Earlier this month, Pope Francis said in an interview that Ukraine should have what he called the courage of the "white flag" and negotiate an end to the war with Russia that followed Moscow's full-scale invasion two years ago and that has killed tens of thousands.
"The word negotiate is a courageous word. When you see that you are defeated, that things are not going well, you have to have the courage to negotiate," Francis said.
Asked to comment on his remarks, most Poles surveyed (49.7%) found them unacceptable while 17.7 % supported them, a poll by SW Research for the rp.pl website found.
Notably, 21.3% remained undecided while 11.3% admitted unfamiliarity with the Pope's "white flag" statement.
Gender discrepancies were evident, with 56% of men and 44% of women expressing a negative sentiment towards the Pope's words, Poland’s PAP news agency noted.
Moreover, the proportion of individuals criticising the statement rose with age – from 36% among respondents up to 24 years old to 58% among those over 50.
Furthermore, Polish respondents with higher educational attainment were more inclined to disapprove of the Pope's words, accounting for 55% of such responses.
Income level also played a role, with respondents in higher income brackets showing a greater tendency towards negative assessments.
Regarding residency, the highest prevalence of negative views was observed among residents of cities with populations exceeding 500,000, constituting 62% of responses.
Poland is a staunchly Catholic, ethnically homogenous country, where over 90% of citizens identify as religious and nearly half attend church weekly.
Meanwhile, Poles remain steadfast supporters of Ukraine's efforts to repel the Russian invasion.
(mo)
Source: PAP