Pope’s approval rating plummets as ‘gay-friendly’ image wears off
The Pope’s approval rating has plummeted among US citizens – after the Church ditched planned to ‘welcome’ gay people and rallied against same-sex marriage.
Despite an early ‘who am I to judge’ PR blitz attempting to bolster his image, the Pope is yet to lift any of the actively homophobic and transphobic policies of his predecessors.
Proposals to ‘reach out’ to gay people were scrapped by the Church last year – and despite claims that the plans would return at a 2015 Synod, a working paper indicates the Church has no plans to discuss the matter again.
The Pope has also rallied against same-sex marriage, inviting representatives from listed hate groups to a ‘traditional marriage’ conference, and recently urging Slovakians to vote against equal marriage.
A Gallup poll shows that as his LGBT-friendly image slowly falls away, the Pope is quickly losing favour with the general public in the West.
The percentage of Americans who see the Pope in a favourable light has dropped from 76 percent in February 2014, to just 59 percent this month.
Meanwhile, there has been a sharp rise in those who disapprove of the Pope – from 9 percent to 16 percent.
Among liberals his approval rating was down 14 points to 68 percent – while among conservatives it was down further, dropping 27 points to 45 percent.
His interventions on climate change and global politics are likely factors in the Pope’s fall from favour with conservatives.
The Catholic leader has previously compared transgender people to nuclear weapons.
