Catholic World News

Major survey finds ‘conservative’ and ‘orthodox’ priests on the rise in the US

November 08, 2023

» Continue to this story on CNA

CWN Editor's Note: “The portion of new priests who see themselves as politically ‘liberal’ or theologically ‘progressive’ has been steadily declining since the Second Vatican Council and has now all but vanished,” according a national study conducted by the Catholic Project at the Catholic University of America.

While 44% of priests ordained in the 2020s describe themselves as politically moderate, “a full 85% of [this] youngest cohort describes itself as ‘conservative/orthodox’ or ‘very conservative/orthodox’ theologically, with only 14% (the smallest percentage of any cohort) describing themselves as ‘middle-of-the-road.’ Theologically ‘progressive’ and “very progressive’ priests once made up 68% of new ordinands. Today, that number has dwindled almost to zero.”

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  • Posted by: feedback - Nov. 09, 2023 3:03 AM ET USA

    The "progressives" are not known for inspiring too many priestly vocations, which may explain results of that survey.

  • Posted by: Randal Mandock - Nov. 08, 2023 7:48 PM ET USA

    No wonder Francis chewed out those young Spanish seminarians with atrociously foul language when he met with them in January this year. They are too orthodox for his taste. See https://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=57385&repos=4&subrepos=2&searchid=2343298. Details at https://catholicherald.co.uk/pope-francis-rants-against-delinquent-priests-who-withhold-absolution-2/