Pope Francis continues to find
favour with the vast majority of Italians although his
popularity has fallen to 81.6%, according to the 2016 Eurispes
Italy report.
This compares to 87.1% in 2014 and 89.6% last year.
This drop was said to be in part physiological and the
result of a new sensibility to certain ethical and moral issues
that does not conform to more conservative positions within the
Catholic Church.
Geographically speaking consensus for the pope was highest
among residents of central Italy and the islands, respectively
at 90.3% and 91.3%, and lowest in the north-east at 69.1%.
Appreciation was highest among voters on the centre-right
(91.2%), left (89.1%), centre (88.9%) and centre-left (87.8%).
The personality trait most commonly cited by admirers of
the pope was his simplicity (26%), followed by his courage to
say difficult things (18.1%), the desire to renew the Church
(11.3%), communication skills (10.4%), the choice to speak to
everyone (9.2%) and his attention towards the most vulnerable
(8.4%).
Some 71.1% of Italians said they were Catholic, compared to
75.2% two years ago.
There were almost twice as many non-practising Catholics as
there were practising Catholics, according to the Eurispes
report.
Of the sacraments, Catholics gave greatest importance to
baptism (87.9%), followed by marriage (84.2%), the Eucharist
(78.2%), Confirmation (77.2%) and confession (64.4%).
Just over half of Italians believed that remarried
Catholics should not be allowed to take communion.
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