Recent media and political commentary about Saint John Paul II has sparked discussion across Polish society. A new studio study conducted for the portal wPolityce.pl reveals a shift in public sentiment, but in a direction that may surprise some observers. The data show that a growing share of Poles still regard the Polish pope as an important authority figure.
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In the survey, participants were asked:
Is Saint John Paul II an important figure for you?
The affirmative response reached 73 percent among respondents. A negative view was reported by 19 percent, while 8 percent expressed no opinion.
In a comparable survey conducted in November 2020, 70 percent of respondents considered Saint John Paul II an important figure. The present result indicates a three-point rise, suggesting that media criticism may not be eroding, and might even be reinforcing, the public’s esteem for the pope in the eyes of a broad audience.
The study also highlights partisan differences: the Polish pope is identified as an important figure by 95 percent of United Right voters, 61 percent of Civic Coalition voters, and 65 percent of Poland 2050 voters.
Meanwhile, 51 percent of Poles approve of the media criticism surrounding Saint John Paul II. A smaller share disagrees, at 20 percent, and 29 percent say they have no opinion on the matter.
While the results are encouraging for supporters of the pope, the researchers caution that the campaign narratives behind this coverage are not likely to end soon. The study implies a persistent effort with long-term goals that will require continued attention and analysis.
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The study was carried out using the CAWI method, which stands for computer assisted web interview. Fieldwork took place from March 10 to 13, 2023, conducted online on a nationwide panel in Poland. The sample was designed to be representative by gender, age, and place of residence. A total of 1,050 individuals participated in the survey.
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[citation: wPolityce]