Younger American priests more conservative, traditional, survey shows

October 14, 2025

An extensive new survey of American Catholic priests has found major differences between older and young priests, strong confidence in Pope Leo, but less confidence in the American Catholic hierarchy.

A report from National Study of Catholic Priests, reflecting the results of a survey of over 1,000 priests, was released on October 14. The study—conducted by the Gallup Poll and commissioned by Catholic University—found that younger priests were markedly more likely than their older counterparts to describe themselves as theologically and politically conservative, to favor broader access to the Traditional Latin Mass, and to have reservations about the concept of synodality.

Specifically, the study found that:

• Among priests ordained before 1975, 70% described themselves as “progressive.” Among those ordained since 2000, only 8% accept that description. In the younger group, 70% describe themselves as conservative/orthodox.
• Similarly, while 61% of the older priests say they are “somewhat” or “very” liberal in their political beliefs, only 10% of the younger priests do, and 51% of the younger cohort is “somewhat” or “very” conservative.
• When asked to list pastoral priorities, younger priests emphasize Eucharistic devotion. Older priests were more likely to cite climate change, immigration, and social-justice issues in general.
• Among those ordained before 1980, 77% said listed “synodality” as a priority, as against 29% of the younger priests.
• 86% of all priests expressed “a great deal” (43%) or “quite a lot” (43%) of confidence in Pope Leo XIV, while only 1% reported “very little” confidence.
• Only a bare majority (52%) of priests said they trust their own bishop—down from 63% in 2001, before the explosion of the sex-abuse crisis. The best predictor of whether a priest trusted his bishop was that priest’s answer to a question about whether he felt the bishop “cares about me.”
• Priests’ confidence in the US hierarchy as a whole was even lower, with only 27% reporting a feeling of trust.
• Younger priests were more likely to report feeling lonely, and to say that they were “expected to do many things that go beyond my calling as a priest.”
• An overwhelming majority (79%) expected substantial improvement in the relationship between the Catholic Church in the US and the Vatican, with only 3% thinking that relationship would deteriorate.

 

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Further information:

• Morale, Leadership, and Pastoral Priorities: Highlights from the 2025 National Study of Catholic Priests
• U.S. priests report high confidence in Pope Leo XIV, less trust in bishops (CNA)
• Study sheds light on generational divide among US priests (Pillar)