Isolated life takes toll on new priests

Christian Century, Nov 14, 2001

Celibacy is thinning the ranks of an already shrinking Catholic priesthood, reports a major study that found that about one in seven newly ordained men resign within the first five years, largely because they feel lonely and unappreciated.

Most new priests are largely satisfied with their work, finding their greatest happiness in celebrating the Eucharist and preaching the gospel. But even some of the most satisfied priests report problems with overwork, said the Catholic University of America study.

The study, led by sociologist Dean Hoge of Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., estimated that during the 1990s, 10 to 15 percent of new priests resigned within five years, up from an estimated 8 to 12 percent in the 1980s. In a survey of 72 priests who left, nearly half said the loneliness of priestly life and celibacy were "great problems." Ninety-four percent said the church should make celibacy optional.

"If they don't want to change the rules, we have to prepare the men for that life," Hoge said in an interview. "The priests have to be prepared for the celibate life better than they are now." Hoge reported on the study in Columbus, Ohio, at the annual joint meeting October 19-21 of the Religious Research Association and the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion.

The job satisfaction of new priests is critical to the Catholic Church, which has watched its U.S. membership grow to more than 60 million, while ordinations have declined from 771 in 1975 to 442 in 2000. Hoge said the number of priests ordained in recent years represents only 35 percent of the number needed to replace priests who die, retire or resign from the priesthood.

--RNS