NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, APRIL 30, 2011 (Zenit.org).- As the world prepares for Pope John Paul II’s beatification, a U.S. survey has shown that Americans overwhelmingly admire the Pontiff and agree that he is worthy of beatification.
A Knights of Columbus/Marist Poll showed that 78% of Americans — along with 95% of Catholics and 98% of practicing Catholics — admire Pope John Paul II at least somewhat, with strong majorities of each demographic admiring him a great deal or a good amount (55%, 82% and 89%, respectively).
John Paul II visited the United States seven times, leaving his mark on the lives of American Catholics.
Nearly three out of four Americans (74%) believe that John Paul II is a good candidate for the honor of beatification. Nine in 10 Catholics (90%) and an even greater number of practicing Catholics (94%) agree.
Because of the rapid beatification process, a strong majority of Catholics are welcoming the Church’s newest beatified Pope as someone in their personal memory: 71% of practicing Catholics remember watching one of John Paul II’s televised Masses or events.
More than four in 10 Americans report that John Paul II made at least some difference in their life spiritually. Among Catholics nearly three-quarters felt he had some spiritual impact on their lives (73%), as did nearly 9 in 10 practicing Catholics (87%).
Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, who worked closely with John Paul II and founded and oversees the American session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, said: “It is not surprising that the American people — to whom Pope John Paul II reached out so directly so many times — think it fitting that he is declared ‘blessed.’
“Pope John Paul II was a truly historic Pope. He visited more than a dozen American cities during the course of his pontificate, and clearly left a meaningful mark on the minds and spirituality of the American people and especially Catholic Americans.”
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On the Net:
Full survey results: www.kofc.org/moralcompass
