Catholic News

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289106&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 15, 2025 / 17:51 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa has given an update on the status of Christians in Gaza after the first phase of the historic peace deal between Israel and Hamas began this week. 

"We are in daily contact with them," the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem said of the Catholic community in Gaza in a Vatican News interview. "They keep writing that they still cannot believe they were able to sleep through the night without hearing the sound of bombs." 

Despite the promising outcome of the first phase of the peace deal, which saw the return of Israeli hostages and the strategic withdrawal of IDF troops from Gaza, Pizzaballa emphasized that the situation in Gaza "remains very fluid." Amid de-escalation between Israel and Hamas forces, clashes among warring factions have broken out across Gaza. Furthermore, he said, "we still do not know if [the war] has truly ended," and the way forward is not yet clear. 

"The situation remains dramatic because everything is destroyed," he explained. "People are returning, but they are returning to the ruins. Hospitals are not functioning; schools do not exist. There is still the matter of the bodies of the deceased Israeli hostages that must be recovered."

"However, despite all this, there is a new atmosphere — still fragile, but we hope it will become more stable," he continued.

Throughout the conflict, Pizzaballa said Catholics in the region have "felt the closeness" of both Pope Leo XIV and Pope Francis. "They have different personalities, but both expressed their closeness in very concrete ways," he said, noting both pontiffs had made a habit of frequent phone calls and contact with Father Gabriel Romanelli of Holy Family Parish in Gaza, in addition to concrete aid. Pope Leo sent antibiotics into Gaza this week. 

The cardinal said, "we must not confuse hope with a solution to the conflict," while discussing how the region must move forward. "The end of the war is not the beginning of peace, nor is it the end of the conflict," he said. Rather, fraternity must be built throughout the region, with new political and religious leadership "who can help rebuild a different narrative, one based on mutual respect." 

While Pizzaballa said he did not know whether a two-state solution "is achievable in the short term," he emphasized the need for Palestinians to not only be helped and supported financially, but to be "recognized in their dignity as a people." 

"One cannot tell the Palestinians that they have no right to be recognized as a people in their own land," he said. "There have been declarations — often only theoretical — that must find concrete realization within the context of dialogue between the parties, which they themselves will have to reach, with the help and support of the international community." 

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289105&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 15, 2025 / 18:22 pm (CNA).

The oldest Catholic and Jesuit institution of higher learning in the United States, Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., has named Eduardo Peñalver, current president of Seattle University and former dean of Cornell Law School, as its 49th president. 

"We are pleased to welcome Eduardo Peñalver to Georgetown University," Thomas A. Reynolds, chair of the board of directors, said in a press release announcing the decision. "President Peñalver is an exceptional leader steeped in the Catholic and Jesuit tradition who brings a wealth of experience in higher education, a global mindset, a commitment to social justice and academic excellence, and a bold vision for Georgetown's future."

Peñalver will assume his new role on July 1, 2026.  He has served as the 22nd president of Seattle University, also a Jesuit institution, since 2021. He succeeds Georgetown's interim president, Robert Groves. 

"I'm deeply honored to have the privilege of serving as Georgetown's next president," Peñalver said in the release. "I would like to thank the Presidential Search Committee and Georgetown's board of directors for entrusting this role to me at such a pivotal time for Georgetown and for higher education." 

In the university's announcement, Peñalver said he would apply his experience as leader of a Jesuit institution to his role at Georgetown. "At the center of our work, [Jesuit universities] share an interest in students as whole persons, focusing on their experiences both inside and outside the classroom," he said.

He continued: "We share an aspiration to do more than teach a skill or impart knowledge, but to get students to grapple with the deeper questions, to pursue more ambitious goals like wisdom and understanding and meaning, in their academic work and in their lives."

The incoming president said today "is an exciting moment in Georgetown's history," citing the expansion of the University's Capitol Campus, as well as the establishment of interdisciplinary programs, and increased efforts to make attendance more affordable for students. 

"I look forward to working with the students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of Georgetown to deepen the university's impact on our country and on our world," he said. 

