(LifeSiteNews) — Although Pope Leo XIV assumed the papal office only one month ago, American Catholics are already feeling hopeful about his papacy.
In a recent survey conducted by the Associated Press NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 65 percent of Catholics in the United States reported viewing Pope Leo favorably. Additionally, 29 percent said they do not know enough to say, while 6 percent reported being unfavorable to him.
The AP compared this result to a previous poll on Pope Francis’ favorability among American Catholics. In that 2015 poll, 59 percent said they viewed Francis favorably, while 15 percent reported being unfavorable.
In addition to widespread support among Catholics, Pope Leo’s appeal also crosses political lines, with similar levels of approval among both Democrats and Republicans. 48 percent of Democrats and 42 percent of Republicans expressed support for his messaging.
This broad support is largely credited to Pope Leo’s American heritage and his consistent calls for unity within the Catholic Church.
As the first American-born pope, Leo has openly embraced his Chicago roots, most recently addressing a crowd at Rate Field, home of his beloved Chicago White Sox, through a video message.
READ: Pope Leo XIV sends video message to fellow Americans at White Sox baseball stadium
In his message, Pope Leo expressed gratitude and hope for the faithful, emphasizing the importance of building stronger community ties within the archdiocese. He encouraged those gathered to “continue to build up community [and] friendship as brothers and sisters in your daily lives, in your families, in your parishes, in the archdiocese, and throughout our world.”
Pope Leo has garnered the reputation of being a “bridge builder” early in his papacy by promoting messages of unity. In his homily at the Mass marking the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Leo emphasized that the Church must serve as a beacon of unity for the world.
“With the light and the strength of the Holy Spirit, let us build a Church founded on God’s love, a sign of unity, a missionary Church that opens its arms to the world, proclaims the word, allows itself to be made ‘restless’ by history, and becomes a leaven of harmony for humanity,” he said.
As Pope Leo XIV begins his pontificate, many observers find that his strong early support, especially in the United States, signals a unique opportunity to renew trust in Church leadership and foster unity in a time of global division.
