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Pope Francis, who is winning hearts and minds among Catholics and non-Catholics alike on his U.S. tour, is most popular among liberals, the college educated and older adults, according to Pew Research Center reports generated earlier this year.
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
To be sure, the Holy Father is rated highly across the sociological spread, but the papal poll numbers were highest among those groups, the data show.
In a speech in Philadelphia Pope Francis extolled American ideals and progress, citing the abolition of slavery, the growth of the labor movement and the fight for racial equality as proof that "when a country is determined to remain true to its founding principles, based on respect for human dignity, it is strengthened and renewed," the Associated Press reported.
Francis did not specifically mention political hot potatoes such as gay marriage or abortion but spoke of "threats to religious liberty in broader, more global terms," the AP reported.
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