The Pope enjoyed broad support among U.S. Catholics
As tributes to Pope Francis pour in, many people are remarking on the timing of his death — the morning after Easter Sunday, the holiest day of the year in the Catholic faith.
“It’s so fitting that on the day after Easter, the holiest day of the year for Catholics, after blessing people in Saint Peter’s Square and delivering a message that said Christ is risen, that this is the day that he was called home to the Lord,” says Kim Daniels, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University and an adviser to the Vatican’s communications team.
Daniels told NPR’s Morning Edition that the community is mourning, but its spiritual leader left behind a “hopeful vision for the church going forward.”
She said he “energized our faith by orienting us again towards action … towards a church that is a field hospital,” referencing a metaphor the pope used repeatedly during his tenure. She specifically mentioned how Pope Francis challenged people to welcome migrants and refugees, reject polarization and “reject an economy that excludes the vulnerable.”
“But most of all, he just remained a source of hope and renewal amid difficult times, including just every time we are facing something that’s a challenge, whether within the church, in the clergy abuse crisis to externally with division in our political life,” Daniels added. “He remains a source of hope and renewal and enjoys broad support among American Catholics.”
A 2024 Pew Research Center survey found that 75% of American Catholics viewed Francis favorably — 15 points below his peak favorability rating, which was 90% in early 2015.
Pew said the survey revealed the largest partisan gap in views of the pontiff: Roughly 9 in 10 Catholics who belong to or lean toward the Democratic Party saw him positively, compared to just 63% of those who are Republican or Republican-leaning. But some feelings transcended party lines.
“Regardless of their partisan leanings, most U.S. Catholics regard Francis as an agent of change,” Pew added. “Overall, about seven-in-ten say the current pope represents a change in direction for the church, including 42% who say he represents a major change.”
A ‘very aesthetic person,’ President Trump says being a builder is his second job
President Trump was a builder before he took office, but he has continued it as a hobby in the White House.
Electric vehicles had a bumpy road in 2025 — and one pleasant surprise
A suite of pro-EV federal policies have been reversed. Well-known vehicles have been discontinued. Sales plummeted. But interest is holding steady.
Why do so many people ring in the new year on Jan. 1?
Much of the world follows the Gregorian calendar, named after Pope Gregory XIII, who put the finishing touches on a Roman system that integrated ideas from other cultures.
Teens are having disturbing interactions with chatbots. Here’s how to lower the risks
Teen use of AI chat bots is growing, and psychologists worry it's affecting their social development and mental health. Here's what parents should know to help kids use the technology safely.
The Best Tiny Desk Concerts of 2025
Which Tiny Desk made an audio engineer question everything? Which one made a producer want to cry? Touch grass? Look back on the year in Tiny Desk, with the people who make them.
Pipe bomb suspect told FBI he targeted U.S. political parties, memo says
The man accused of placing two pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of Jan. 6, 2021 told investigators someone needed to "speak up" for people who believed the 2020 election was stolen, prosecutors said Sunday.
