030 of the Middle East File features Samirah Majumdar (Pew Research Religion) and Jeremy P. Barker discussing key findings in Pew Research Center annual report on global religious restrictions. Gov. restrictions are at the highest level recorded in 14 years.

podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/middl… #religiousfreedom

Since becoming pope in 2013, Francis often has received favorable ratings from 80% or more of U.S. Catholics. He generally has been viewed more positively than his immediate predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, but less positively than Benedict’s predecessor, Pope John Paul II.

Hispanic Catholics tend to be a lot younger than White Catholics. Fewer than half of Hispanic Catholics are 50 and older, compared with two-thirds (68%) of White Catholics. And just 14% of Hispanic Catholics are 65 and older, versus 38% of White Catholics. pewrsr.ch/4axMJXF

Catholics who attend Mass regularly (once a week or more) are far more inclined than those who go less often to say the church should take a traditional or conservative approach on questions about the priesthood and sexuality. pewrsr.ch/4awEwCT

Most U.S. Catholics are White, but a third are Hispanic. Much smaller shares are Black, Asian or of another race. pewrsr.ch/3vZXIdb

83% of U.S. Catholics say the church should allow the use of contraception. Additionally, 69% say priests should be allowed to get married and 64% say women should be allowed to become priests. pewrsr.ch/3TUW8S2

About half of Catholic registered voters (52%) identify with or lean toward the Republican Party, while 44% affiliate with the Democratic Party. But partisan affiliation varies by race and ethnicity. pewrsr.ch/3PZ5jjd

About three-in-ten U.S. Catholics (28%) say they attend Mass weekly or more often. Larger shares of Catholics say they pray on a daily basis (52%) and say religion is very important in their life (46%). pewrsr.ch/3vM3wXP

NEW: 9 facts about U.S. Catholics pewrsr.ch/3VRqirS

The partisan gap in views of Pope Francis is as large as it’s ever been. Roughly nine-in-ten Catholics who are Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party hold a positive view of him, compared with 63% of Catholics who are Republicans or lean Republican. pewrsr.ch/3vZQKF3

A new Pew Research Center survey finds that 75% of U.S. Catholics view Pope Francis favorably, down 8 percentage points since we last asked this question in 2021 and 15 points below his peak favorability rating, which was 90% in early 2015. pewrsr.ch/3xquFzR

NEW: A majority of U.S. Catholics express a favorable view of Pope Francis, but his ratings have dipped since 2021 and become politically polarized over the past decade. pewrsr.ch/4cWaPwU

The relationship between partisanship and voters’ religious affiliation continues to be strong – especially when it comes to whether they belong to any organized religion at all. pewrsr.ch/4auR5yL

In the United States, 21% of adults overall say they fast for certain periods during holy times, according to a Pew Research Center survey from February. Muslim Americans are by far the most likely to say they fast for religious reasons. pewrsr.ch/4aOo7JJ

How common is religious fasting in the United States? pewrsr.ch/4aIEyXU

Voters who regularly attend religious services are more likely to identify with or lean toward the Republican Party than voters who attend less regularly. pewrsr.ch/3Jfl0yK

How race, ethnicity and religious identification intersect with voters’ partisanship pewrsr.ch/4aGxM5m

How U.S. Muslims are experiencing the Israel-Hamas war pewrsr.ch/3TJQzFF

How U.S. Jews are experiencing the Israel-Hamas war pewrsr.ch/4cUfUWz

Rising numbers of Americans say Jews and Muslims face a lot of Discrimination pewrsr.ch/3TC5eCW