Are there any statistics on the number of clergy who disagree with Church teaching?

[BenSinner]

I’d be interested to know what percentage of clergy (priests, bishops, deacons, nuns, etc.) openly disagree with Church teaching on matters such as abortion, contraceptives, gay marriage, papal in fallibility, remarriage after divorce, etc.

Are there any studies that have been done on this?

 

[semper_catholicus]

It would probably be very difficult to get absolutely accurate stats on this.

 

[adamhovey1988]

The (now retired) priest that brought me into Church was not pro-life (and I told him to his face I thought he was wrong). THAT being said, I still have great respect for him in some other ways, he admitted abortion is a serious sin, and he never preached that it was okay. In fact, his homilies were very orthodox. As to the total number, I have no idea. I mentioned him, because that’s the only real, personal experience I have with it.

 

[JulianN]

If he said abortion is a serious sin, how is he not pro-life?

 

[commenter]

As time goes by, the number of dissenters is growing - especially on the long haul.

I disagree. A large minority of priests and sisters in seminary or formation in the 1960s and 70s entered with the goal of social reform. This generation
was skeptical of the Church hierarchy but not skeptical of the media. That generation, and like-minded older ones who were “transformed” in the 1960s, is rapidly fading away.

Young men and women entering seminary and Religious life in recent years are more skeptical of the secular culture. Liberal Catholics are more likely to go into other professions.

 

[commenter]

commenter:

I disagree. A large minority of priests and sisters in seminary or formation in the 1960s and 70s entered with the goal of social reform. This generation was skeptical of the Church hierarchy but not skeptical of the media. That generation, and like-minded older ones who were “transformed” in the 1960s, is rapidly fading away.

Young men and women entering seminary and Religious life in recent years are more skeptical of the secular culture. Liberal Catholics are more likely to go into other professions.

In that case why does the Vatican say that there is rapidly increasing secularism? In the US, the pews are getting sparsely populated in the Catholic churches, in Europe the churches getting empty. In Africa the trend is different. Maybe in Asia, too. But the ongoing scandal of sexual molestation does not bode well for the future.

The thread asks about Clergy who disagree with Church teaching. I think they are fewer, and percentage is shrinking.

Of course secularism is rising in society as a whole. Many laity don’t agree with, or even know Church Teaching. But the clergy? Dissent is decreasing due to different group being ordained, vs retirees.

 

[Lee1]

The light will never be extinguished.

 

[steve-b]

I’d be interested to know what percentage of clergy (priests, bishops, deacons, nuns, etc.) openly disagree with Church teaching on matters such as abortion, contraceptives, gay marriage, papal in fallibility, remarriage after divorce, etc.

Are there any studies that have been done on this?

Satan will never stop sifting… up and down Church hierarchy he sifts. He won’t give up no matter the generation nor the era… The apostle taught to persevere to the end. No need to say that if we wouldn’t be tested right up to the end.

 

[BenSinner]

I found this

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wo...s-do-not-support-Rome-over-contraception.html

According to the article:

Most Roman Catholic priests in England and Wales do not support the Church’s ban on artificial contraception.

- The poll of 1,482 priests - almost half their total number - found that 43 per cent actively opposed the Vatican’s stance on contraception, while a further 19 per cent were unsure whether to support the Church’s official policy.

_- 25 per cent of those surveyed said that they believed that a woman could be ordained a bishop. _

- The poll also found that one in four priests was no longer convinced of the need for chastity

- One in 10 questioned felt that pedophilia should not rule out priests from active ministry.

- 40 per cent believed that the Church’s attitude to divorce and remarriage should be liberalised.

But, the end of the article also says this:

A spokesman for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales questioned the methodology of the survey, saying that the questions were “very general and, on occasions, confused and confusing to the respondents”.

He added: "It is a work of an Anglican clergyman and academic and his former doctorate student, a Catholic priest. As such, it was unofficial and was not welcomed by most of the priesthood.

“For all these good reasons, the statistical findings of this book must be treated with great caution and cannot be seen as a true reflection of the current beliefs of priests in England and Wales.”

Fr Shaun Middleton, a spokesman for the National Conference of Priests, said: "I have some serious questions about the methodology and sample base that was used for this work. A number of areas highlighted give priests cause for reflection.

“However, I do not think the views contained in The Naked Parish Priest can be taken as normative. In my opinion, they do not reflect the views held by the majority of priests working in England and Wales.”

 

[BenSinner]

Here is a more reliable source. Pretty much 50% of Catholics priests vote Democrat

Your Rabbi? Probably a Democrat. Your Baptist Pastor? Probably a Republican. Your Priest? Who Knows. - The New York Times

 

[Dovekin]

This article from the Telegraph is from 2003.

Not that I think anything is different now, but it is somewhat dated.

