The Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life has a variety of resources on Catholicism and the pope, including public opinion polls, research studies, event transcripts and interviews.<\/p>\n\n
Navigate this document:<\/strong>\nCatholicism Around the World<\/a>\nCatholicism in America<\/a>\nPope Francis<\/a>\nPope Benedict XVI<\/a><\/p>\n\n Analysis<\/span>\nLatin America\u2019s Catholics in the Spotlight as Pope Francis is Installed<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nMarch 18, 2013<\/span>\nLatin America’s share of the global Catholic population has increased over the past century, according to Pew Research Center estimates, but the portion of the region\u2019s population that is Catholic has declined.<\/p>\n\n Analysis<\/span>\nDuring Benedict\u2019s Papacy, Religious Observance Among Catholics in Europe Remained Low but Stable<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nMarch 5, 2013<\/span>\nWhen Benedict XVI was elected pope in 2005, religious observance among Europeans had been in decline for decades, and he set out to stem the tide of secularization. How successful was he? Pew Research polls indicate that during his papacy, religious observance among Catholics in France, Germany, Spain and Italy remained low but fairly stable.<\/p>\n\n Analysis<\/span>\nThe Global Catholic Population<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nFebruary 13, 2013<\/span>\nOver the past century, the number of Catholics worldwide has more than tripled. But the world\u2019s overall population also has risen rapidly from 1910 to 2010. As a result, Catholics have made up a remarkably stable share of all people on Earth, though their geographic distribution has changed substantially.<\/p>\n\n Graphic<\/span>\nCatholics in Mexico and Cuba<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nMarch 1, 2012<\/span>\nPope Benedict XVI will travel to Latin America March 23-28 for a much-anticipated visit to Mexico and Cuba. An infographic based on data from a 2011 demographic study by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life explores information on Catholics in Latin America, with a particular focus on the Catholic population in Mexico and Cuba.<\/p>\n\n Analysis<\/span>\nGlobal Christianity<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nDecember 19, 2011<\/span>\nA comprehensive demographic study finds that there are 2.18 billion Christians of all ages around the world, representing nearly a third of the estimated 2010 global population of 6.9 billion. Christians are also geographically widespread, and no single region can indisputably claim to be the center of global Christianity.<\/p>\n\n Event Transcript<\/span>\nGlobal Christianity: Event Transcript<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nDecember 19, 2011<\/span>\nIn a conference call with journalists, Pew Forum staff members discussed the findings of a new report, Global Christianity: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World\u2019s Christian Population.<\/p>\n\n Analysis<\/span>\n\u2018Strong\u2019 Catholic Identity at a Four-Decade Low in U.S.<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nMarch 13, 2013<\/span>\nThe percentage of U.S. Catholics with a strong identification with the Catholic Church was as low in 2012 as it has ever been in General Social Surveys. During the same period, the percentage of Protestants who consider themselves strong members of their faith has been rising.<\/p>\n\n Poll<\/span>\nU.S. Catholics See Sex Abuse as the Church\u2019s Most Important Problem, Charity as Its Most Important Contribution<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nMarch 6, 2013<\/span>\nU.S. Catholics see the scandal over sex abuse by clergy as the most important problem facing the church today and charitable efforts to aid the poor, feed the hungry and heal the sick as the church’s most important contribution to society today.<\/p>\n\n Analysis<\/span>\nU.S. Catholics: Key Data from Pew Research<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nFebruary 25, 2013<\/span>\nHow do U.S. Catholics view the church, and what do they want from the next pope? Here are some of the Pew Research Center\u2019s key findings about the U.S. Catholic population on these and other questions.<\/p>\n\n Analysis<\/span>\nU.S. Catholics Divided On Church\u2019s Direction Under New Pope<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nFebruary 21, 2013<\/span>\nAs the pontificate of Benedict XVI winds down, three-quarters of American Catholics express a favorable view of the pontiff. Meanwhile, most U.S. Catholics say it would be good if the next pope allows priests to marry. And fully six-in-ten say it would be good if the next pope hails from a developing region like South America, Asia or Africa.<\/p>\n\n Poll<\/span>\nLatinos, Religion and Campaign 2012: Catholics Favor Obama, Evangelicals Divided <\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nOctober 18, 2012<\/span>\nA recent survey finds Latino Catholic voters strongly favor Obama, while Latino evangelical Protestants are more closely divided in their support for Obama and Romney. The survey also finds rising support for same-sex marriage among Latinos.<\/p>\n\n Analysis<\/span>\nThe Catholic \u201cSwing\u201d Vote<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nOctober 11, 2012<\/span>\nCatholics are often identified as a major “swing” voting group in American politics. A new analysis shows that the only group of Catholics that has been divided in recent elections is white Catholics who identify as political moderates.