Thursday, August 13, 2026

If you like stats and polls, this article is for you. Who holds Pope Leo XIV in favorable vs unfavorable status?

 

One Year In, Pope Leo XIV Reveals Political Divides Among U.S. Catholics


Madelyn Snodgrass


In his first year as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV has taken clear stances on many issues, including the U.S. immigration system and the war in Iran. This Spotlight Analysis examines American Catholics’ views of Pope Leo XIV, the political and demographic differences between those who support and oppose the American-born Pope, and how these two groups differ in their views of President Trump and his political agenda, religious and racial pluralism, and the state of American democracy.

Seven in Ten U.S. Catholics Hold Favorable Views of Pope Leo XIV

A slim majority of Americans (56%) hold very or somewhat favorable views of Pope Leo XIV, while one-quarter of Americans (27%) view him unfavorably and more than one in ten (15%) have not heard of him. Among Catholics, the share of those who hold favorable views of the Pope is much higher, at 71%. White Catholics are significantly more likely to view Leo favorably than Hispanic Catholics (75% vs. 64%). By contrast, Hispanic Catholics are three times as likely as white Catholics to say they have not heard of him (14% vs. 4%). Catholic Democrats are significantly more likely than Catholic Republicans to hold favorable views of the Pope (79% vs. 67%); around three-quarters of Catholic independents (73%) also view him favorably.

FIGURE 1. Favorability of Pope Leo XIV Among Catholics, by Race, Party, and Age

Percent who hold ___ views of Pope Leo XIV:

Source: PRRI American Identity Survey, May 1-18, 2026.Download imageCreated with Datawrapper

Pope Francis Had Higher Favorability at the Same Point in His Papacy

At a similar point into his papacy, Pope Francis had higher favorability ratings than Pope Leo. In 2015, two-thirds of Americans (67%) held favorable views of Pope Francis, followed by 15% who did not favor him and only 6% who reported not having heard of him. Nine in ten American Catholics (90%) viewed Pope Francis favorably, including similar percentages of both white (90%) and Hispanic Catholics (91%). Vast majorities of Catholic Democrats (95%), Republicans (90%), and independents (85%) had a favorable view of Pope Francis.

A Majority of Pope Leo Supporters Oppose Donald Trump and His Actions as President

Over six in ten Catholics (62%) hold unfavorable views of Donald Trump, while nearly four in ten (37%) view him favorably. Two-thirds of Catholic supporters of Pope Leo XIV (67%) hold unfavorable views of Trump, compared with 40% of Catholic opponents of the Pope.

Catholics divided views on Trump also extend to views on his actions. Two-thirds of Catholics (67%) hold unfavorable views of Trump’s handling of the war in Iran, compared with three in ten (30%) who hold favorable views. Pope Leo XIV supporters are around 20 percentage-points more likely than opponents to view Trump’s handling of the Iran War unfavorably (71% vs. 49%). The Pope has made his stance clear on the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, stating “God does not bless any conflict.”

Nearly six in ten Catholics (57%) view Trump’s handling of immigration unfavorably, while around four in ten (39%) view it favorably. More than six in ten Catholics who support the Pope (63%) disapprove of Trump’s handling of immigration, compared with 42% of Catholics who oppose him. Pope Leo has said that the way the U.S. has been treating migrants is “extremely disrespectful.”

FIGURE 2. Opposition to Trump and His Handling of Immigration and Iran War Among Catholics, by Favorability of Pope Leo XIV

Percent who hold very or somewhat unfavorable views of:

Source: PRRI American Identity Survey, May 1-18, 2026.Download imageCreated with Datawrapper

Pope Leo Supporters Are More Likely to Support Religious and Racial Diversity

Nearly two-thirds of Catholics (65%) say they would prefer the U.S. to be a nation “made up of people belonging to a wide variety of religions,” while one-third (33%) say they would prefer the U.S. to be a nation “primarily made up of people who follow the Christian faith.” Seven in ten Catholics who hold favorable views of Pope Leo XIV (70%) support religious pluralism. Those who hold unfavorable views of the Pope are more divided (53% for religious pluralism vs. 46% who prefer a primarily Christian nation).

Catholics overall are divided on their agreement with the statement “the values of Islam, the Muslim religion, are at odds with American values and way of life” (51% agree vs. 45% disagree). However, Catholics who hold favorable views of the Pope are notably more likely than those who hold unfavorable views to disagree with this statement (48% vs. 35%).

FIGURE 3. Religious Pluralism and Views on Islam Among Catholics, by Favorability of Pope Leo XIV

Percent who:

Source: PRRI American Identity Survey, May 1-18, 2026.Download imageCreated with Datawrapper

About three-fourths of Catholics (74%) say they would prefer the U.S. to be a nation “made up of people from all over the world,” while one-fourth (25%) say they would prefer the U.S. to be “primarily made up of people of western European heritage.” Catholics who hold favorable views of the Pope are more likely than those who hold unfavorable views to support racial pluralism (76% vs. 63%).

More than one-third of Catholics (34%) disagree that “America is in danger of losing its culture and identity,” compared with the majority (65%) who agree. Catholics who favor the Pope are more likely than those who oppose him to disagree that America is in danger of losing its culture and identity (37% vs. 26%, respectively).

FIGURE 4. Racial Pluralism and Threats to American Culture Among Catholics, by Favorability of Pope Leo XIV

Percent who:

Source: PRRI American Identity Survey, May 1-18, 2026.Download imageCreated with Datawrapper

America’s Impact on the World

Catholics are evenly divided on their agreement with the statement “God has granted America a special role in human history” (49% agree vs. 49% disagree); Catholics are more likely than all Americans to agree (49% vs. 44%). The majority of Catholics who support Pope Leo XIV (53%) disagree that God has granted America a special role, compared with 38% of Catholics who oppose the Pope.

More than four in ten Catholics (44%) say they are only a little or not at all proud of America as a good moral example for the world, followed by a plurality (26%) who are moderately proud, and nearly three in ten (29%) who are extremely or very proud. Nearly half of Catholics who support Pope Leo XIV (48%) have little or no pride in America as a good moral example, compared with less than three in ten Catholics who oppose the Pope (28%).

Just about three in ten Catholics (29%) say they would prefer the U.S. to be known as “a mighty nation that does not hesitate to use military force to defend our interests,” while nearly seven in ten (69%) say they would prefer the U.S. to be known as “a reliable neighbor that cooperates with other nations and only uses military force as a last resort.” Catholics who view the Pope favorably (72%) are more likely than those who view the Pope unfavorably (54%) to say they would prefer the U.S. to be a reliable neighbor who cooperates with other countries.

FIGURE 5. Views on America’s Impact on the World Among Catholics, by Favorability of Pope Leo XIV

Percent who:

Source: PRRI American Identity Survey, May 1-18, 2026.Download imageCreated with Datawrapper
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