Priest poll finds gay undercurrents

By Richard N. Ostling
Associated Press

Many U.S. Roman Catholic priests say there's a homosexual subculture in their dioceses, religious orders or seminaries, according to a survey released yesterday.

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

The survey was reported by Jacqueline Wenger of the Catholic University at a Chicago convention of the Association for the Sociology of Religion, a group of Catholic sociologists.

Wenger and colleague Dean 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 because of the clerical sex abuse scandals.

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

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

Hoge and Wenger wrote that in personal talks with 75 priests "we heard numerous negative reports about homosexual subcultures in seminaries."

One priest said he was "shocked," another said that some fellow students were "kind of predators."

The survey also asked about celibacy. Fifty-six percent said marriage should be a matter of personal choice for diocesan priests and 52 percent said the church should welcome back priests who have resigned, whether married or single. But only 12 percent said they'd likely marry if the discipline changes.

The Hoge-Wenger survey was mailed to 1,200 randomly selected priests in 44 dioceses, with a 71.5 percent response rate, and 600 men in 45 religious orders, with a 70.2 percent response rate.