Gay Subset Exists in Church, Poll Finds

Many Roman Catholic priests in the United States say there’s a homosexual subculture in their dioceses, religious orders or seminaries, according to a survey released Friday.

In the mail survey of 1,279 priests conducted by researchers at the Catholic University of America, 19% of respondents said there was “clearly” a gay subculture in their dioceses or religious orders, and 36% said there “probably” was. Asked the same question about the seminaries they attended, 15% said “clearly” and 26% responded “probably.”

The survey was reported by Jacqueline Wenger of the Catholic University at a Chicago convention of the Assn. for the Sociology of Religion, a group of Catholic sociologists. Wenger and colleague Dean R. Hoge conducted the study for the National Federation of Priests’ Councils.

The extent of homosexuality in the priesthood has become a matter of increased debate this year after scandals of clerical sex abuse.

Many of the abuse victims have been young males, leading some high-ranking Catholics to conclude that actively gay priests are an important aspect of the church’s problem. However, experts note that there’s no evidence that homosexuals are more likely than heterosexuals to molest children.

The questionnaire did not ask the priests whether they were gay.

Hoge and Wenger wrote that, in talks with 75 priests, “we heard numerous negative reports about homosexual subcultures in seminaries.” One priest said he was “shocked”; another called some fellow students “kind of predators.”

The survey also asked about celibacy; 56% said marriage should be a matter of personal choice for diocesan priests and 52% said the church should welcome back priests who have resigned, whether married or single. Only 12% said they’d likely marry if allowed.

The Secretariat for Priestly Life and Ministry at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said it had not seen the report.