UNTIED STATES
The Tribune
BY WILLIAM DOUGLAS
wdouglas@mcclatchydc.com
July 22, 2015
Pope Francis’ popularity has taken a hit in the United States, especially among political conservatives, a new Gallup survey revealed Wednesday.
The pontiff’s favorability rating among Americans has dropped from 76 percent in February 2014 to 59 percent this month, according to Gallup. The decline returned Francis close to the 58 percent favorability rating registered in April 2013, soon after he was elected pope.
Simultaneously, his unfavorable numbers have increased from 9 percent in 2014 to 16 percent this month. The number of Americans who have never heard of or have no opinion of Pope Francis jumped from 16 percent in February 2014 to 25 percent this month.
The slide in Francis’ popularity comes ahead of his first visit to the United States in September. He’s scheduled to visit Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, D.C. where he’ll become the first pope to address a joint session of Congress.
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