As Pope Francis arrives for his first visit to the U.S., the media spotlight will turn to the Catholic Church. In this blog post, we’ll help set the stage for his visit by taking a step back to explore different factors that are shaping the role of religion. What does survey data tell us about the demographics behind religion? And what religious trends can we expect to see in the future? Will Pope Francis manage to increase the appeal of the church through his visit? Read on for some possible answers.