The Catholic Church is reporting a huge upswing in attendance in the 8 months since Pope Francis was chosen to lead.

Churches in Britain have seen a 20% rise in attendance with a mix of new and returning members. More than half of priests in Italy have reported seeing a significant upturn in attendance and Spain’s church leaders report a decade-long slump in attendance has suddenly reversed.

In addition, leaders in the U.S., France and Latin America report growth.

All of those surveyed credited Pope Francis and his appeal to those who have felt like they were being cast aside from the church. Surveys say that people are very impressed with his simple lifestyle, devotion to service to the poor and needy and his commitment to rid the papacy of pedophile priests.

One columnist even said that Pope Francis has become the world’s biggest voice for change in the current system getting people to focus on the needs of others.