Conservative Priests, Liberal Laity: Can Synod Heal Divides?

The results of a national survey of Catholic priests released by The Catholic Project on Nov. 7 revealed an interesting dynamic in U.S. Catholic life. In the terminology used in the survey questions, young U.S. Catholic priests tend to be theologically traditional and politically conservative, particularly compared to older priests. Meanwhile, U.S. Catholics as a whole are becoming politically more liberal. Amid fear in some corners of the church that the Second Vatican Council is being undone or glee in others that orthodoxy will always triumph, there is a strong temptation to view this dynamic as a contest in which one side is winning and another losing, to follow the “us versus them” logic that pervades American society.