The share of new U.S. Catholic priests identifying as theologically “progressive” has fallen so low that the phenomenon has “all but vanished,” according to a report published Tuesday.
The 18-page report, issued Nov. 7 by The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., said that when priests were asked to describe their theological outlook on a spectrum from “very conservative/orthodox” to “very progressive,” none of those ordained after 2020 described themselves as “very progressive.”
The report included a graph showing that the proportion of priests who identified as “somewhat progressive” or “very progressive” fell from almost 70% among those ordained in 1965-1969 to less than 5% among those ordained in 2020 or later.
Researchers said there was a similar drift away from political liberalism and toward “moderate” and “conservative” positions.
“Simply put, 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,” the report said.
The report, entitled “Polarization, Generational Dynamics, & the Ongoing Impact of the Abuse Crisis,” presented further insights from the National Study of Catholic Priests, conducted by The Catholic Project.
The study, billed as the largest of its kind in more than 50 years, consisted of a census of bishops with 131 responses, a survey of 10,000 priests with more than 3,500 responses, and in-depth interviews with more than 100 priests….
The report also highlighted a contrast between the responses regarding political and theological outlooks. While 52% of priests surveyed described themselves as politically “conservative” or “very conservative,” 44% said they were “moderate.”
But the authors said that “the ‘moderate’ middle” had collapsed when it came to theological views.
“A full 85% of the 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,’” they said.
“Theologically ‘progressive’ and ‘very progressive’ priests once made up 68% of new ordinands. Today, that number has dwindled almost to zero….”
From The Pillar
Stands to reason. Why would anyone enter the priesthood (or religious life) for the same values and ideologies that are just laying all over the ground everywhere else? I suspect a robust well designed survey would reflect the same trend in the pews. The awareness disconnect from so many dioceses right up to the dicastery level is pretty appalling. But, whatever. They’ll be scratching their heads wondering why some orders and parishes are thriving as they double down on becoming more Episcopalian for their 50 or so remaining retired ladies.
Larry Chapp addresses that in his new book, “Confession of a Catholic Worker.” He says for most Catholics, their approach to faith is like having optional Jesus sprinkles on the secular ice cream that everyone else is eating. In other words, the faith of most Catholics is unsubstantial and treated as a lifestyle option to exercise or not as it suits you or when it won’t raise the ire of secularist elites that you want to impress. And he says that the pathetic way the faith is taught and celebrated liturgically in most parishes perpetuates the non-serious Jesus-sprinkle approach to faith. 🍨🍩
We have a lot of adult ed but very few attend.
There are Catholics who really do not like the Catholic Worker Movement and Dorothy Day.
I think most people may just know the name, if that much.
That was never a popular type of spirituality where I lived.
I could see that being the case 20 years or so ago…not today. Where I am, If you’re under 60, you’re either Catholic or not, and if you’re not, you’re sure not at Mass,
Yeah, Democrats should be kicked out of the church unless they repent. I wouldn’t be a member of a majority Democrat parish. The slightest whiff of a rainbow or trans-friendly ministry, and I walk out the door.
I understand and agree in principle. And I usually don’t respond to comments, but I think it might be well to consider standing and fighting for what’s right concerning faith and morals in the midst of the war we are in. Otherwise we surrender the field to the heretics and our children lose. Blessings to you.
Jaw on floor
If the pope and Tucho keep churning out errors like the whopper they released yesterday about the church approving baptizing unrepentant transsexuals and allowing homosexual couples to be parents and godparents for baptisms, then every seminarian going forward will be conservative and dedicated to rebuilding the church from the mess that it’s in now. Nobody who isn’t conservative would bother devoting his life to such difficult, thankless work and having to be celibate besides.
It’s like we live in opposite world now, where things in the church are the opposite of what they should be.
“It’s like we live in opposite world now, where things in the church are the opposite of what they should be.” I fear the pope is saying to these people, “Go and sin some more.”
No, he is not.
The Pope does not do that.
“The Pope does not do that.” Suppose you are right. Then it stands to reason inveterate sinners like Joe Biden would have heard from Francis that he is not a good Catholic and must repent of his abortion advocacy, same with Nancy Pelosi et al. James Martin S.J. would be asked to push Courage rather than gay marriage, and Whoopi Goldberg would exclaim on the View how much she learned about Jesus Christ. He would never have countenanced mischief in the clergy, and would have vetted clerics like Father Julio Cesar Grassi, Bishop Juan Barros, Bishop Gustavo Óscar Zanchetta, Rupnik and now Bishop Rosario Gisana more carefully. He would not have turned a deaf ear to victims of abuse while bishop in Argentina.(https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/pope-francis-was-often-quiet-on-argentine-sex-abuse-cases-as-archbishop/2013/03/18/26e7eca4-8ff6-11e2-9cfd-36d6c9b5d7ad_story.html). But in all such cases listed above there is some failure in Pope Francs’ dealings with these people along the lines of enabling bad behavior, at least for a while. The pope is a sinner, just like all of us, and makes mistakes of judgment even as pope.
