WASHINGTON (CNS) – A new poll shows that nearly 70 percent of U.S. Catholics agree with comments made by Pope Francis in his recent extensive interview with a Jesuit Italian journal where he stressed that Catholics cannot “insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods.”

According to the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, support for the pope’s remarks was about the same across age groups, sexes and weekly Massgoers and those who attend church less frequently. Twenty-three percent disagreed with his comments.

The poll also showed that 53 percent of American Catholics view Pope Francis favorably; 36 percent have a very favorable opinion of him and four percent view him negatively.

The results were similar to a poll by the Washington-based Pew Research’s Religion & Public Life Project Center, which found that 79 percent of Catholics have a favorable view of the pope and four percent thought poorly of him.

Seventeen percent of those surveyed in the Pew center’s poll conducted had no opinion of the current pope.

The poll – a national sampling of 1,506 adults with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percent points – showed older Catholics were slightly more enthused about the pope, giving him a 44 percent rating, compared to 31 percent of those under the age of 50 who gave him a favorable rating.

Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, called the Quinnipiac poll flawed. He said: “There are more than 78 million Catholics in the U.S. and Quinnipiac interviewed 392 of them.” He also faulted the poll for failing to distinguish between those who go to church monthly and those who no longer go to Mass.

[hr]What do you think about Pope Francis and his impact upon the Church? Send your opinion to ewilkinson@desalesmedia.org.[hr]