As the Roman Catholic Church prepares for a conclave to elect a new pope, Catholics in the United States tend to view the scandal over sex abuse by clergy as the most important problem facing their church today. … When asked about the main way the church helps society today, […] Read more »
Poll Shows Disconnect Between U.S. Catholics and Church
Roman Catholics in the United States say that their church and bishops are out of touch, and that the next pope should lead the church in a more modern direction on issues like birth control and ordaining women and married men as priests, according to the latest New York Times/CBS […] Read more »
U.S. Catholics want a younger, more liberal pope
As the College of Cardinals descends on Rome this week to select the world’s next pope, most U.S. Catholics want the new pope to be younger, to have new ideas, and to liberalize the church’s teachings on issues like birth control, ordaining women, and permitting priests to marry, according to […] Read more »
U.S. Catholics Divided On Church’s Direction Under New Pope
As the pontificate of Benedict XVI winds down, many American Catholics express a desire for change. For example, most U.S. Catholics say it would be good if the next pope allows priests to marry. And fully six-in-ten Catholics say it would be good if the next pope hails from a […] Read more »
Outgoing Pope Popular, But Not as Much as His Predecessor
The Catholic Church has rebounded in overall public esteem in the United States as it’s moved away from the height of its child abuse scandals a decade ago, a trend that’s continued under the now-departing Pope Benedict XVI. Benedict himself is seen favorably by three-quarters of American Catholics, a new […] Read more »
83% Say North Korean Nukes Are a Critical Threat
Eighty-three percent of Americans say the development of nuclear weapons by North Korea is a critical threat to the vital interests of the United States, placing it at the top of a list of nine potential threats, along with Iranian nuclear weapons and international terrorism. [cont.] Jeffrey M. Jones, Gallup Read more »