Peñalver was raised in a Catholic family in Puyallup, Washington. He graduated magna cum laude from Cornell University in 1994, before earning his law degree in 1999. He then clerked for Judge Guido Calabresi of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and for Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, according to the release. 

He later taught at Fordham Law School, the University of Chicago Law School, and Cornell Law School, where he was appointed dean in 2014. 

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289097&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

EWTN News, Oct 15, 2025 / 09:45 am (CNA).

The Vatican announced Wednesday that Pope Leo XIV appointed Father Ignatius Wu Jianlin as auxiliary bishop of Shanghai on Aug. 11, with his episcopal ordination taking place today under the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China.

Father Wu Jianlin's consecration at St. Ignatius Cathedral marks a further development in the complex relationship between Beijing and the Vatican.

Chinese authorities had previously announced Wu's "election" by an assembly of priests and laypeople on April 28, during the sede vacante period following the death of Pope Francis.

The Vatican Bollettino, published Wednesday, revealed that the Holy Father approved Wu's candidacy on Aug. 11.

While his appointment was not previously made public, the announcement suggests the move was made in accordance with the Vatican-China agreement.

At the time of Wu's election, observers expressed concern that Beijing was exploiting the papal interregnum to assert control over episcopal appointments.

Wednesday's Vatican statement confirms the new appointment was approved by Pope Leo XIV.

Bishop Wu, 55, was born on Jan. 27, 1970, and studied philosophy and theology at Sheshan Seminary in Shanghai from 1991 to 1996. He was ordained a priest in 1997, and served in a number of roles as cleric. 

Between 2013 and 2023, he helped administer the diocese during Shanghai's prolonged sede vacante, and later served as vicar general.

Agreement as 'seed of hope'?

The Provisional Agreement, first signed in 2018 and renewed in 2024 for four more years, establishes a system in which Chinese authorities apparently propose candidates for episcopal office, who must then receive pontifical approval before being appointed.

The exact terms of the controversial agreement remain unpublished, however, and the way the process is applied has repeatedly come under scrutiny.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, has long defended the agreement as an instrument of dialogue in an imperfect situation.

In an Oct. 11 address commemorating the 1924 Council of Shanghai, Parolin described the agreement as a "seed of hope" which, despite setbacks, could bear fruit in the long term "in the proclamation of the Gospel, in communion with the universal Church and the Bishop of Rome, and in authentic Christian life."

At the same conference, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, affirmed "the real life and ordinary daily routine of Catholic communities in China," even if "attention is usually focused on issues of episcopal appointments, local incidents, relations between the Chinese political authorities and the Holy See, or problems related to the state's religious policy."

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289096&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Rome Newsroom, Oct 15, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

Optimism can disappoint us, but Christian hope "promises and fulfills" our hearts' desire for fullness, Pope Leo XIV said at his weekly audience on Wednesday.

Addressing thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square on Oct. 15, the pope said, "This deep desire in our hearts can find its ultimate answer not in roles, not in power, not in having, but in the certainty that there is someone who guarantees this constitutive impulse of our humanity; in the awareness that this expectation will not be disappointed or thwarted. This certainty coincides with hope."

"This does not mean thinking in an optimistic way: often optimism lets us down, causing our expectations to implode, whereas hope promises and fulfills," he added in his weekly message.

The Holy Father continued his reflections on the mystery of Christ, which culminates in the Resurrection, but this time he linked it to "current human and historical reality, with its questions and challenges."

"From Christ's Resurrection springs that hope that gives us a foretaste, despite the fatigue of living, of a deep and joyful calm: that peace that only he can give us in the end, without end," the pope explained.

Leo recalled that human existence is full of contrasts — joy, sadness, gratitude, and stress — but that only in the Risen Christ does the heart find the fullness it seeks.

"We live busy lives, we concentrate on achieving results, and we even attain lofty, prestigious goals. Conversely, we remain suspended, precarious, awaiting success and recognition that are delayed or do not arrive at all," he continued.

The pope acknowledged that this tension between the desire for fulfillment and the experience of limitation defines much of the human condition: "We find ourselves experiencing a paradoxical situation: we would like to be happy, and yet it is very difficult to be happy in a continuous way, without any shadows. We come to terms with our limitations and, at the same time, with the irrepressible urge to try to overcome them. We feel deep down that we are always missing something."

