A new national survey suggests that Pope Leo XIV is viewed favorably by many Americans, ranking among the most respected public figures in the United States despite entering the papacy only recently.
According to a March survey conducted by NBC News and carried out by Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies, , reported on by EWTN News, Pope Leo XIV received the highest overall esteem among several prominent American public figures included in the poll. The survey questioned 1,000 registered voters about their views on major personalities in public life.
The poll found that 42 percent of respondents viewed the Pope positively, while only 8 percent expressed a negative opinion of him. This placed the American-born pontiff well ahead of many other political and media figures in terms of overall favorability.
With these numbers, Pope Leo achieved a net favorability rating 34 points higher than his unfavorable rating. According to NBC News, this score placed him ahead of a number of widely recognized public figures, including comedian Stephen Colbert, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, President Donald Trump, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and California Governor Gavin Newsom.
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The poll also showed that the Pope’s negative rating stood out among the group. Only 8 percent of respondents expressed an unfavorable view of him, making him “the only one in the single digits” for negative responses among those listed, according to NBC News.
Even among other figures with relatively positive ratings, the Pope performed strongly. His total positive score edged out President Trump’s by one percentage point and surpassed Vice President JD Vance’s by four points. The survey also noted that comedian Stephen Colbert was the only other public figure in the poll with a net-positive rating.
Researchers emphasized that the results fall within the typical statistical margin for a national survey. According to NBC News, the poll’s “margin of sampling error for the full sample of 1,000 respondents is plus or minus 3.10 percentage points.”
The poll results also offer an interesting point of comparison with previous popes who were measured in similar surveys.
Pope Francis reached a peak approval rating of 57 percent in December 2013, according to NBC. Pope Benedict XVI recorded a 30 percent positive rating in February 2013, while Pope John Paul II saw his favorability reach 65 percent in January 1998.
Pope Leo XIV’s numbers fall between those historical figures, reflecting strong early goodwill toward the new pontiff.
The Pope’s unique background may also contribute to the public’s interest in his leadership. Born on the South Side of Chicago, Pope Leo XIV is the first pope to hold United States citizenship. He is also the first pontiff with Peruvian citizenship and the first member of the Augustinian order to be elected pope.
Following Pope Francis, he is also the second pope to come from the Americas.
As Pope Leo XIV begins his pontificate, the poll suggests that many Americans are watching with interest—and with a generally favorable view—of the first pope to emerge from the United States.
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