According to a national survey conducted by telephone with 500 adult Mexicans from April 24 to 28, 2025, it was revealed that the majority of respondents, 52 percent, are interested in the process of replacing Pope Francis. Additionally, 27 percent believe that the new supreme pontiff will come from Europe, 15 percent think he could be from Africa, 13 percent from Asia, 8 percent from Latin America, and only 5 percent estimate that he could be from North America.
Although the possibility of the new Pope being of Mexican origin is seen as unlikely by 76 percent of those surveyed, the favorable opinion regarding Pope Francis has significantly increased, rising from 69 percent in January to 87 percent at the end of April after his passing.
Within the survey, questions were also asked about the last three popes, with Pope John Paul II receiving 91 percent favorable opinion, followed by Pope Francis with 87 percent and Pope Benedict XVI with 61 percent. Furthermore, 86 percent believe that Pope Francis has done a good or very good job leading the Catholic Church.
Regarding the perception of the future of the Catholic Church, 39 percent of respondents believe it will strengthen in the next 10 years, while 16 percent think it will weaken and 40 percent believe there will be no changes.
Concerning the influence of the Church, 62 percent believe it has a lot of influence in Mexican society, which decreases to 54 percent in global politics, 42 percent in the family, and 35 percent in influence over the individual.
When inquiring about what currently damages the reputation of the Church the most, 39 percent mentioned cases of corruption, followed by 36 percent who pointed out cases of pedophilia. The survey also revealed that the social work of the Church is the best-rated, with 89 percent favorable opinion, followed by pastoral and spiritual work with 86 percent, and political messages and stances with 77 percent.
Additionally, when describing Pope Francis in one word, the majority of respondents mentioned "humility" (33 percent), followed by "peace" (27 percent), "empathy" (23 percent), and "change" (13 percent). Regarding two Mexican cardinals, Carlos Aguiar Retes received 49 percent favorable opinion, while Francisco Robles Ortega reached 45 percent.
The survey was conducted through probabilistic sampling of residential and cell phones in all 32 federal entities, with a confidence level of 95 percent and a margin of error of +/-4.4 percent.
