London: Mother Teresa is seen as more caring than Christ, a survey to identify the most compassionate person from history or recent times indicated today (Dec 17, 2003).

Princess Diana was ranked third, followed by Florence Nightingale. Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Bob Geldof come joint fifth.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair is at the bottom of the table, just below the Pope.

While the findings may signify no more than the ascendancy of the contemporary media over the power of the pulpit and a widespread ignorance of history, a spokeswoman for the charity Crisis, which commissioned the research, said that they appeared to indicate a growing public unease and confusion about the value of compassion.

In a survey of 2,094 adults by MORI, 63 per cent said they were worried that Britain had become less caring over the past decade. Helping a vulnerable neighbour or friend was the act valued most highly.

Kindness to animals was ranked more highly (16 per cent) than giving money to a homeless person (11 per cent).

PTI