QUICK SUMMARY
What does hard data reveal about the state of Catholic life in America—and what does it mean for the future of the Church? In this bonus episode, Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich sit down with Stephen White, Executive Director of The Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America, for a candid and wide-ranging conversation. Stephen draws on the landmark 2022 National Study of Catholic Priests—the largest priest survey in half a century—to explore trust, identity, community, and what it really takes to renew the Church from within.
From the tension between clericalism and lay vocation, to the striking generational shifts among young priests, to the question of how genuine renewal actually happens in Church history, this episode offers both serious analysis and hopeful insight. Whether you’re a priest, a committed lay Catholic, or simply trying to understand where the Church is headed, this conversation will challenge and encourage you.
ABOUT STEPHEN WHITE
Stephen White is the Executive Director of The Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. Founded in 2019 in response to the clerical abuse crisis, The Catholic Project works to foster collaboration and co-responsibility between clergy and laity. Stephen led the production of the acclaimed documentary podcast Crisis: Clergy Abuse in the Catholic Church and oversaw the 2022 National Study of Catholic Priests. His background is in Catholic social teaching and philosophy, and he writes frequently on matters of faith, culture, and Church life.
IN THIS EPISODE, WE EXPLORE
1. The Catholic Project and the Crisis Podcast
- Founded in 2019 at Catholic University of America in response to the McCarrick revelations and Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report
- The Crisis podcast was produced during COVID, featuring deeply reported audio documentary-style episodes
- Goal: face the Church’s failures honestly while remaining constructive and rooted in love for the Church
- Fr. John shares that the podcast was part of his own healing journey as a survivor of clerical sexual abuse
2. The 2022 National Study of Catholic Priests
- The largest survey of priests in the United States in over 50 years
- Key findings include:
- Younger priests (ordained post-2000) describe themselves as significantly more theologically orthodox than older cohorts
- Younger priests are more likely to identify as politically moderate — cutting against simple “conservative priest” narratives
- The youngest cohort is the most racially and ethnically diverse
- There has been a dramatic collapse in priests identifying as liberal or progressive
- Younger priests experience more isolation: many are sole pastor of a parish from day one of ordination
- A follow-up longitudinal study is currently in development for spring 2025
3. Clericalism, Authority, and Church Renewal
- Clericalism is not only a top-down problem — bottom-up clericalism (laity expecting clergy to do everything) is widespread in the US
- Pope Francis has simultaneously called out clericalism and warned against “clericalizing the laity”
- All authority carries the potential for abuse; the response is vigilance, formation, and accountability — not the elimination of hierarchy
- The Church’s vertical (hierarchical) and horizontal (communal) dimensions must work together
4. How Genuine Church Renewal Happens
- Historically, renewal almost never comes from the top down institutionally
- It begins with one person or small group responding radically to the Gospel (e.g....
Chapters
- (00:00:00) - Foreign Words with the Catholic Project
- (00:00:50) - The Catholic Project: Steven White Interview
- (00:05:21) - The EWTN Podcast and the Study
- (00:09:19) - The Catholic Project and the Sexual Abuse Crisis
- (00:12:41) - On the hierarchical structure of the Church
- (00:18:49) - How does reform and renewal come into the church?
- (00:25:59) - On clericalism and the danger of it
- (00:31:18) - The separation of the sacramental life
- (00:37:30) - A moment of reflection on the family
- (00:38:40) - Domestic Church
- (00:43:18) - No More Intentional Discipleship
- (00:48:59) - Priest social life and the priesthood
- (00:58:01) - Priests and the challenges of priestly formation
- (01:01:54) - What Holds You Back from Sharing Your Faith?
- (01:03:37) - Priests and the need to be more involved in spiritual formation
- (01:05:43) - The issues of parish life
- (01:07:18) - The Way to Communication the Study
- (01:11:57) - The Fix to the Catholic Church: On Podcast
- (01:15:44) - Questions for priests in the 2020 survey
- (01:18:04) - What kinds of communities and cultures produce healthy vocations?
- (01:20:46) - Marriage and the Vocation
- (01:24:04) - The Catholic Project
