Washington, Mar. 27, 2008 (CWNews.com) – Americans have a strongly positive view of Pope Benedict XVI, according to a new poll commissioned by the Knights of Columbus.
In a survey conducted by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, 58% of respondents said that they have a favorable opinion of the Holy Father; only 13% held a negative view.
Nearly two-thirds of those polled– 65%– held a favorable view of the Catholic Church in general, with 28% reporting a negative view.
Close to half of the American people (42%) and two-thirds of the Catholics would like to attend one of the public events that have been scheduled for Pope Benedict’s April visit to the US.
The poll results show that most Americans (64%) would like to hear Pope Benedict’s guidance on how to increase the spiritual strength of their society. Even higher proportions of the respondents wanted to hear the Pontiff talk about finding spiritual fulfillment and bringing God into their lives.
