Poll Religion

Who Would Free Market Jesus Love? Not the Pope

Written by SK Ashby

According to a new Gallup survey, Pope Francis is no longer as popular as he once was.

This sudden drop in popularity is owed, in large part, to American conservatives according to Gallup.

Pope Francis' drop in favorability is even starker among Americans who identify as conservative -- 45% of whom view him favorably, down sharply from 72% last year. This decline may be attributable to the pope's denouncing of "the idolatry of money" and linking climate change partially to human activity, along with his passionate focus on income inequality -- all issues that are at odds with many conservatives' beliefs.

Gallup attributes this drop to the Pope's denunciation of greed and excess, but I'd say his call for action on climate change must be an equal or greater factor.

Gallup also supposes the Pope's popularity may "rebound" after he visits the U.S. in September, but I would not be surprised to see it drop even further.

The Pope will soon be as favored among American conservatives as President Obama is for many of the same reasons.