 

[commenter]

So, a 2003 study titled “The Naked Parish Priest”, promoted by the secular media, was considered objective and impartial? A study that asks if pedophiles can do priestly ministry?

There’s no agenda here folks, no lurid, keep moving.

What trend do people find in the real world, their local diocese? In my US diocese, maybe half the priests who retired in recent years, who I am familiar with, seemed to present with a liberal viewpoint. Of the priests under 40 who I have heard or heard about, none publicly express views especially liberal. Among the sisters, practically all of those in liberal convents are retired, or close to it. The few new sisters I know about belong to Traditional communities.

 

[Dovekin]

Everyone aspires to believe as Christ and the Church teaches.

All fall short.

100% disagree, unless it is by some miraculous gift of God hat they are able to know and understand everything God has given us.

 

[blackforest]

Political party =/= Church teaching.

 

[JulianN]

That doesn’t mean they disagree with Church teaching.

 

[adgloriam]

I like your comments on this thread @commenter and especially the mass exodus from vocations in the 60’s 70’s showed a lot of discontentment. But I have also learned from a few cases where I met those former priests personally that they were from numerous families (around 10 children) and it was habitual for some to enter religious life just so they could get a higher education. I also know, following this logic, that the drop-out rates were huge in minor seminary. In the high-school years it wasn’t infrequent for only 10 out of 200 kids to finish the minor seminary and go on to University.

Then that historical break in the 60’s 70’s came brought with it revolutions in many traditionally Catholic countries that went from fascist/authoritarian to liberal democracies. Usually the church was bashed pretty hard in those times, and the 200 seminarians who’d enter college at any given year decreased to less than 10.

So, a 2003 study titled (…), promoted by the secular media,

And yes, that pseudo-study is anti-catholic bashing pure and simple. Because the “signs of the times” regarding vocations are part of contemporary ecclesiastic history - well studied, well established, well chronicled, and public knowledge.

A final note:

seemed to present with a liberal viewpoint.

In Europe the word “liberal” is taken as meaningless. Politics are divided left-right (you could call the right conservative, but the left is never called liberal (it’s called socialist)- and both have very different meanings from the US). There have always been priests of both tendencies, rarely with conflict. But the priesthood historically is taken as independent of political tendency, both the communist priest and far-right priest don’t let politics mess with their holy orders.

From what I’ve seen, it boils down to a particular priest being more or less strict about given rules - favoring individual conscience over clearly stating doctrine.

 

[commenter]

I agree, the terms liberal and conservative are misleading when applied to the Church, I have to break the lazy habit of using them.

Let’s say half the priests I knew a few decades ago avoided any mention of doctrine, or anything hinting of supernatural, except to dissent or say it’s irrelevant. They leaned heavily on the secular media for priorities.

Young priests now often come from families in home schooling or prolife involved. They are more likely to look at the secular culture, objectively, than to use the secular culture as the lens to view life.

 

[adgloriam]

Let’s say half the priests I knew a few decades ago avoided any mention of doctrine, or anything hinting of supernatural, except to dissent or say it’s irrelevant.

I’ve come across the same. I think it makes sense up to a point. If’d they’d talk about the mystics or anything related to doctrine with the average layman it would invariably result in incomprehension. It was also a lesson, for me, in a way, that a few of those older priest who actually know me refused to talk about it: a big reminder of the challenges they themselves face socially - and perhaps I’m a bit of a fool, and they were wise not to engage me on those terms. But, I am also very lucky that the majority of priests have no problem to engage in those terms in private, or during confession, or in the presence of audiences that have acquired knowledge to understand.

Young priests now often come from families in home schooling or prolife involved.

I find this a very interesting observation coming from the US. I had NO IDEA!! Again, homeschooling doesn’t exist in any European country that I know of. Young priests here, for the majority come from good catholic families, others that come from secular backgrounds were exposed to catholic culture through catholic youth movements. But, one thing is sure: The young priests I’ve met were SOLID!!

 

[AlNg]

The poll of 1,482 priests - almost half their total number - found that 43 per cent actively opposed the Vatican’s stance on contraception, while a further 19 per cent were unsure whether to support the Church’s official policy.

_- 25 per cent of those surveyed said that they believed that a woman could be ordained a bishop.

The local Catholic college conducted a poll on artificial birth control for married couples. About 50% of entering freshman said it was morally OK. But after 4 years of Catholic schooling, about 85% of graduating seniors said it was OK.
Also a local priest has said that he is in favor of ordaining women priests.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Pretty much 50% of Catholics priests vote Democrat

“Voting Democrat” does not equate to “Disagree with Church teaching”. The Dem Party in USA supports the Church teachings on immigration, the environment, capital punishment, and probably economic policies.

No party in USA supports all the teachings of the Church so whichever party you pick, you will be supporting some Church teachings and not supporting others.