However, the pontiff said, this feeling of "lack" is the call to find fulfillment in the Risen One.

"In truth," he said, "we were not created for lack, but for fullness, to rejoice in life, and life in abundance, according to Jesus' expression in the Gospel of John [10:10]," which says, "A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly."

Leo emphasized that the Risen Christ "is the wellspring that satisfies our thirst, the infinite thirst for fullness that the Holy Spirit imbues into our hearts. Indeed, the Resurrection of Christ is not a simple event of human history, but the event that transformed it from within."

The Holy Father noted that spiritual thirst is a permanent condition of the human heart, and only Jesus, who died and rose again, can answer our deepest questions, such as, "is there really a destination for us? Does our existence have any meaning? And the suffering of so many innocents, how can it be redeemed?"

"The Risen Jesus does not bestow upon us an answer 'from above,' but becomes our companion on this often arduous, painful and mysterious journey. Only He can fill our empty flask when our thirst becomes unbearable," he explained.

"We are fragile creatures," Leo added. "Mistakes are part of our humanity; it is the wound of sin that makes us fall, give up, despair. To rise again instead means to get up and stand on our feet."

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289095&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 15, 2025 / 11:48 am (CNA).

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will select a new president and vice president during its Fall Plenary Assembly, which is set for Nov. 10 to Nov. 13 in Baltimore, Maryland.

In November, the three-year terms for the current president, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, and vice president, Archbishop William E. Lori, are set to expire. The new conference leaders, who will be chosen from a slate of 10 candidates, will also serve three-year terms.

The following slate of candidates was selected through nominations from the bishops:

• Bishop Robert E. Barron, Diocese of Winona-Rochester

• Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, Archdiocese of Oklahoma City

• Bishop Daniel E. Flores, Diocese of Brownsville

• Archbishop Richard G. Henning, Archdiocese of Boston

• Bishop David J. Malloy, Diocese of Rockford

• Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez, Archdiocese of Philadelphia

• Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend

• Archbishop Alexander K. Sample, Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon

• Archbishop Charles C. Thompson, Archdiocese of Indianapolis

• Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger, Archdiocese of Detroit

According to a news release from the USCCB, both positions are selected by a majority vote of present voting members. If no bishop receives more than 50% of the vote, the bishops will hold a second vote. If there is still no bishop with a majority, the assembly will vote in a head-to-head race between the two bishops who received the most votes in the second round. 

The president is chosen first, and the vice president is chosen from the remaining nine candidates, according to the USCCB.

At the gathering, bishops will also select new chairmen for six committees: the Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance; the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs; the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis; the Committee on International Justice and Peace; the Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People; and the Committee on Religious Liberty. 

For those positions, the elected bishops will serve a single year as chairman-elect and then begin a three-year term at the end of the 2026 Fall Assembly. 

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289075&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 14, 2025 / 15:35 pm (CNA).

Younger U.S. priests are far more conservative than older priests, reaffirming a generational divide in political views, according to a 2025 survey.

The strong generational divide in political views among Catholic priests in the United States was reaffirmed in a 2025 survey that shows younger priests are far more conservative than older priests.

The National Study of Catholic Priests, published on Oct. 14, was commissioned by The Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America and conducted by Gallup. Researchers surveyed the same priests who were surveyed in The Catholic Project's 2022 survey to examine the U.S. priesthood.

According to the report, the 2025 survey "closely mirrors" the findings in 2022 and shows "a clear generational shift away from liberal self-identification."

About 51% of priests ordained in 2010 or later said their political views are either conservative or very conservative. Another 37% said they were moderate and the remaining 12% were either liberal or very liberal.

For priests ordained between 2000 and 2009, 44% were conservative or very conservative and 44% were moderate. Again, only 12% of priests ordained in these years said they were liberal or very liberal.

Priests ordained between 1990 and 1999 leaned conservative, but to a lesser degree, with 38% saying they are somewhat conservative, 34% identifying as moderate, and 26% saying they are liberal or very liberal.

