Benedict XVI's poll numbers can't match John Paul II's
A new Washington Post/ABC News poll shows that retiring Pope Benedict XVI gets favorable marks from Americans in general and Catholics in particular, but not nearly as high as those earned by his predecessor, John Paul II. RNS file photos
(RNS) Pope Benedict XVI never inspired the deep admiration enjoyed by his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, but Americans – and Catholic Americans even more so – still look favorably upon the soon-to-be-former head of the Roman Catholic Church.