You are misrepresenting what it said or at least leaving a lot out.
They said everything in accordance with the Catholic Faith.
Now at least we have some official answers on some questions.
Just because you don’t like it does not mean it is error.
No, he’s not misrepresenting anything. They said that gay and trans people living contrary to Catholic faith may be baptized and may be official witnesses and sponsors in sacramental celebrations. If that’s not the height of preposterousness, I don’t know what is. Why not have someone who denies the Real Presence or supports abortion on demand unrepentantly baptized? Why not let such people be godparents?
Read it again.
When you are a godparent they want you to live the Catholic Faith.
No one quizzes you on your personal beliefs.
That is up to the parents to discern.
They did not say that gay and trans people living contrary to the Faith may be baptized of sponsors.
There was an English version out but it has gone away.
This accurately states the English version that I saw
https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/09/europe/vatican-transgender-baptism-intl-scli/index.html
No Catholic would expect any other answers. These are the same answers as would be given under JPII or Benedict XVI.
Bad Catholics, schismatics and heretics will try to make something of it.
If you do not know the Catechism on baptism it is CCC 1210-1284.
To be a Catholic sponsor, you should attend Mass every Sunday and if you are married, have been married in the Catholic Church.
Going back to Cardinal Pierre’s admonition to the American bishops to get with Pope Francis’ program, how are they going to satisfy this request with a large crop of conservative priests? Are they going to cancel them as is happening in Argentina?
I hope this actually indicates a conservative shift in views, and not just that what was once considered “progressive” us now perceived to be the norm. Did they ask anyone polled to give some examples of “progressive”, “moderate”, and “conservative” thought and praxis?
The young liberal priests are either Jesuits or Holy Cross Fathers or Marianists.
To sum up, in a single sentence:
The 60’s/70’s are finally over.
Not in my parish, they’re not. Especially not regarding the music at Mass.
What was considered progressive in 1965 is a lot different from what is considered progressive now.
I am still trying to recover from the shock of Bishop Strickland’s announcement, that Pope Francis has removed him from his office, today, as Bishop of Tyler, Texas. Not sure what reason was given, for Strickland’s removal. Did the Pope give his reason?
I am hurting all over, can’t sleep– my painful inflamation (due to old injuries, long ago, in a dangerous BART crash– and aging) is worse! What kind of Church will the young, faithful, orthodox priests have? I feel badly for all of our good, faithful, orthodox clerics! Did the Pope give Bishop Strickland a very good reason for his removal? Why doesn’t the pope get rid of Marko Rupnik, Jesuit Fr. James Martin, Cdl. Hollerich, bad “German Synodal Way” clerics, Cdl. McElroy, Cdl. “Kissing Book” “Tucho,” etc. etc.?? Poor Bp. Strickland! Will pray for him and fall back, fast asleep– sad and exhausted! Hope to find that darned Pope’s reasons tomorrow, for what he did to that good and faithful (so I thought!) poor Texas Bishop! Now what are all those good families going to do, who relocated to Tyler, Texas, because of Bishop Strickland? About 500+ new Texas Catholic families now, without their bishop! What about poor Mother Miriam and her religious order, that moved to Tyler, Texas, because of the invitation of Bishop Strickland? What will she and her nuns do? Bp. Strickland just held her Final Vows Mass and ceremony, not too long ago! And poor Terry Barber, of Virgin Most Powerful Radio— what will he do? Loved his weekly broadcasts with Bp. Strickland! I am exhausted! What a disaster! What will Cdl. Muller, Cdl. Sarah, Cdl Burke, Abp. Vigano, Bp. Schneider, the “Dubia” clerics, and many other fine, true Church leaders say?? May God help us all! I hurt all over! That poor, good, faithful, orthodox Texas bishop! So sad! Many prayers are with you, poor Bp. Strickland!
