Following the death of Pope Francis, the first pope of Latin-American descent, Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago-born Augustinian friar, has been elected the first American pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. His predecessor’s papacy marked an ideological shift for the Roman Catholic Church, challenging conservative views over issues such as same-sex marriage, views toward abortion, and immigration.
About one in five Americans identify as Catholic, according to newly released data from PRRI; this includes 12% of Americans who are white Catholics, 8% who are Hispanic Catholics, as well as a small proportion of other Catholics of color. These percentages have remained generally stable since 2010. Among American Catholics, 55% are white, 37% are Hispanic, and 8% are AAPI, Black, or multiracial. This Spotlight Analysis examines American Catholics’ views on LGBTQ rights, abortion legality, and immigration policy.
Views on LGBTQ Rights
In 2025, seven in ten Catholics (70%) support same-sex marriage, compared with 65% of all Americans. Support for same-sex marriage is slightly higher among white Catholics (73%) than other Catholics of color (68%) and Hispanic Catholics (67%).[1] Catholic support for same-sex marriage has increased steadily since 2014, when six in ten Catholics (60%) favored same-sex marriage.
In addition, three out of four Catholics (76%) support nondiscrimination laws that would protect LGBTQ people, including 73% of white Catholics, 74% of other Catholics of color, and 80% of Hispanic Catholics. Support for nondiscrimination laws among Catholics has remained consistent in recent years, peaking at 84% in 2022.
When asked whether small business owners should be allowed to refuse services to LGBTQ people based on their religious beliefs, a majority of Catholics (60%) opposed allowing such refusals. While opposition has remained relatively stable since 2015, peaking at 69% in both 2021 and 2022, it is lower among white Catholics (53%) than Hispanic Catholics (67%) and other Catholics of color (68%).
Support for Abortion Legality
When asked about the legality of abortion, the majority of Catholics say abortion should be legal in all or most cases (57%), including 56% of white Catholics, 61% of Hispanic Catholics, and 63% of other Catholics of color. Support for abortion legality has grown since 2014, when only 49% of Catholics favored it. The most significant shift has occurred among Hispanic Catholics, whose support has risen by 19 percentage points, from 42% in 2014 to 61% today.
Views on Immigration Policy
Despite the late Pope Francis openly challenging President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and actions toward migrants, questioning their alignment with Christian values, Catholic public opinion has grown more supportive of restrictive immigration policies over the past decade. According to the 2024 PRRI American Values Survey, a slim majority of Catholics say that immigrants living in the United States illegally should be given a way to become citizens (55%), provided they meet certain requirements, a significant decline from 65% when the question was first asked in 2013. More than one in ten Catholics say they would prefer undocumented immigrants to be eligible for permanent residency status but not citizenship (13%), and three in ten say all immigrants living in the country illegally should be identified and deported (31%), a significant increase from 18% in 2013.
Although views on immigration policy have shifted over time among all Catholics, white Catholics are less likely than Hispanic Catholics to agree with a creating a pathway to citizenship (48% vs. 64%) and are significantly more likely to agree with deporting undocumented immigrants (42% vs. 15%), while Hispanic Catholics are more likely than white Catholics to say they would prefer undocumented immigrants to be eligible for permanent residency status but not citizenship (20% vs. 8%).[2]
On some issues, like LGBTQ rights, Pope Francis’ legacy has been defined by more inclusive messaging, in contrast to the official Roman Catholic Church doctrine — and Catholics’ views on these topics reflect this tension. On other issues, Pope Francis upheld the church teaching to the disappointment of some American Catholics and approval of others. While time will tell whether the papacy of Leo XIV will continue Pope Francis’ legacy, it’s clear that American Catholics are divided between embracing Pope Francis’ inclusive approach and holding onto more conservative views.
[1] The number of cases for other Catholics of color in 2025 is 87. Results need to be interpreted with caution.
[2] The number for other Catholics of color is too small to report.