ITALY
Gazzetta del Sud
Rome, March 12 – Fully 87% of Italians surveyed said they approve of the work of Pope Francis, according to an opinion poll released on Wednesday, the eve of celebrations marking the first anniversary of the pontiff’s election. The survey by the private Eurispes institute found support for Francis has given a new impetus to the Catholic Church with 87.1% saying they approve of his work, compared with 4.5% who said they were skeptical and 8.4% undecided. Those findings are only the latest evidence of the worldwide interest and even support for Francis who, since his election on March 13, 2013 has captured the imagination of billions of people with his simple, folksy style, happy smile, and his willingness to speak out on concrete issues of poverty, social justice and human rights. The much-photographed pontiff has been recorded washing the feet of juvenile convicts, including young men, women, Muslims and Catholics; and embracing a man with a deformed face who braved the crowds that throng St. Peter’s Square these days to see the former archbishop of Buenos Aires.
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