Most Americans see Pope Francis in a positive light, according to a survey conducted ahead of the Roman Catholic Church leader's visit to three American cities later this month.
Nearly six in every 10 Americans, or 58 percent of the 1,027 respondents in a recent survey conducted by the Catholic organisation Knights of Columbus-Marist, said they have a favourable view of Pope Francis.
Pope Francis' predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, also got the same amount of support from Americans before his 2008 visit to the US.
Only 10 percent of the survey respondents viewed Pope Francis negatively, while some 32 percent said they are still unsure of how to view or have not heard of the pontiff.
As expected, Pope Francis got greater support from Roman Catholics. Seventy-seven percent of Catholic respondents in the survey rated the Pope favourably.
Supreme Knight Carl Anderson of the Knights of Columbus attributed the Pope's popularity to his "message."
"The Pope is popular among Americans, and especially among Catholics, and there is a hunger for his message, with the vast majority of Americans understanding that he brings a message for all of us," Anderson said.
In fact, 72 percent of the Americans surveyed think Pope Francis will carry a message for them during his US visit.
The Pope also received an overwhelming 83-percent approval rating among practising Roman Catholics who answered the survey.
"It should come as no surprise that Catholics who regularly attend Mass support the Church's position in the greatest numbers. But to measure accurately what Catholics really believe, this survey highlights the importance of looking at the level of Catholic practice in this country when discussing Catholics' opinions on issues," Anderson explained.
When asked further if they approved of the Roman Catholic Church as a whole, 66 percent of the survey respondents answered in the affirmative.
The survey participants particularly lauded the Roman Catholic Church's charitable works in the US.
Pope Francis will visit Washington DC, New York and Philadelphia from Sept. 22 to 27. During his US visit, he is scheduled to deliver an address before a joint session of Congress and the United Nations. He will also lead the closing Mass during the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.
