(ZENIT News / Rome, 06.19.2025).- Just a month into his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV is already receiving significant approval from Italians, according to new data released by the Demos Institute for «La Repubblica». The poll, conducted in late May and published June 16, reveals that 60 percent of the Italian population holds a favorable opinion of the new pope. While that figure may not yet signal a groundswell, it does reflect a noticeable improvement over the perception of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
Among practicing Catholics—defined in the study as those who attend Mass weekly—the enthusiasm is striking. An overwhelming 90 percent of them expressed confidence in Pope Leo XIV. Even among more sporadic attendees (monthly), approval remains relatively high at 67 percent. Remarkably, nearly 36 percent of those who never attend Mass also report having a favorable view of the pope. This suggests that Leo XIV is managing to connect not only with the deeply faithful but also with the culturally Catholic and religiously disengaged sectors of Italian society.
The context makes this initial approval all the more significant. Under Pope Francis, Italian favorability had dipped to 58 percent in his final year as pontiff—down from a high of 88 percent in 2013, according to earlier Demos tracking. The decline was particularly sharp after 2017, when approval dropped below 80 percent and began a steady decline. While Francis did regain some support after 2020, reaching 67 percent, his final years saw that number ebb once more, culminating in the lowest figures of his pontificate.
For Pope Leo XIV, stepping into office with public favor for the papacy at a historical low could have been a liability. Instead, the new pope has managed to generate cautious optimism, gaining two percentage points in his first month alone. If that trend holds, it could mark the beginning of a broader renewal in public trust toward the Vatican—something that proved elusive in the later years of Francis and during much of Benedict XVI’s pontificate.
Indeed, the trajectory of papal popularity in Italy has often followed steep arcs. Pope Benedict XVI began his tenure with a promising 77 percent approval, buoyed by the emotional resonance of following the beloved John Paul II. But within six years, his numbers plummeted to just 47 percent—the lowest public approval for a pope in modern Italy.
Unlike his recent predecessors, Pope Leo XIV’s appeal seems to transcend political divisions, a noteworthy development in Italy’s polarized landscape. Voters from nearly all major parties report high levels of approval. Support peaks among those aligned with Forza Italia (78 percent), followed closely by centrist and center-right parties like Azione, Lega, and Italia Viva (all at 77 percent). Even the traditionally more progressive PD (75 percent) and Alleanza Verdi-Sinistra (71 percent) show strong support. The only major party polling below 70 percent in papal favorability is the Movimento 5 Stelle, with 69 percent—a figure still well above the threshold of general endorsement.
What might be driving this broad-based support? Analysts suggest that Leo XIV’s reputation as a unifier, combined with his American background and multilingual heritage, helps him resonate with an Italy that is both traditional and increasingly globalized. His first public speeches have emphasized themes of spiritual renewal, harmony, and the importance of listening—messages that appeal across ideological and religious lines.
Of course, one month is not enough to define a papacy. The real tests will come as Leo XIV begins shaping Church governance and global pastoral priorities. Yet the early signals are unmistakable: Italians appear ready to embrace a new chapter at the Vatican, one that could mark the beginning of a restored bond between the papacy and a nation long regarded as its spiritual heartland.
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