American Catholics say Pope Francis is in touch with their needs today

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Dalia Sussman and Bill Marsh

A large majority of Catholics say the direction of the church has changed at least somewhat under the leadership of Francis. And over all, eight in 10 Catholics approve of the direction Pope Francis is leading it, including a majority who approve strongly. More than six in 10 Catholics, moreover, view him favorably; a mere 3 percent view him unfavorably, while the rest have no opinion. That is a far higher level of favorability than expressed for Pope Benedict at the end of his papacy, and is more similar to Pope John Paul II’s rating at points in his time leading the church. [link]