Ok. So, folks, with all due respect and compassion “Pope’s” comment can be viewed as an unnecessary conflation of events. Don’t cry over Strickland. He brought all of this upon himself. Instead, pray for the unity in the Church under the universal pastorship of Pope Francis. That’s what this is all about. The Pope remains the focal point of unity in the Church, including the American Church; not Strickland. God bless Pope Francis.
jon, Whom do you see in the Catholic Church, that always preaches and teaches and lives a dedicated, holy life, courageously, by the Truth of Christ– priests, bishops, etc.– that you would want yourself, your wife and children, and all your extended family to listen to, for spiritual and moral guidance and suppprt? And which high quality, excellent spiritual books would you choose, for you and your family, for good spiritual reading, by which excellent, holy priests, bishops, pope, (etc.), who are the authors?? I am sure you would never choose Tucho’s erotic Kissing Book. Christ told us to avoid the “broad road traveled by many,” very self-indulgent and easy, that “leads ultimately to destruction” (St. Matthew 7:13-14) and seek to “enter only by the Narrow Gate,” “which few find,” that requires discipline, maturity, sacrifice, bearing the hardships of our crosses, and loving, faithful obedience to Jesus Christ! Christ warns us, right after that, in St. Matt.7:15, to “beware of false prophets, wolves in sheep’s clothing…” Which path will you follow? Christ’s way– or the wrong way? In the end, what will you have, when it is time to leave this world? What did you do with your time on earth? Tomorrow, Sunday’s Gospel, is about the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. (St. Matthew 25:1-13) . An elderly priest was laughing, telling us that he had a nightmare, when preparing his Sunday sermon for tomorrow. He woke up, in the middle of dreaming that he was like the Five Unwise Virgins and did not properly prepare for the coming of the Bridegroom and big wedding feast– and the door was shut, and Christ told the unwisevirgins, “I do not know you.” Is that what Christ will say to the many unfaithful, disobedient Catholic clergy, too? I choose to be like the five wise virgins, and follow Catholic clerics who will help me and my family and loved ones to prepare for the coming of the Bridegroom, and His wedding feast. A high cost, totally worth it. We “know not the day nor the hour, of the Bridegroom’s coming.” We must stay awake, and be prepared.
Then why couldn’t you see through this?
My guess is that you don’t know the Catholic Faith well enough to spot problems.
As long as someone tells you abortion is bad, and homosexuality is bad, and Mary and the Eucharist are good, you have no discernment after that.
So “Reply”, you ask “whom do I see in the Catholic Church, that always preaches and teaches and lives a dedicated, holy life, courageously, by the Truth of Christ– priests, bishops, etc.– that you would want yourself, your wife and children, and all your extended family to listen to, for spiritual and moral guidance and suppport?”
Why, this is a no-brainer. The answer is Pope Francis. Plus, Francis is being attacked and lied about by the very people in the Church he is serving.
Mark my words, Catholics living 100-200 years from now will look back upon our times and will judge the Pope’s detractors very harshly. And they will praise the saintliness of Pope Francis for undergoing the persecution he endured because he wants to clean things up in the Church such as by removing Strickland.
Tried to give you a thumbs up but the thumb did not work.
Wow. You should worship God more and stop worshiping this Pope, or any Pope. It’s creepy.
Anytime you ask them to prove their detractions, they can’t.
jon, I have some questions for you. Is this the same Pope Francis that sold out the Chinese Catholics to the communist tyrants? Is this the same man who used vulgar language to describe traditionalists? Who wrecked the work of Benedict XVI and destroyed thriving traditionalist communities? Is this the man who courts LGBTQ+ at the Vatican yet refuses to acknowledge Cardinal Zen and the Dubia Cardinals? Is this the man who calls for accompaniment of those on the periphery yet crushes those preferring the TLM under foot? Is this the man who called the American Church reactionary? Who keeps silent on the ecological sins of China while castigating the United States? Who persecutes an outstanding orthodox bishop, one of the few luminaries in the American episcopate? Pope Francis is not undergoing persecution, he persecutes those with whom he disagrees, whom he sees as enemies of synodality. Is this the man who (it is purported) wants to rig future conclaves to ensure his vision for the church endures? Is this the man who wrecked the Pontifical Academy for Life? Who wrecked the Pontifical Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family? In sum, is this the man who wants to “make a mess” and instructs youth to do the same? Clean things up? He is too busy making a mess.
Reply to-remember, those other virgins were there waiting for the groom right up to the last minute and they left in order to get something to give the groom honor.
Francis dismisses Bishop Strickland, yet intervenes to have Fr. Rupnik reinstated. Thus we see the kind of person Francis wants around him, and the kind of men he wants leading the Church. I predict we will hear only crickets from the rest of the hierarchy as they will fear Francis all the more. If he can remove a popular conservative orthodox bishop like Strickland on false pretenses, what will he do to anyone brave enough to cry out the injustice?