<\/p>\n\n Poll<\/span>\nCatholics Share Bishops\u2019 Concerns about Religious Liberty<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nAugust 1, 2012<\/span>\nA new survey report finds that Catholics who are aware of U.S. bishops\u2019 concerns about restrictions on religious liberty generally agree with the bishops\u2019 concerns. Yet there are no significant differences in the presidential vote preferences between Catholic voters who have heard about the bishops\u2019 protests and those who have not.<\/p>\n\n Graphic<\/span>\nChanging Attitudes on Gay Marriage<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nJuly 31, 2012<\/span>\nA series of graphics shows how public opinion toward same-sex marriage has changed in Pew Research Center polls since 2001.<\/p>\n\n Analysis<\/span>\nReligion in the News: 2011<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nFebruary 23, 2012<\/span>\nThe biggest religion stories of 2011 involved tensions over Islam and questions about faith in presidential politics, especially Mormonism, according to an annual review of religion in the news.<\/p>\n\n Analysis<\/span>\nReligion in the News: 2010<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nFebruary 24, 2011<\/span>\nEvents and controversies related to Islam dominated U.S. press coverage of religion in 2010, bumping the Catholic Church from the top spot, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center\u2019s Project for Excellence in Journalism and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.<\/p>\n\n Graphic<\/span>\nHispanic Protestants Closely Divided Heading Into 2010 Elections; Hispanic Catholics Favor Democrats<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nOctober 7, 2010<\/span>\nA new survey by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center, shows that Hispanic registered voters currently support Democratic candidates by a three-to-one margin in the upcoming midterm elections (65% vs. 22%). The survey data show, however, that there is a sharp divide between Hispanics who identify their religion as Catholic and those who identify as Protestant.<\/p>\n\n Analysis<\/span>\nReligious Groups’ Official Positions on Same-Sex Marriage<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nJuly 27, 2010<\/span>\nIn recent years, same-sex marriage has been a contentious subject within many religious groups in the U.S. Here is an overview of where 16 religious groups stand on this issue.<\/p>\n\n Graphic<\/span>\nCatholic Opinion on Notre Dame Controversy Differs by Church Attendance<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nMay 14, 2009<\/span>\nAccording to an April 2009 poll, about half of American Catholics have heard at least a little about the controversy over the University of Notre Dame’s decision to invite President Barack Obama to speak at the university’s May 17 commencement and receive an honorary degree. A similar number of Catholics say that the university was right to invite Obama.<\/p>\n\n Survey<\/span>\nObama, Catholics and the Notre Dame Commencement<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span>\nApril 30, 2009<\/span>\nMost Catholics who have heard about the issue support Notre Dame’s decision to invite President Obama to speak at its May 17 commencement even though he supports abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research. But a poll finds a deep division on this issue between the most-observant Catholics and those who are less observant.<\/p>\n\n Survey<\/span>\nFaith in Flux: Changes in Religious Affiliation in the U.S.<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span>\nApril 27, 2009 <\/span>\nAmericans change religious affiliation early and often. In total, about half of American adults have changed religious affiliation at least once during their lives, and Catholicism has suffered the greatest net loss in the process of religious change.<\/p>\n\n Graphic<\/span>\nInteractive: Reasons for Joining, Reasons for Leaving<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span>\nApril 27, 2009 <\/span>\nAbout half of American adults have changed religious affiliation at least once in their lives. This interactive explores the reasons different groups, including Catholics, cite for leaving or joining their religion.<\/p>\n\n Event Transcript<\/span>\nThe Political Obligations of Catholics: A Conversation With the Most Rev. Charles Chaput, Archbishop of Denver<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\nMarch 17, 2009<\/span>\nWhat should we expect from Catholic leaders with respect to the policy decisions of President Obama and those of future administrations? To discuss this issue and others, the Pew Forum invited Archbishop Chaput, who was appointed by Pope John Paul II and is the first Native American archbishop to be ordained in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n Q&A<\/span>\nWill Obama Win the White Catholic Vote?<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span>\nOct. 30, 2008<\/span>\nSurveys by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press show that white, non-Hispanic Catholic support for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama has grown, taking him from a 13-percentage-point deficit in late September to an 8-point lead in late October.