Church in the World

Benedict XVI wins friends and influences people

United States

In terms of winning hearts and minds, a survey of Tablet readers suggests that the Pope's US visit was a remarkable success. More than 55 per cent of respondents said they felt more sympathetic towards the Pope after the visit, while 40 per cent said their feelings were unchanged. When Americans were separated out, the proportions (54 per cent and 41 per cent) were almost the same. Among women, too, the proportions (51 per cent and 44 per cent) were similar.

Forty per cent of all respondents were from the US, 30 per cent from the United Kingdom, and the remaining readers were from other countries across of the world.

The Pope's manner of dealing with many of the key issues facing the Church won widespread approval. Fifty-five per cent of respondents thought that he dealt well with the US sex-abuse crisis (51 per cent of Americans), although there were significant differences here between men and women, with more than 60 per cent of men believing he handled it "very well indeed" (27 per cent "satisfactorily"), while only 41 per cent of women thought he handled it "very well indeed" (37 per cent "satisfactorily").

There was a little less satisfaction with the manner in which the Pope pointed the way forward for the US Church, with 36 per cent feeling he did this "very well indeed" (US 34 per cent) and 36 per cent (US 37 per cent) feeling he did this "satisfactorily". A significant minority (18 per cent, both US respondents and all respondents) thought he did "not very well" on this question and 5 per cent (8 per cent in the US) thought he did poorly.

There were significant differences between men and women assessing his performance on family issues. Forty-five per cent of men thought he conveyed the Catholic position on the crisis in the family "very well indeed" and 30 per cent "satisfactorily". Among women the figures were 28 per cent and 41 per cent, and among Americans 36 per cent and 40 per cent.

As a leader, 83 per cent of respondents found the Pope "very strong" or "strong". As a pastoral leader, on the other hand, 77 per cent found him "very good" or "good".

Between 70 and 80 per cent of respondents thought the Pope reached out "very well indeed" or satisfactorily" to non-Catholic Christians, to the faithful of other religions, and to the people of America as whole.

Forty-nine per cent of respondents thought that he highlighted the Catholic position on global poverty "very well indeed" and 33 per cent "satisfactorily". However, the highest approval rating from the respondents was achieved by America itself. Ninety per cent thought the welcome given by the US to the Pope was "suitably warm" (88 per cent in the US), 2 per cent "not warm enough" (US 1 per cent) and 7 per cent (US 7 per cent) "too warm".