Pope Francis' favorability rating DROPPED in the U.S.

Why is the Pope less favored than last year?

Pope Francis' favorability rating in the U.S. has gone down to where it was when he was elected pope. The rating is now at 59 percent; it was 76 percent in early 2014 and is now similar to the 58 percent he received from Americans in 2013, after he was first elected pope.

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - After Pope Francis was chosen to be the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in March 2013, he aimed to focus the church on progressive matters, such as protecting the poor, interfaith relations and on respecting gay and lesbian members of the church. The Argentine Pope was praised in the American news media, with awards including Time magazine naming him the Person of the Year in 2013.

Pope Francis' favorable rating declined in the current poll, conducted July 8-12. His unfavorable increased from 9 percent in 2014 to currently 16 percent. The decrease in the Pope's favorable rating is mainly caused by a decline among Catholics and political conservatives in America. Seventy-one percent of Catholics say they have a favorable image of Francis, down from 89 percent last year.

This decline may possibly be because of the Pope's critical view on "the idolatry of money," linking climate change partially to human activity, and his passionate focus on income inequality, all of which are issues that remain at odds with many conservatives' beliefs.

However, Pope Francis continues to be viewed favorably among Americans, despite the fact that his image has declined since early 2014. The decline in his favorable rating is the partial implication of the increase in the percentage of Americans who don't have an opinion of the Pope, and a sharp drop in favorable opinions among Catholics and political conservatives.

Pope Francis' image may recover once he makes his first visit to the U.S. in September. The Pope will be the first Pope to address a joint session of Congress.

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