Argentina sees decline in popularity of Pope Francis, new poll finds

Pope Francis remains very popular in Latin America, according to a new survey, but has seen a decline in popularity in Argentina.

The Pew Research Center released an in-depth study titled “How People in Latin America and the United States Perceive Pope Francis.” » Last year, the poll surveyed 6,234 adults in six of Latin America's most populous countries.

The poll finds that attitudes toward the pope – in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru – are still generally positive, although less positive overall than they were ago is ten years old.

In Brazil and Mexico, for example, 68% of adults have a favorable opinion of the pope.

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A child kisses Pope Francis during the weekly general audience, in the Paul VI Hall of the Vatican, August 21, 2024. (Reuters/Yara Nardi)

The pope's popularity in Argentina saw the biggest decline among the six countries studied.

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Ten years ago, 91% of Argentines said they had a positive opinion of Francis. This figure has now fallen to around 64%.

Pope Francis attends a mass at the Tasitolu esplanade in Dili, East Timor, September 10, 2024. ((Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP) (Photo by TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images))

The survey also revealed:

-In Brazil and Mexico, 68% of adults have a favorable opinion of the Pope.

-In Colombia, 72% share this opinion compared to 83% of adults at the end of 2013.

-In Chile, only about half of adults have a positive view of Francis.

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Francis' favorable impression among American adults peaked between 2015 and 2017, when seven in ten Americans viewed him positively. Today, 57% of American adults have a favorable opinion of the pope.

The poll finds that American Catholics (75%) are more likely than Protestants (51%) or the religiously unaffiliated (56%) to have a positive view of Francis today.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.