Survey finds Americans know little about Pope Benedict, but like him

Published: 2008-04-09

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI's April 15-20 visit to the United States in April will be tracked in minute detail by the news media. His public events in Washington and New York are a hot ticket for tens of thousands of people. But even among Catholics, most people admit not knowing much about him. A survey released two weeks before the pope was due to arrive found that, despite high numbers of people who said they know little or nothing about the pope, 52 percent of the general public and 74 percent of Catholics said they had a favorable opinion of him. The survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life and the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press asked 1,001 Americans their opinions about Pope Benedict in March as the third anniversary of his pontificate approached.

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