The Psychological Effects of Multiple Roles in Priesthood and Religious Life

The study unearths the psychological effects on priests undertaking both religious and priestly duties. It examines how devotion to Godly duties could be associated with the psychological welfare amongst both active and non-active priests from the Roman Catholic Church. The priests psychological integrity is determined by administering a survey questionnaire to a selected sample of priests determined by factors including self-autonomy, positive relationships with others, personal growth and development, self-acceptance, and their inherent purpose in religious life. The study reports that majority of non-active priests reported to have undergone severe psychological stress before and after they quit priesthood (Kirkpatrick 2005). Equally important, the study investigates how multiple roles in priesthood and religious life affect priests psychological welfare and development. Finally, the study shows how multiple roles in priesthood and religious life affect the psychological healthy of priests and the correlation between their attachment to God to their overall psychological wellbeing.