Pew Poll on Pope Benedict

Pope Benedict will be visiting the United States in about two weeks, his first visit as Pope.  The Pew Forum poll found that the American public has a generally favorable attitude about Benedict (52%), though roughly a third of Americans say they don't know that much about him.

The poll also said that, this year, Pope Benedict is seen as being less conservative than in the past.  Today, 45% say Benedict is a conservative, down from 56% in August of 2007.  Further, the percentage of those who considered Benedict to be a conservative had dropped among all groups.

Benedict seems to be coming across more moderate than his reputation had led people to believe.  During the pontificate of John Paul II, you'll remember, then Cardinal Ratzinger was widely known as a staunch conservative.  Liberal Catholics were filled with dismay at his election.  Today, those views appear to have moderated.  Maybe after you've been known as "the Pope's rottweiler," you have nowhere to go but up.