Catholicism

reportMar 13, 2013

Resources on Catholicism and the Pope

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has a variety of resources on Catholicism and Pope Benedict XVI, including public opinion polls, research studies, event transcripts and interviews.
reportMar 13, 2013

‘Strong’ Catholic Identity at a Four-Decade Low in U.S.

The percentage of U.S. Catholics with a strong identification with the Catholic Church was as low in 2012 as it has ever been in General Social Surveys. During the same period, the percentage of Protestants who consider themselves strong members of their faith has been rising.
featureMar 13, 2013

Conclave Elects Pope Francis

Pope Francis was elected on Wednesday as the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio hails from Argentina and becomes the first Latin American pontiff. According to Pew Research Center data on the distribution of the world’s Catholic population, the largest share of the Catholic population (39%) lives in Latin America and the Caribbean.
short readsMar 7, 2013

U.S. Catholics Divided on Direction of Church under New Pope

Just over half of U.S. Catholics say the next pope should maintain the traditional teachings of the church; nearly as many favor new directions.
reportMar 6, 2013

U.S. Catholics See Sex Abuse as the Church’s Most Important Problem, Charity as Its Most Important Contribution

U.S. Catholics see the scandal over sex abuse by clergy as the most important problem facing the church today and charitable efforts to aid the poor, feed the hungry and heal the sick as the church’s most important contribution.
short readsFeb 28, 2013

Majority of U.S. Catholics Say Next Pope Should Allow Priests to Marry

About six-in-ten U.S. Catholics say it would be good if the next pope allows priests to marry.
reportFeb 21, 2013

U.S. Catholics Divided On Church’s Direction Under New Pope

As the pontificate of Benedict XVI winds down, three-quarters of American Catholics express a favorable view of the pontiff. Meanwhile, most U.S. Catholics say it would be good if the next pope allows priests to marry. And fully six-in-ten say it would be good if the next pope hails from a developing region like South America, Asia or Africa.
reportFeb 12, 2013

Pope Benedict Over the Years: News Coverage by the Numbers

Pope Benedict XVI, the spiritual leader of some 1 billion Catholics worldwide, announced on February 11 that he will retire from his post by the end of the month, citing weakness and age. It will make him the first pope to resign in 600 years. A new analysis of 2,700 religion stories in newspapers, websites, […]
short readsDec 12, 2012

Large Majorities of Catholics Satisfied with Pope, Church Leaders

About three-quarters of U.S. Catholics say they are satisfied with the leadership of the Pope.
featureNov 12, 2012

Catholics’ Views of U.S. Bishops

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will meet in Baltimore for their annual Fall General Assembly on Nov. 12-15. Seven-in-ten Catholics say they are very (24%) or somewhat satisfied (46%) with the leadership of the American bishops, according to a Pew Research Center Survey.