The Pillar: Survey finds most French priests are happy
Among those surveyed, 80% said they are happy in their ministry.
Nov 07, 2025
Link to article: https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/survey-finds-most-french-priests
A large-scale survey of French priests has concluded that 80% are happy in their ministry.
Researchers asked priests to evaluate how they felt about their vocation, providing five options ranging from “happy” to “discouraged.”
The most popular answer, chosen by 45%, was “faithful to this calling, calm, determined, and happy,” followed by “less idealistic in the face of harsh reality, but at peace and happy,” selected by 35%, according to extracts from the data released Nov. 7.
Just 1% said they were “lonely and discouraged,” often doubting their vocation.
Asked to identify the source of their happiness, 53% said it was “being a privileged witness to the wonders that God works in people’s hearts,” 45% highlighted the sense of “being in the right place” and “working in the service of the Lord,” and 34% cited the chance to “meet very different people from all walks of life.”
Priests also expressed a high degree of satisfaction with their relationships. A striking 97% said they were satisfied with their relations with parishioners, 85% with their ties with fellow priests, and 77% with their bishop or religious superior.
The results are notable because a 2020 study of French priests concluded that, while most enjoyed good health, 17.6% had symptoms of depression — more than three times higher than the general average for men in France.
The authors of the study, Le sacerdoce aujourd’hui (“The Priesthood Today”), said it was the first work of its kind since a 1972 report that assessed French priests’ attitudes in the wake of Vatican Council II.
The new survey was conducted by the French polling firm IFOP for the French Observatory of Catholicism, an organization founded in June 2025 with the goal of providing reliable data on the Church in France.
There were 12,019 priests in France in 2023, the last year for which figures are available, down from 25,353 in the year 2000. Out of 5,000 priests contacted by researchers in October 2025, 766 completed the 50-question survey, a response rate of 15%. Most of those surveyed were diocesan priests.
One question focused on which experiences helped to inspire their priestly vocations. The top factors, cited by 61%, were “events, camps, and pilgrimages,” followed by altar service, selected by 52%, and involvement in the Scout Movement, chosen by 49%. In France, Scouting has a deep and longstanding connection to the Catholic Church.
Jérôme Fourquet, the director of IFOP’s opinion department, said: “Young priests tell us that it was thanks to Scouting or pilgrimages that their call to the priesthood was born.”
The survey found that 56% of priests grew up in practicing Catholic families involved in Church life. Anthony 21% said their family practiced the faith but was not engaged in the life of the Church. Only 15% were raised in families that rarely practiced, 6% where one parent was Catholic and the other agnostic or atheist, and 1% in an atheist family.
Researchers also asked priests to assess the record influx of young adults seeking baptism in French parishes.
The majority (62%) agreed that the new catechumens were “a sign of the Holy Spirit and an extraordinary opportunity to focus our communities on welcoming and evangelization.”
A minority (30%) said the newcomers presented “an opportunity that requires commitment in terms of faith content and pastoral accompaniment.” Only 5% said there was a lack of resources to accompany those asking to be baptized.
A large proportion of priests (77%) said they prioritized having a reliable, independent lay team for support. The lay role in parishes is increasing in France, as in other Western European countries, as clergy are asked to oversee multiple churches.
Asked to name their priorities, 76% selected the traditional three priestly tasks of teaching, sanctifying, and governing. Promoting Catholic doctrine and supporting the preferential option for the poor were also notable priorities.
Researchers found significant smartphone use among priests, with 52% reporting screen times of between two and four hours a day and 58% acknowledging “excessive or difficult-to-control use” of the devices.
Only 18% contributed actively to social media, while 43% used it daily solely as readers.
Asked about the future, 34% of priests expressed “confidence and hope, convinced that there is no shortage of missionary fields.” The same percentage said they were serene, even though they had some fears about future assignments. A minority (10%) said they had a pessimistic view of the Church.
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More details of the survey: https://riposte-catholique.fr/archives/210786