"As Pope Arrives, Poll Finds a Welcoming America"

"As Pope Francis visits the United States for the first time, a new CNN/ORC Poll finds the head of the Catholic Church is largely viewed favorably nationwide and that most Catholics approve of his comments even on controversial issues.

And he's arriving in a country that seems glad to greet him: Nearly half of Americans and 78% of Catholics said they were looking forward to the Pope's trip to the United States.

Impressions of Francis have gotten slightly less positive since December 2013, about nine months into his papacy, when 83% of American Catholics had a favorable view of him. Still, with nearly three-quarters of Catholics holding a positive view of Francis, impressions of the Pope remain broadly positive."

Jennifer Agiesta reports for CNN September 22, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"Popular Pope Comes With a Climate Change Message That Congress May Not Want To Hear" (ClimateWire)

"Climate Group Targets Congressman Who's Boycotting The Pope's Speech" (Huffington Post)

"Blocks From the Pope’s Mass, a Dumping Ground for the Nation’s Capital" (National Geographic)

"Pope's Concern About Climate Change Prompts Notre Dame To End Use of Coal" (USA TODAY)

"Republican Predicts He Won’t Be Alone With Pope Boycott" (The Hill)

"For One Texas Nun, Pope Francis' Environmental Message is Personal" (NBC News)