Pope Francis' Approval Ratings Down in U.S. to 59 Percent
A recent poll indicates that Pope Francis' approval rating in the United States has dropped down to 59 percent, almost 20 percent lower than his approval rating in 2014.
According to a Gallup opinion poll, Francis' approval rating has dropped to 59 percent, down from 76 percent in 2014. The pope's current favorability is similar to that of when he was first elected pope in 2013, when he had an approval rating of 58 percent.
The Gallup poll also states that the pontiff's favorability among American conservatives and Catholics has fallen, with political conservatives giving a 45 percent approval rating in 2015, down from 72 percent last year, and Catholics giving a 71 percent approval rating this year, down from 89 percent last year.
The pope has addressed a series of subjects that have proven controversial to some in the Catholic faith, including the topics of homosexuality, capitalism, and climate change.
Earlier this year, the pope discussed the societal dangers of "unfettered capitalism" and "idolatry of money" while speaking in Argentina during his South American tour.
Mark Gray, director of CARA Catholic Polls at Georgetown's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, recently told Fox News that the poll shows that "many American Catholics are more closely affiliated with their political party than their faith."
The pope's lowered approval ratings come two months before the pontiff prepares to visit the United States for the first time, when he will visit New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
