Priestly Politics: Faith Formation and Political Ideology Among Catholic Clergy

Catholic priests have long been important political actors both in mobilizing direct political action and shaping the way Catholic faithful view important public issues. Historically, Catholic clergy’s politics have been divided between more politically conservative priests who focus on “moral” issues, such as opposing same-sex marriage and abortion, and more progressive clergy who adhere to “Catholic social teachings” and advocate for antipoverty, antiracism, antiwar, and pro-immigrant initiatives. However, little research has investigated the role faith formation plays in shaping the politics of Catholic priests. We address this gap by analyzing data from a nationally representative survey of religious leaders. We find that priests who are members of religious orders are significantly more politically and theologically liberal than diocesan priests. Compared to diocesan priests, priests from religious orders are more likely to describe themselves as politically liberal, more likely to identify with the Democratic (rather than Republican) Party, more likely to endorse allowing women to have religious leadership positions, and more likely to say they would marry a same-sex couple if allowed to. These findings show that faith formation plays an important role in the politics of religious leaders and draws much needed attention to intradenominational political divisions.