The latest player in the 2016 race: Pope Francis

[UrbScotty]

The pope will arrive soon after the GOP candidates have debated in Cleveland and at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Calif. While no date has been set, the Democratic candidates are expected to debate for the first time in late August.

Like the rest of us, those candidates will be attentive to what Pope Francis says, while also being envious of his approval numbers. According to the Pew Research Center, among American Catholics, Pope Francis is almost as popular now as St. John Paul II, who in the middle (1990) of his papacy was favored by 93 percent of American Catholics. Pope Francis enjoys a 90 percent favorability rating among his flock, and is viewed favorably by 70 percent of all Americans (up from 57 percent at his papal inauguration). Even a vast majority of the "nones" - no religious preference - like him (68 percent)!

No wonder that, earlier this month, Hillary Clinton, a Methodist, tweeted at the pope in support of his call for equal pay for women: "Amen to this headline, @Pontifex! Hope to see more voices speaking out." Among those who may be especially attentive to his holy word are the potential and declared presidential candidates who are Catholic, including Martin O'Malley, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Rick Santorum, George Pataki, Chris Christie, and Bobby Jindal.

While the pope remains steadfastly opposed to abortion and same-sex marriage - the Vatican called Ireland's vote for gay marriage a "defeat for humanity" - the Vatican is expected to release an encyclical by July in which Pope Francis will address both climate change and the poor. Francis, a chemist before entering the seminary, has publicly endorsed the idea that human activity has contributed to climate change, and he has addressed capitalism's need to "devour everything which stands in the way of increased profits."

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