Percepcja Jana Pawła II przed ostatnią wizytą w Polsce

Abstract

This article is based on the partial results collected with the help of a questionnaire entitled Poles and the Pope. The research has been conducted in the Southern Poland a month before the Holy Father’s visit to His Fatherland in 1997. The questionnaire was completed by 900 people. An average age of the surveyed is 29, 57% of women and 43% of men. Apart from a statistical chart the article contains a great number of answers of various respondents. 57% of the respondents claim that it is difficult to unambiguously characterize the changes in the Poles attitudes under the influence of John Paul II pontificate. A similar number of the surveyed (17%) claim that Poles have not changed for better at all. However, almost 50% of the respondents see a great impact on their lives of John Paul II activities, and every 10th person does not see any influence whatsoever. The following topics of the papal proclamation are being considered to be most attractive: the family, the sense of faith and self-discipline; the least ones: work and culture matters. There are some opponents against the Holy Father’s teaching. Most of them are among abortion supporters, politicians, homosexuals and sect members. Only 10% of the respondents claim that no-one stands in opposition to the Pope. John Paul II assessment and His influence depends more on a religious aspect than a variable demography.