Catholicism

Despite Pope Francis’ overwhelming popularity, few U.S. Catholics say they turn to the pope “a great deal” for guidance on difficult moral questions.

Six-in-ten Catholics say the church should allow those who are divorced and have remarried without obtaining an annulment to receive Communion, according to a 2015 Pew Research Center Survey.

Mormons are the most heavily Republican-leaning religious group in the U.S., while a pair of major historically black Protestant denominations are two of the most reliably Democratic groups.

Mexico is home to not only the largest Spanish-speaking population in the world, but one of the biggest Catholic populations, too.

In the last two decades, several religious groups have moved to allow same-sex couples to marry within their traditions.

Acceptance of homosexuality is rising across the broad spectrum of American Christianity, including among members of churches that strongly oppose homosexual relationships as sinful.

Religious institutions are starting to formally address the participation of transgender people in their congregations, much as they have with the issue of accepting homosexuals.

The three countries on the pope’s itinerary -- Uganda, Kenya and the Central African Republic -- all have sizable Catholic populations. But they also have seen violent clashes in recent years.

Some of the largest Christian denominations in the U.S. have relatively low levels of involvement among their members.

The vast majority of Americans still believe in God, but there are strong signs that many are less certain about this belief than in years past.