U.S. Priests Report High Confidence in Pope Leo XIV, Less Trust in Bishops
A 2025 survey of over 1,100 American priests found high rates of personal flourishing, strong confidence in Pope Leo XIV, and a mixed level of trust in U.S. bishops.
The National Study of Catholic Priests, published on October 14, was commissioned by the Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America and conducted by Gallup. The survey showed strong confidence in the first-ever American pope, with
- 43% expressing "a great deal" of confidence in Pope Leo XIV
- 43% reporting "quite a lot" of confidence in the pontiff
- 13% saying they have "some" confidence
- 1% expressing "very little" confidence
Most priests also predicted the future of the U.S. Catholic Church.
The survey highlights the strong confidence of U.S. priests in Pope Leo XIV.
Author's summary: U.S. priests have high confidence in Pope Leo XIV.