Pope Francis’s popularity continues to rise, especially here in the US. But new research says it’s less clear if the positive buzz is having a concrete impact, what some have termed “the Francis Effect.” According to the Pew Research Center, more than eight-in-ten US Catholics say they have a favorable view of Pope Francis. But there hasn’t been a corresponding rise in church attendance. Forty percent of Catholics said they attended Mass at least once a week, the same number as a year ago. There also hasn’t been any change in the number of people identifying as Catholic: 22 percent of the public.