A new study has found that younger American Catholic priests are more conservative than their older counterparts.
The National Study of Catholic Priests, released yesterday by Catholic University and conducted by the Gallup Poll, also found that younger clergy were less confident in the US hierarchy while remaining strongly supportive of Pope Leo XIV.
The survey, which featured over 1,000 priests from across the United States, also highlighted a sharp generational divide in theology, politics and pastoral priorities.
Among priests ordained before 1975, 70 per cent described themselves as progressive, while just eight per cent of those ordained since 2000 did so.
In contrast, 70 per cent of the younger priests identified as conservative or orthodox.
When it came to political views, 61 per cent of older priests said they were liberal, compared with only ten per cent of younger clergy. More than half of younger priests, 51 per cent, identified as conservative.
Younger priests were more likely to prioritise Eucharistic devotion, while older clergy focused on issues such as climate change, immigration and social justice.
Confidence in church leadership also varied. Eighty-six per cent of all priests expressed strong confidence in Pope Leo XIV, but only 52 per cent said they trusted their own bishop.
Trust in the wider US hierarchy was even lower, at 27 per cent.
The report also noted that younger priests were more likely to feel lonely and burdened by expectations that extended beyond their spiritual calling.