Most U.S. Catholics approve of new pope

WASHINGTON POST
WASHINGTON -- An overwhelming majority of American Catholics approves of the selection of Pope Benedict XVI, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
The survey found that more than eight in 10 Catholics broadly supported the selection of former German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to replace Pope John Paul II.
Nearly as many, 73 percent, said they were "enthusiastic" about the new pontiff, though only one in four said they were strongly enthusiastic about the choice.
Those Catholics in favor of modernizing the church were less enthusiastic than traditionalists about the new pontiff, but still gave Benedict XVI majority support.
The poll suggested the magnitude of the challenge facing the newly installed pontiff in the United States as he attempts to lead a congregation deeply split between those who want the church to maintain its traditional policies and beliefs, and those who say the church needs to change in order to reflect the way Catholics live today.
Half say they want the church to adhere to traditional values and policies, while almost exactly the same proportion believe the church must change its policies to reflect modern lifestyles and beliefs. The percentage supporting traditionalism rose 9 percentage points over the past month in the wake of Benedict XVI's selection as the church's new leader.
Those Catholics who reported the most regular church attendance were significantly more supportive of maintaining church traditions (58 percent favored) than those who attended less frequently (43 percent.)
Gender differences
The poll suggests there is also a gender gap on the issue of traditionalism. Nearly six in 10 men favored a continuation of current policies, while a similar sized majority of women said they would like to see the church do more to reflect today's lifestyles.
The Post-ABC poll found somewhat greater consensus among Catholics over whether the church currently is in step with their views. Slightly more than half, 52 percent, believe the Catholic Church is out of touch with American Catholics, while 44 percent disagree.
But Catholics on both sides of these divides agree that the man who led the church's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for more than two decades likely will chart a conservative course in the years ahead: Eight in 10 expect him to maintain traditional church policies while only 14 percent believe he will change policies and modernize the church.
Priorities
American Catholics say the new Pope's top priority should be to deal with sexual abuse by priests, followed closely by the need to encourage human rights. These priorities were shared by a majority of more active and less active Catholics.
Four in 10 also said the pontiff should follow in his predecessor's footsteps by paying special attention to the needs of younger churchgoers. Only three in 10 said Pope Benedict's highest priority should be making it attractive for men to serve as priests.
Responding to the specific concerns of women in the church ranked lowest among the seven priorities listed, even among female Catholics.
Seven in 10 opposed denying communion to politicians who support legal abortion, a move urged by many conservative church leaders and an issue that briefly surfaced in last year's election campaign. Slightly more than half, 53 percent, said they would want their son to become a priest while 41 percent disagreed. The proportion rose to two in three among those who attend mass weekly.
A total of 284 self-described Catholics were interviewed April 21-24 for the survey. Margin of sampling error for the results is plus or minus 6 percentage points.