From OSV News:
A new study on U.S. priests shows that many report satisfaction with their ministry, but trust in bishops and major superiors is still low, although improving.
In addition, many younger priests are at risk of burnout and loneliness as their responsibilities increase amid a decline in vocations — but youth, family ministry and evangelization are key pastoral priorities.
And while priests in general were somewhat lukewarm on the theoretical concept of synodality, they are in practice rather good at it.
Those are among the results published in “Morale, Leadership, and Pastoral Priorities: Highlights from the 2025 National Study of Catholic Priests” by Brandon Vaidyanathan, Stephen Cranney, Stephen P. White and Sara Perla.
The researchers also saw warning signs:
Priests ordained since 2000 were more likely to report feeling overwhelmed, said the report, with “almost half” (45%) saying “they are expected to do too many things ‘that go beyond (their) calling as priests.’”
In contrast, that feeling was shared by only 13% of priests ordained before 1980, and 38% of those ordained from 1980-1999.
The report authors said the “generational difference” in the responses “points to growing concerns about sustainability in ministry, especially as parish demands increase” — although despite many priests serving in two (23%) or more (17%) parishes, “the number of parishes a priest serves is not statistically related to his level of burnout.”
Some of the difference may be due to “generational understandings regarding what a priest’s calling means,” researchers noted.
In addition, said the report, more recently ordained priests reported higher levels of loneliness compared to their older counterparts, with 40% of those ordained after 2000 ranking 6 or higher on the UCLA Loneliness Scale.
Overall, the data indicated that while “not universal,” burnout remains “a substantial pastoral challenge,” said the report.
And there was this:
For their part, priests polled for the current survey continued to demonstrate, both politically and theologically, a “clear generational shift away from liberal self-identification, with moderates now making up a large share across most recent cohorts,” said the report.
Theologically, the report found “an even sharper decline in progressivism and a stronger consolidation on the conservative side.”
However, in response to a direct question as to whether they were “concerned about the policies of the current political administration in the U.S.,” the report found that “even among those priests who identify as ‘very conservative,’ 66% are at least somewhat concerned about the current administration’s policies, with 83% of self-described ‘conservative’ priests at least somewhat concerned.”
