For the past six months Catholic lay leaders from CTA and FutureChurch conducted anonymous surveys of priests in 53 dioceses Los Angeles to Boston. Priests were asked: "Do you favor an open discussion of the mandatory celibacy rule for diocesan priests?" Sixty-seven percent of responding priests (2,589 of 3,846) supported open discussion. The survey response rate was 27 percent.
Detailed results were released to national media Sept. 22. Priests aged 41-70 most strongly favored open discussion with 74 percent saying yes. Priests over 71, retired, and religious order priests also favored discussion by substantial majorities of 61percent, 66 percent and 70 percent respectively. Younger priests age 25-40 were more evenly divided with 42 percent for discussion and 54 percent against.
In the Boston archdiocese, busily closing 82 parishes in part because of the priest shortage, CTA New England surveyed 1,524 priests and got a 21 percent return. Again, two-thirds, 66 percent, want open discussion of mandatory celibacy.
Nationally some 547 priests wrote in their own comments. Many were poignant reminders of the burdens priests bear. A Boston priest wrote: "We are in agony over parish closings. I am in the final phase of deciding to leave the priesthood after more than 14 years. The betrayal by our bishops is just too much to take. Pray for us."
An Oklahoma priest wrote: "How can our religious leaders prefer
that millions of Catholics have no Sunday Eucharist rather than to have them
attend a Eucharist celebrated by someone who shares his bed legally with a loving
spouse?" For results and comments by diocese, see the ad above.
Survey results are consistent with a 2001 Lilly-endowed study by Catholic University
professor Dean R. Hoge which found 56 percent of all priests believe celibacy
should be a matter of personal choice.
Surveys of laypeople also consistently support optional celibacy. "American Catholics: Gender Generation and Commitment" by Hoge and William V. D'Antonio (2001) cites surveys in 1987, 1993 and 1999 which showed lay support for a married priesthood at 63 percent in 1987, 72 percent in 1993 and 71 percent in 1999. Lay surveys in 1985 and 1993 also showed support for ordaining women at 50 percent in 1985 and 64 percent in 1993.
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