Poll shows Americans, Catholics in particular, give pope high marks

Poll shows Americans, Catholics in particular, give pope high marks
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20 May 2009 Catholic News Service

Americans overall and American Catholics in particular hold Pope Benedict XVI in high regard, according to a Marist College poll conducted in partnership with the Knights of Columbus.

Sixty percent of Americans reported they have either a favorable or very favorable impression of the pontiff while 76 percent of Catholics hold the same view, the telephone poll of 2,078 people found.

At the same time, 20 percent of Americans and 11 percent of Catholics told interviewers they have an unfavorable or very unfavorable view of Pope Benedict.

The results of the poll were released May 19. It was conducted March 24-31 by the Marist College Institute of Public Opinion, which is in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Results for Americans overall have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. For Catholics, the margin of error is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

By a margin of more than 4 to 1 -- 73 percent to 17 percent -- Catholics said the pope was good for the Catholic Church. Another 10 percent were unsure.

A majority of Americans -- 57 percent to 21 percent -- held the same opinion while 22 percent were unsure.

"That Benedict XVI remains so respected by Americans, in spite of a 24-hour news cycle often hostile to him and his message, is a great testament to the pope's ability to communicate the Gospel directly to people," said Carl Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus.

"It also says something about the American people's desire for the message of hope and love that Benedict XVI preaches in calling us to say 'yes' to Jesus Christ," he wrote May 19 on the Web site of the fraternal organization, based in New Haven.

The poll also looked at how people perceived the pope on matters of spirituality, his place as a world religious leader and issues they would like to hear him address.

Poll findings include:

-- Eighty-four percent of Catholics and 74 percent of Americans overall said they see Pope Benedict as one of the world's important religious leaders; 11 percent of Catholics and 13 percent of Americans said he is not.

-- By a margin of 59 percent to 19 percent Catholics said the pontiff is sensitive to Muslims; among Americans, the margin was 46 percent to 23 percent.

-- By a margin of 61 percent to 19 percent Catholics said the pope is sensitive to Jewish people; among Americans, the margin was 48 percent to 20 percent.

-- Sixty-eight percent of Catholics and 57 percent of Americans want to hear what Pope Benedict has to say about marriage and family; 14 percent of Catholics and 22 percent of Americans do not.

-- Sixty percent of Catholics and 50 percent of Americans want to hear him address life issues including abortion and stem-cell research; 21 percent of Catholics and 29 percent of Americans do not.

-- On issues of spirituality, 72 percent of Catholics and 64 percent of Americans said they want to hear the pontiff speak about allowing God to be part of daily life.

-- Catholics by a 78 percent to 6 percent margin said they want to hear the pope address poverty and hunger; among Americans the margin was 70 percent to 12 percent.

The survey also asked respondents about their views of the Catholic Church and its contributions to the world. Catholics overwhelmingly -- 84 percent to 14 percent -- said the church has distinguished itself through its contributions in U.S. society. Meanwhile, Americans by a 69 percent to 24 percent margin agreed with American Catholics.