UPDATE: Got an email from one of my correspondents and she says "sounds like an average American worker, married with kids!"
A study, which also references other studies with similar findings.
Study: Most Priests Are Happy, Appreciate Celibacy
Isolation causes unhappiness. We are meant to be connected with others.
The good news here is that the vast majority of priests — over 90% — reported having solid friendships with other priests and with the laity.
One of the great joys and supports for the life of a priest is his connections with others.
The secular notion that priests are lonely, isolated men is simply not true.
Indeed, priestly happiness has been rising over the past several years and will likely rise even higher. In my research only 3.1% of priests were even thinking of leaving the priesthood. Given the enormous pressure on priesthood today and the many real challenges facing these men, this is remarkable.
ZENIT: What about celibacy? How does it relate to a priest’s happiness?
Monsignor Rossetti: This was also an interesting finding. Those priests who felt called by God to live a celibate life and who experienced celibacy as a personal grace, despite its challenges, were much more likely to be happy men. The correlation between this positive view of celibacy and priestly happiness was a strong r=.47.
The good news here is that over 75% of priests have found celibacy to be a positive part of their lives.
This percentage is likely to rise even higher in the future. It is the youngest priests who most strongly support mandatory celibacy.
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