A new book says half of all priests who leave the priesthood do so because they can’t live celibacy. About 40 percent leave because of disillusionment with their fellow priests or bishops. The rest fall into a miscellaneous category.
What does this tell us? For one thing, it tells us that seminaries do an awful job at helping men understand celibacy and giving them the tools to be able to live it, especially the spiritual tools. It also raises questions about the discernment of candidates.
The study also says that of that 50 percent, 5 to 15 percent leave because they want an “open, long-term relationship” with another man. Those are just the ones who leave. How many stay and have secrect, long- and short-term homosexual relationships? Anyone who says homosexuality isn’t a problem in the priesthood today is kidding themselves.