<\/p>\n\n Q&A<\/span>\nCourting Catholics in 2008<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nApril 3, 2008<\/span>\nSenior Fellow John Green discusses Catholic voting trends in past elections, challenges facing the campaigns as they reach out to Catholics and how the church’s growing Hispanic population may impact future elections.<\/p>\n\n Analysis<\/span>\nAmerica’s Catholics Occupy a Unique Place in the World of Religion<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nApril 1, 2008<\/span>\nThis Pew Global Attitudes Project study finds that U.S. Catholics occupy something of a middle ground between their more religious fellow Catholics in the developing world, and the less devout of Europe.<\/p>\n\n Report<\/span>\nA Portrait of American Catholics<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nMarch 27, 2008<\/span>\nThe U.S. Religious Landscape Survey finds that American Catholics are quite diverse in their demographic profile, in their religious practices and levels of commitment, as well as in their social and political views.<\/p>\n\n Survey<\/span>\nThe U.S. Religious Landscape Survey<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nFeb. 25, 2008<\/span>\nThe U.S. Religious Landscape Survey includes online tools allowing you to view the geographic distribution<\/a> of Catholics in America, examine demographic characteristics<\/a> of Catholics and compare the demographic characteristics of Catholics<\/a> with those of other religious traditions.<\/p>\n\n Event<\/span>\n‘Heroic Conservatism:’ A Conversation with Michael Gerson<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nNov. 13, 2007<\/span>\nMichael Gerson spoke about “heroic conservatism,” which he defined as a “conservatism of the common good, influenced by Catholic social thought.”<\/p>\n\n Event<\/span>\nFaith and the Public Dialogue: A Conversation with John Kerry<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nNov. 1, 2007<\/span>\nThe Pew Forum invited Mass. Sen. John Kerry to discuss the propriety of public inquiry into politicians’ religious beliefs and how those beliefs influence candidates’ views on the issues of the day.<\/p>\n\n Survey<\/span>\nChanging Faiths: Latinos and the Transformation of American Religion<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nApril 25, 2007<\/span>\nA joint survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life and the Pew Hispanic Center found that Hispanics are transforming the nation’s religious landscape, especially the Catholic Church.<\/p>\n\n Analysis<\/span>\nPresidential Preferences of White Non-Hispanic Catholics<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nApril 3, 2007<\/span>\nA Pew Forum analysis of a March 2007 Pew Research Center survey provided an early reading of a group that has been a key swing vote in recent presidential elections.<\/p>\n\n Event<\/span>\nDefining Ourselves as Catholic Democrats<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nJune 8, 2006<\/span>\nConn. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro discussed how religion has influenced her career and reflects on the issues of the day from a Catholic perspective.<\/p>\n\n Event<\/span>\nFaith, Politics & Progressives: A Conversation with John Podesta<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\nApril 26, 2005<\/span>\nJohn Podesta, president and chief executive officer of the Center for American Progress, spoke about faith and progressive politics.<\/p>\n\n Graphic<\/span>\nConclave Elects Pope Francis<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\nMarch 13, 2013\u00a0<\/span>\nPope Francis was elected on March 13 as the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio hails from Argentina and becomes the first Latin American pontiff. According to Pew Research Center data on the distribution of the world’s Catholic population, the largest share of the Catholic population (39%) lives in Latin America and the Caribbean.<\/p>\n\n Pew Research Center<\/span>\nPope Benedict Over the Years: News Coverage by the Numbers<\/span><\/strong><\/a>\nFebruary 12, 2013 <\/span>\nPerhaps the most visible religious figure in the world, Pope Benedict XVI has attracted a significant share of news coverage over the years. Since the Pew Research Center began tracking the U.S. news media in 2007, the pope has been by far the central figure in mainstream religion coverage.<\/p>\n\n Graphic<\/span>\nCatholics\u2019 Views of Catholic Leaders<\/span><\/strong><\/a>\nNovember 12, 2012 <\/span>\nAccording to a summer 2012 Pew Research Center survey, most Catholics express satisfaction with the leadership of the bishops and other church officials. Large majorities are very or somewhat satisfied with the leadership provided by Catholic nuns and sisters in the U.S. (83%), their own parish priests (82%), their diocesan bishop (74%), the pope (74%) and American bishops in general (70%).<\/p>\n\n Report<\/span>\nThe Pope Meets the Press: Media Coverage of the Clergy Abuse Scandal<\/span><\/strong><\/a>\nJune 11, 2010 <\/span>\nNewspaper coverage of the Catholic clergy sexual abuse scandal grew more intense this spring than at any time since 2002, and European newspapers devoted even more ink to the story than American papers did, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center.<\/p>\n\n<\/a><\/h2>\n\n
Catholicism Around the World<\/h2>\n\n
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Catholicism in America<\/h2>\n\n
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