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April 1, 2005
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A Great Ambassador to All Religions: Canadians Score the Achievements of John Paul II
A COMPAS Survey for the National Post
Canadians of all denominations have enormous regard for Pope John Paul II according to a National Post/COMPAS survey conducted in February before his health began deteriorating markedly.

The data shows that the Pope is a major asset for the Church. Esteem for the Pope cuts across religious boundaries, and buttresses the Church in an era of sex abuse scandal.

According to Canadians, the Pope’s four greatest achievements were:
  • Standing up for traditional Catholic values;
  • Bringing respect for the Church through his own person and character;
  • Fostering enthusiasm for Christian beliefs among the young; and
  • Bringing reconciliation and goodwill between Catholics and Jews.

Esteem for the Pope is especially high among English-speaking Catholics. It is higher among Protestants than French-speaking Catholics, reflecting the sense of estrangement from the Church that swept Quebec in the wake of the Quiet Revolution.

The immense contribution of the Pope to respect for the Church emerges from statistical analysis . Among Catholics and non-Catholics alike, high respect for the Pope drove up dramatically respect for the Church while a lack of respect for the Church’s handling of sex abuse scandals kept the level of respect for the Church below what it would otherwise be.

Among Catholics alone, language also emerged as a driver with English-speakers appreciably more respectful of the Church, as of the Pope, than French-speakers.
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