Image of Pope Benedict
Following his first visit to the United States as spiritual leader of the world’s Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI is viewed more favorably than he was a few weeks before his trip. 61% of Americans say they have a favorable impression of the pope, up from 52% in late March. The pope receives much better ratings than he did in late March 2008 for promoting good relations with other religions, and the change has been particularly striking among Protestants – especially white evangelical Protestants – and Catholics who attend church infrequently.