Francis most trusted pope, Filipino survey says

Pontiff lauded for bringing message of hope and renewal during January visit to the Philippines.

Pope Francis wears a plastic poncho as he waves to well wishers after a mass in Tacloban on January 17, 2015

Manila:  People in the Philippines believe Pope Francis is the most trustworthy pope, according to a survey by pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) released on Wednesday.

The survey, conducted March 20-23, revealed that 87 percent of Filipinos have "much trust" in Pope Francis, while only six percent have "little trust". Six percent were undecided.

Those surveyed included Catholics, Muslims and Christians from other denominations.

The result showed that Pope Francis has the highest public trust rating in the history of SWS surveys, surpassing the 72 percent of Pope John Paul II logged in 1995.

Pope Benedict's net trust rating was at 58 in May 2005.

Francis was in the Philippines for a five-day state and pastoral visit in January.

The pontiff braved a tropical storm to meet with disaster victims during his visit to Tacloban City on January 17.

Feliciano Belmonte, the speaker of the Philippines’ House of Representatives, lauded the pontiff's efforts to personally bring a message of hope, peace and renewal to the Philippines despite the bad weather.

He said Pope Francis's call for an end to conflict in the Philippines, "has made His Holiness a symbol of unity and promoter of peace".

"His openness to interreligious dialogue is of great significance to the present day reality," Belmonte told ucanews.com on Thursday.

Source: UCAN