In an anonymous survey of Australian priests, of the 1550 active and 160 retired priests, 542 responded. These written responses together with 50 face-to-face interviews are basis for a book “Our Fathers.”
Of those who responded:
- 90.2 per cent said their lives as priests had been fulfilling
- 47.4 per cent found the workload ”excessive”
- 54.3 per cent thought they had too little say in the life of the church
- 35.4 per cent thought bishops were doing a good job, but 43 per cent did not feel nurtured by their bishop while 41.5 per cent did
- Almost 65 per cent did not think Rome understood the challenges facing priests and 70.1 per cent thought it often failed to understand the nature of the Australian church
- Only 19.2 per cent thought it sinful for married couples to use birth control
- Almost 70 per cent thought abortion was always a sin but only
- 40.2 per cent said the same of sex before marriage
- More than 70 per cent thought celibacy for priests should be optional
- Lay involvement was seen as the church’s greatest internal challenge, and
- Many were acutely aware of – and affected by – dwindling attendances.
The authors are Charles Sturt University academics Chris McGillion and John O’Carroll. Chris McGillion is a former religious affairs editor for the Sydney Morning Herald and has written on religious issues for newspapers and magazines including the Age, Brisbane Times, Eureka Street, the Tablet (UK), and the National Catholic Reporter (US). John O’Carroll has written extensively on religious and philosophical issues.
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