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ABSTRACT
It is well documented that homosexuality in the Catholic priesthood outpaces homosexuality in the general population, a phenomenon that has captured the attention of many. In this study, we examined whether homosexuality is diminishing in the American Catholic priesthood. Data are from a 2002 survey of Catholic priests in the U.S. conducted by the Los Angeles Times (N=1,854) and the 2020-21 Survey of American Catholic Priests (N=1,036), which mostly replicated the former. The findings indicate that Catholic priests’ perceptions of a homosexual subculture in their diocese or religious institute, as well as during their own seminary experience, have declined. The distribution of sexual orientations among Catholic priests remains unchanged since 2002. However, analyses based on decade of ordination reveal that homosexuality is becoming rarer as ordinations approach the present, most strikingly after the year 2000. A cohort-based projection model demonstrates that homosexual orientation in the priest population can be expected to be cut in half over the next 20 years. Since 2002, priests’ experiences with celibacy have become less of a struggle, on average. The full implications of these dynamics remain to be seen, but they appear to reflect the Catholic Church’s increased success in implementing its own stated institutional goals and policies. |