For priests ordained in the prior decade, 1980 to 1989, conservatism declines to about 22%, and 36% call themselves moderate. About 40%, a plurality, identify as liberal or very liberal. 

Older priests are far more liberal. A majority of priests ordained between 1975 and 1979, about 53%, say they are either liberal or very liberal. About 34% are moderate and 11% conservative. About 61% of priests ordained before 1975 said they are liberal or very liberal, 25% are moderate, and 13% are conservative. 

The theological leanings of priests followed a similar pattern, with an even sharper decline in theological progressivism, according to the researchers. About 70% of priests ordained before 1975 called themselves theological progressives, and only 8% of priests ordained 2010 or later said the same.

About 70% of the youngest priests self-report as conservative/orthodox or very conservative/orthodox on theological matters.

Generational divide on pastoral priorities

The political and theological shifts flow into generational divides about what issues the Church should be prioritizing as well, such as climate change, LGBTQ outreach, and synodality.

Regarding climate change, 78% of priests ordained before 1980 said this should be a priority, as did 61% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999. Just 35% of priests ordained in 2000 or later agreed.

The trend is similar for outreach to the LGBTQ community with 66% of priests ordained before 1980 calling this a priority, but just 49% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 37% of priests ordained 2000 or later agree.

Synodality is also popular among older priests, with 77% of those ordained before 1980 calling it a priority. About 57% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999 say the same, but only 37% of priests ordained 2000 or later agree.

Immigration 

Some issues show smaller generational divides. For example, 93% of priests ordained before 1980 see immigration and refugee assistance as a priority, as do 82% ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 74% ordained in 2000 or later. Also, 98% of priests ordained before 1980 believe poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity are priorities, as do 92% ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 79% ordained 2000 or later.

There is a generational divide on whether Eucharistic devotion or access to the Traditional Latin Mass are priorities, with younger priests more focused on those issues. 

About 88% of priests ordained in 2000 or later see Eucharistic devotion as a priority, as do 66% of those ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 57% ordained before 1980. About 39% of priests ordained in 2000 or later see Latin Mass access as a priority, but only 20% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 11% of priests ordained before 1980 agree.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289074&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 14, 2025 / 16:05 pm (CNA).

Father Mario de Jesús Guevara Calero, 66, spiritual director of the La Purísima Archdiocesan Major Seminary in Nicaragua, died on Sunday, Oct. 12, according to the Archdiocese of Managua.

Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, archbishop of Managua, and the priests of the Nicaraguan capital "send their condolences to his family, the seminary community, and the parishioners he served for years in various parishes of our archdiocese," a death notice from the archdiocese said.

On Dec. 5, 2018, while the priest was hearing confessions in the Managua cathedral, he was splashed with acid on his face and body by Russian citizen Elis Leonidovna Gonn, who was later arrested.

The priest required various surgeries and treatments and, according to the newspaper Confidencial, forgave the woman who attacked him. The incident occurred in the year the dictatorship ramped up the repression against the Catholic Church in the country.

In August 2019, the Nicaraguan dictatorship, led by President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, released Leonidovna Gonn, who was later expelled from the country.

"May God our Lord grant Father Mario Guevara to be already enjoying holy heaven. I give thanks to the Almighty for his life and his ministry," researcher Martha Patricia Molina, author of the report "Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church, stated on X.

The latest edition of the report records more than 1,000 attacks by the dictatorship and that more than 16,500 processions and acts of piety have been prohibited by the Sandinista regime.

'A man of prayer'

"It's both interesting and a joy for me as a bishop to visit the parishes, and how beautiful it is when many of the faithful remember their priests," Brenes said Oct. 13 in his homily for the funeral Mass he celebrated at the Immaculate Conception of Mary Parish in the Masaya pastoral area.

"I have been in recent weeks, today in three or four parishes in San Rafael del Sur, and we remember how, in the most difficult situations, Father Mario was there, serving those communities with total generosity. In difficult situations, but it's beautiful [he did so] without complaining, but with dedication," the cardinal continued.

Speaking of the illness from which the priest suffered at the end of his life, the cardinal commented that in "these last months, he was able to go through Calvary, his ailments like a street [paved with] bitterness, but when I had the opportunity to visit him in the hospital and sometimes at the seminary, at the end, he was smiling. And above all, I was struck by seeing near his bed, his Liturgy of the Hours, and the holy rosary in his hands."