Could you please prove your assertion that the Pope intervened to have Fr. Rupnik reinstated? Reinstated to what?
What false pretenses did he remove Bishop Strickland for? Please link to your source.
” In 2016, Rupnik committed one of the gravest canonical crimes: He affected to use his power as a priest to absolve a woman of a sexual sin she had committed with him. This crime comes with a penalty of automatic excommunication. In January 2020, an investigation confirmed that Rupnik had committed the crime. In May of the same year, the conviction and verdict were reaffirmed unanimously and formalized after an investigation by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF).
But during that meantime, in March of 2020, Pope Francis invited Father Rupnik to preach the Lenten homilies at the Vatican. A month after CDF affirmed the excommunication of Rupnik, the excommunication was lifted.
From https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/why-has-the-vatican-restored-father-rupnik/
As for false pretenses, I was using the word “false” to mean the real reason for the sacking was Strickland’s refusal to go along with the synodal program of Francis, not irregularities in running the Tyler diocese. That is my opinion only and I cannot link to any source. Irregularities can be found in the running of most diocese in the world–sometimes very great problems as in Germany. One does not see Francis going after bishops in line with the new synodal process, does one?
So, “Dan” telling only half the story on Rupnik’s case is disingenuous.
For instance, why didn’t you mention that as recently as last month Pope Francis waived the statute of limitations in Canon Law in Rupnik’s case? Clearly, Pope Francis had been informed by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors about deficiencies in the handling of the case, which prompted the Holy Father to lift the statute of limitations so that further investigation and prosecution may go forward. Why didn’t you mention that?
Furthermore, why didn’t you mention that the only reason why the Pope intervened the first time in the case was to make sure that the accusations from the women religious were considered by the same tribunal that heard the excommunication case? Otherwise, as the Pope noted in the interview he gave the “procedural paths are divided and everything gets muddled up.”
The unjust maligning of the Pope’s actions by people who spread half-stories and half-truths about this case is atrocious. It’s breathtaking how unethical, wrong, and sinful your comments are.
jon, it is true I stopped short of the full story, but it is significant in and of itself that he rehabilitated the scoundrel and then had to backtrack. The initial action of the Pontiff is indeed an indication of the kind of men he wants to have authority in the Church. He could have first sought clarity in the Rupnik case but his first impulse is the important one to show his state of mind. True, he did the right thing in the end, that is, what he should have done in the beginning.
Excommunication lifted because he repented and made reparation by DDF not Pope Francis according to National Catholic Register.
You will not hear from the hierarchy because it would uncool. They are not afraid of Francis.
Strickland refused to implement Traditionis Custodes. It was his duty as a bishop to order territorial parishes to stop celebrating the TLM. He didn’t fulfill his responsibility, so out he goes.
That is not why.
It’s one of the reasons why. There were other instances of insubordination.
Peter K said it’s why.
Peter K. is another one who signed the letter calling the Pope a heretic.
You just answered your own question.
I hope you feel better. Please let the Holy Spirit console you that this was God’s Will.
Ask Mary to offer Her Son’s Precious Blood for the prevention of mortal sins.
Like Obi Wan Kenobi being struck down by Darth Vader, Bishop Strickland will only rise to become more powerful than Francis could ever imagine. 🆗📎🫷🥷🧟🦋🐶👽🙃
When you give the devil a ride, he gives you directions.
I watch the interviewer all happy and telling him what a bright future he has while the bishop sits in the middle of flames with an empty cup.
How could anybody be shocked?
By an electrical current running through his body?
Shawn Carney, the co-founder and CEO of 40 Days for Life, grew up in Tyler, Texas, and has known Bishop Strickland lifelong. Bishop Strickland has won awards for his pro life work. I wonder how all his seminarians are feeling about the loss of their good Bishop? He had a big group of young seminarians for the Diocese of Tyler. Many vocations for a small diocese.
Shortly after Pope Francis removed Bishop Strickland from office, John-Henry Westen of LifeSiteNews filmed an excellent interview with the good
Bishop, and posted it on ‘X,” formerly Twitter. I would encourage everyone to watch this interview.
Here is a link to the John-Henry Westen interview with Bishop Strickland, just a few hours after he was removed from office by Pope Francis:
https://youtu.be/wOpCL9d_S1Q?si=QXmOuHI0YqP0XpPz
Is there going to be a revolution in the Roman Catholic church?