Theos published new research examining public attitudes in the run up to the Pope's visit. It revealed that the majority of people oppose the funding arrangements for the visit, are apathetic about the visit itself but, remarkably, are very positive about Catholic Social Teaching (CST) - as long as they don't know it is Catholic.

Catholic Social Teaching is an immensely impressive body of doctrine developed by the Catholic Church.

So, why should non-Catholics be interested in Catholic Social Teaching? In the first place, even if you disagree with parts of it, CST represents a careful and coherent body of Christian teaching which is steeped in Scripture about political, economic, social and culture issues.

In the Theos poll over 2,000 people across Britain were asked to comment on whether they agreed or disagreed with a series of twelve statements taken directly - but anonymously - from the Pope's third encyclical letter, Caritas in Veritate. What was really striking is not simply that the public tends to agree with Pope Benedict's social teaching but that they do so strongly.

Taken from an article by Paul Woolley Director of Theos from the Evangelical Alliance. For the article in full click here.