‘Papa Kiko’ PH’s most trusted man
Two months after his visit to the Philippines, Pope Francis continues to inspire Filipinos.
According to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, the Pope has set an all-time trust record of plus 81, with nine in 10 Filipinos saying they trust him.
“Pope Francis now holds the highest public trust rating in the history of SWS surveys, surpassing the plus 72 of Pope, now St., John Paul II in 1995,” the SWS said in a statement released on Wednesday.
The survey, conducted from March 20 to March 23, showed 87 percent saying they have “much trust” in the Pope, and 6 percent saying they had “little trust” in him, for an “excellent” net trust rating of plus 81 (percent much trust minus percent little trust, correctly rounded).
The Pope’s trust rating jumped 22 points from the “very good” plus 59 posted in September 2013 (71 percent much trust, 12 percent little trust) and December 2014 (72 percent much trust, 12 percent little trust, correctly rounded) to plus 81 in March.
St. John Paul II’s net trust rating was at plus 65 when first surveyed by the SWS in December 1994. It was at plus 75 in April 1995, plus 58 in December 2003, and plus 62 in March 2005, a month before he died at age 84, ending his long, 26-year papacy.
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Except INC sect
Pope Benedict XVI’s net trust rating, on the other hand, was at plus 58 in May 2005, the one time it was surveyed by SWS. The now Pope Emeritus Benedict resigned in February 2013, citing the physical and psychological strains of the papacy.
Compared with December 2014, Pope Francis’ net trust rating rose in all religions, except among the Iglesia ni Cristo sect.
Among Catholics, it rose by 22 points from plus 68 to plus 90, while among other Christian denominations it rose by 27 points, from plus 40 in December to plus 67 in March. Among Muslims, it went up by 27 points, from minus 8 in December to plus 19 in March.
Among the Iglesia ni Cristo, it fell by 31 points, from plus 33 to plus 2.
The March 2015 survey sample consisted of 78 percent Catholics, 5 percent Muslims, 3 percent Iglesia ni Cristo and 13 percent other Christians.
The survey used face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults and had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percentage points.
The SWS considers a rating of plus 70 and above “excellent”; plus 50 to plus 69 as “very good”; plus 30 to plus 49, “good”; plus 10 to plus 29, “moderate”; plus 9 to minus 9, “neutral”; minus 10 to minus 29, “poor”; minus 30 to minus 49, “bad”; minus 50 to minus 69, “very bad”; minus 70 and below, “execrable.” Inquirer Research
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