Is he "Pope Francis effect" real? Early signs point to yes

[UrbScotty]

Now, one researcher may have found some signs, albeit tentative, of an incipient “Francis effect.”

Mark Gray of Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate crunched the Catholic numbers from the 2014 General Social Survey, the go-to resource for sociologists. The GSS began in 1972 and is conducted every two years using face-to-face interviews with a national random sample of adults.

Gray noted that when asked to characterize the strength of their religious affiliation, 34 percent of Catholics said it was “strong,” up from 27 percent in 2012, the year before Francis was elected. That 7-point rise was a “significant bounce,” Gray said.

Congregants pray during Catholic Mass at St. Therese Little Flower parish in Kansas City, Mo., on May 20, 2012.
There was also a decline in the percentage saying their affiliation with the Catholic Church was “not very strong,” down 6 points, to 56 percent

http://www.religionnews.com/2015/03/25/pope-francis-effect-early-data-suggest-real/