"I think these were moments of strength; a man of prayer, he truly knew how to maintain that communication with God and also with our mother, the Blessed Virgin," he added.

The cardinal emphasized that Guevara "preached to us, not with grand words, but with his life, his simple life, but with tremendous power. And what was that power but the person of Jesus himself?"

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289072&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Vatican City, Oct 14, 2025 / 08:41 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has sent 5,000 doses of antibiotics to the Gaza Strip in a humanitarian gesture aimed primarily at children and made possible by the recent reopening of key border crossings allowing the entry of aid.

According to Vatican News, the shipment of the medicines began this week, following the ceasefire and the start of the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's peace deal.

Israel is allowing the entry of up to 600 aid trucks per day, operated by the United Nations and authorized by international organizations, private sector actors, and donor countries. On Oct. 12, more than 170 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid crossed into Gaza, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The shipment of antibiotics to Gaza was coordinated by the Office of the Papal Almoner, the Vatican dicastery charged with carrying out charitable works for the poor and those in need on behalf of the pope, and led by Cardinal Konrad Krajewski.

"We are putting into practice the words of the apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te, dedicated to the poor," Krajewski explained to Vatican News. "It is necessary to act, to pay attention to those in need."

Infant formula delivered to Gaza

Caritas Jerusalem has become one of the first humanitarian organizations to respond to the ceasefire in Gaza, quickly mobilizing to address the urgent needs of families and children throughout the Gaza Strip.

Following the ceasefire, Caritas Jerusalem deployed its medical teams to deliver 10,000 bottles of infant formula to families with newborns and young children who had been deprived of basic nutrition during the months of conflict.

The distribution was carried out through Caritas' network of medical centers in Gaza, ensuring that the aid reached the most vulnerable communities quickly and safely, the Catholic organization reported.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289071&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Rome Newsroom, Oct 14, 2025 / 12:06 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV met with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinal Palace in Rome on Tuesday, highlighting the strong ties between the two states and the need to work toward lasting peace in every part of the world. 

Mattarella welcomed the Holy Father and his delegation, which included Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State Sister Raffaella Petrini, to his residence in Rome to strengthen the historic political ties between the Holy See and Italy.

The Holy Father spoke of the "sincere friendship and fruitful mutual collaboration" between Italy and the popes and emphasized the need for the two states to contribute to multilateral peace processes in regions, including the Middle East and Europe.

I "renew my heartfelt appeal that we continue to work to reestablish peace in every part of the world and that the principles of justice, equity, and cooperation among peoples — principles which form its irreplaceable foundation — be ever more cultivated and promoted," he said in his Oct. 14 speech. 

Leo XIV commended the Italian government's commitment to "alleviating situations of hardship caused by war and poverty," particularly its efforts to support children in Gaza. 

"These are strong and effective contributions to building a dignified, peaceful, and prosperous coexistence for all members of the human family," he said.

On Tuesday, the Holy Father donated 5,000 doses of antibiotics for children in Gaza following the opening of key humanitarian corridors into the city after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal came into effect Monday.

In light of the 800th anniversary of the death of Italy's patron St. Francis of Assisi, in 2026, Leo also spoke about the "urgent issue of caring for our 'common home.'"

"St. Francis taught us to praise the Creator through respect for all creatures, proclaiming his message from the geographical heart of the [Italian] peninsula and transmitting it — through the beauty of his writings and the witness of his life and that of his brothers — across the generations down to us," he said.

"For this reason, I believe Italy has received, in a special way, the mission of transmitting to the nations a culture that recognizes the earth as 'a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us,'" he continued, quoting Pope Francis' encyclical letter Laudato Si'.

Earlier this month, the Italian Senate approved a bill reinstating the Oct. 4 feast day of St. Francis of Assisi as a national holiday.

Toward the end of his speech, the Holy Father noted Italy's declining birth rate and called for a "concerted effort" to promote choices at all levels in favor of the family and to uphold and protect life "in all its phases."

