Pope’s popularity plummets in polls

Pope Francis’s once-overwhelming popularity in the U.S. has taken a major hit since a new report on sexual abuse was released in August, according to two new polls.

A Gallup poll released Tuesday found that 53 percent of Americans said they had a favorable opinion of the pontiff, down from 66 percent in August, when respondents were questioned just before the release of a Pennsylvania grand jury report listing hundreds of Catholic clergy accused of sexual abuse and misconduct during 70 years in the state. Francis’s popularity has fallen from a 2014 high of 76 percent in Gallup polls.

A separate CNN/ SSRS poll released last week found 48 percent with a favorable view of the pope, down from 66 percent in January 2017 and a high of 72 Despite his falling poll numbers, Pope Francis continues to be far more liked than disliked. percent in December 2013.

Francis continues to be far more liked than disliked, with roughly one-quarter of the public saying they have an unfavorable impression of him, and a sizable share holding no opinion. But the drop-off is notable from earlier in his papacy, when his messages about acceptance toward gay people and other groups received widespread media attention, fueling his popularity.

Since August, the church has been rocked by the Pennsylvania grand jury report and the investigations that followed — attorneys general are now conducting inquiries on abuse in the church in Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico and New York.

And Francis’s own culpability has been alleged in a letter by the former Vatican ambassador to the United States, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, who claims Francis knew that former cardinal Theodore McCarrick had sexually harassed young men but chose to let sanctions on McCarrick slide anyway. Francis has declined to respond directly to Vigano’s allegations.

The CNN survey found a larger decrease in favorability among younger Americans. Among people ages 18-44, Francis’s favorable rating dropped from 68 percent to 44 percent since early 2017.

Among those 45 and older, Francis’s ratings fell from 63 to 53 percent.

The Gallup poll of 1,035 U.S. adults has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The CNN poll conducted by SSRS of 1,003 U.S. adults has an error margin of plus or minus 3.8 points.