Pope Benedict XVI

The trust in the Pope among Poles is falling, shows a report conducted by the Sociology Institute at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University.

Eighty percent of Poles still trust Pope Benedict XVI - but ten years ago eleven percent more people considered John Paul II trustworthy.

According to priest Slawomir Zareba, who supervised the survey, Poles had more confidence in the pope in 1998 because at that time the office was held by a Pole.

The trust in the Church authorities has also dropped. Six percent less Poles trust bishops (fall from 49 percent to 43 percent) and seven percent less trust their rectors (fall from 58 percent to 51 percent).

Religious practices have also changed in the last decade. Five percent less people declare that they are “strong believers” (fall from 86 percent to 81 percent), twelve percent less pray every day (fall from 61 percent to 49 percent) and two percent less attend Sunday mass.

However, Poles became more obedient to the moral teaching of the Church. More people think that abortion and divorce are unacceptable – 68 percent of Poles oppose abortion (ten years ago 63 percent opposed it) and 51 divorce (ten years ago – 43 percent). Infidelity is also perceived by more Poles as a sin nowadays than it was ten years ago. 89 percent of respondents are against it (before 77 percent opposed it).

Meanwhile, the acceptance of contraceptives has grown in Poland. 50 percent of Poles think it is permissible to use contraceptives, while ten years ago 46 percent of Poles supported them.

The results of the survey conducted by the Sociology Institute at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in 2009 were compared with a similar opinion poll conducted in 1998 by the Pallottine Institute of Statistics of the Catholic Church. (mg/pg)

Source: Rzeczpospolita