, 7%. Watching our sponsor grow and sharing in her life is a blessing for both parties. What would happen to them if folks like my wife and I were reduced in wage because our employers were shamed and taxed out of existence?

Bob
Bob
Friday, July 24, AD 2015 12:03am

The “Holy Father” is a sincere humanist and a “Holy Anathema”.

Don L
Friday, July 24, AD 2015 5:30am

“I was more offended at the notion that conservatives support the idolatry of money.”

Of course there is that very core GOP animal called a “fiscal conservative” who speaks of morals and the faithful only through clinched teeth.

Capitalism, as good an economic system as it is, has it limits when untethered by sound Christian teaching about prudence, charity and secular-humanistic living. The idea of “American exceptionalism” as opposed to “human exceptualism” comes to mind.
This is the area I believe “Rome” needs to double down on, rather than ask world governments to redistribute wealth in violation of the principle of subsidiarity.

Charles Tomashek
Charles Tomashek
Friday, July 31, AD 2015 7:24am

The Idolatry of Money is much more of a liberal trait as numerous New York Times polls have consistently proven over the years. Liberals are only generous with OTHER people’s money.

But what has me worried about Francis is the telling a woman in Argentina that she can take communion at Mass while divorced without a annulment. (Taking away the Continual Sacrifice and Oblation from Jesus the Prince – Daniel 12:11) What is more troubling is it was made public at the beginning of the Week of Days (21 April – 27 April, 2014) exactly the week Daniel predicted (Daniel 10:3) and at the end of that same week the Abomination (the Cow goddess Hathor) was set up in the Holy Place which is Vatican Square. The middle of that week of days was the 24th of the first month that Daniel predicted would be the MIDDLE of TRIBULATION. God made sure the Hebrew, Julian and Gregorian calendars all aligned so no one would miss it. You all missed it though, until now. And yes if you subtract 1290 days from April 24th, 2014, you get the start date for the Tribulation; October 12-13, 2010. And the evening of the 12th was the start of Tribulation When Jesus shortened the Days the first time in Iran, and the next day the 33 Chilean Miners came out of the mine in Chile.

Michael Dowd
Michael Dowd
Saturday, August 1, AD 2015 3:26am

Charles Tomashek. What are you getting at with the MIDDLE OF TRIBULATION. Are you saying the end is near? Please explain. Thank you.

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