"In particular, I wish to emphasize the importance of guaranteeing all families the indispensable support of dignified work, in fair conditions and with due attention to the needs related to motherhood and fatherhood," he said.

"Let us do everything possible to give confidence to families — especially young families —  so that they may look to the future with serenity and grow in harmony," he continued.

In his welcome speech, Mattarella spoke about the "unbreakable bond" between Italy and the Vatican and commended the work of the European Union's founding fathers, "many of whom had a Christian background" and who rebuilt peace in the region after World War II. 

Recalling Pope Leo's consistent messages of peace since his election, the Italian president said political leaders have the responsibility to "reject the glorification of conflict" and "foster dialogue and mutual understanding."

"This peace, as you emphasized, begins with each of us, and that is why it is so essential to disarm, unarm our hearts and disarm our words," he said.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289070&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 14, 2025 / 13:02 pm (CNA).

A 2025 survey of more than 1,100 American priests found high rates of self-reported personal flourishing, strong confidence in Pope Leo XIV, and a mixed level of trust in U.S. bishops.

The National Study of Catholic priests, published on Oct. 14, was commissioned by the Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America and conducted by Gallup. Researchers surveyed the same priests who were surveyed in The Catholic Project's 2022 survey to examine the U.S. priesthood. 

The survey showed strong confidence in the first-ever American pope. About 43% of those surveyed expressed "a great deal" of confidence in Leo and another 43% reported "quite a lot" of confidence in the pontiff. About 13% said they have "some" confidence, and only 1% expressed "very little" confidence.

Most priests also predicted the U.S. Church's relationship with the Vatican will improve, with 51% saying it will improve significantly and 28% saying it will improve somewhat. About 17% said it would likely stay the same, and 3% think it will worsen.

Priests lack trust in U.S. bishops

Confidence in bishops was significantly lower. Just 52% of diocesan priests reported they trust their own bishop, which is slightly higher than the 49% who said the same in 2022. Yet, those numbers are much lower than 2001, when 63% trusted their own bishop.

About 74% of priests said their bishop cares about them, and 11% said their bishop did not. The survey also found that 83% said they can reach their bishop or superior when needed, while 8% said they could not. 

The numbers are worse for U.S. bishops as a whole. Only 27% of priests surveyed reported trust in the U.S. bishops, although this is an uptick from 2022 when only 22% had trust in them. It is much lower than 2001, when 39% of priests trusted U.S. bishops.

Personal flourishing

Priests reported high rates of personal flourishing, which is measured by mental health, physical health, purpose, character, and social relationships. The average rate was 8.2 out of 10, which is identical to the results of the 2022 survey. Diocesan and religious priests reported the same rate of personal flourishing.

When asked questions about whether their religious communities were flourishing, the results were lower. The community flourishing rate was 5.7 out of 10 for diocesan priests and 6.2 out of 10 for religious priests. 

Researchers found that 92% have a close relationship with at least one other priest, but also about one-third of those surveyed said their relationships with other priests tends to be superficial. 

Recently-ordained priests reported more loneliness. About 45% of priests ordained in 2000 or later reported loneliness, as did 34% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 27% ordained before 1980.

Burnout

The survey also measured priests' "burnout," which asked questions about feeling "worn out and weary" or "emotionally drained" and whether they "talk about [their] ministry in a negative way." 

For diocesan priests, 56% said they felt no burnout while 44% felt some burnout. Among those feeling burnout, only 7% had high burnout. For religious priests, 69% said they felt no burnout, 31% felt some burnout, and among those feeling burnout only 2% had high burnout. Burnout rates slightly improved since the 2022 survey, which found half of diocesan priests and one-third of religious priests feeling some burnout.

The survey found that 96% of priests reported having access to mental health counseling if they need it, but only 11% are receiving treatment or therapy for a mental health condition.

Some priests, however, said they are "expected to do too many things that go beyond my calling as a priest." The rate is much higher for newer priests than it is for older priests.

About 45% of priests ordained in 2000 and later reported that feeling, as did 38% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 13% of priests ordained before 1980.

The survey was conducted between May 12 and June 30 of this year. The response rate was 38%.

Full Article