Abstract
1. This study of the ways in which future Roman Catholic secular priests are prepared for their ministry begins with a review of "the world today" as seen through the literature of alienation and anomie, followed by a review of the sociological literature dealing with priesthood, and an account of recent developments in Catholic thinking regarding preparation for the ministry. Note is made of the distinctions between Marx's "world", as seen in his concept of alienated man, and Durkheim's, as seen in his concept of anomie; and between priesthood and prophet-hood, as described by Weber. 2. The next section reproduces two articles by the author, which describe a series of interviews with recently ordained priests, and the conclusions drawn from them, regarding the attitude of these priests to alienation and anomie both in the mass of people around them, and in themselves. In the second article is set out a hypothetical examination of the seminary system, to attempt to establish within that system some of the origins of these attitudes among priests, based on the distinction between "alienation" and "anomie". 3. There follows an account of a study of 100 recently ordained priests, in which an attempt is made by means of a postal questionnaire to carry out this examination. At each end of the spectrum of attitudes manifested by the respondents, those of some twenty priests are submitted to a comparative study, to inspect the different model of the Church which each group possesses. There are seen to be some grounds for accepting the validity of a polarisation of seminary students, along the lines of the hypothetical dichotomy. 4. Conclusions are drawn and suggestions made for possible future developments in the preparation for the ministry of R. C. priests. of visiting all the seminaries and conducting a series of interviews, as originally intended, I have been obliged to concentrate my major enquiry into a postal questionnaire. I wish to express my appreciation to Dr. Michael Kornsby-Smith, of the University of Surrey, who has acted as my supervisor, and to Dr. Susanne Bano, for their unremitting encouragement and many constructive suggestions. I am also indebted to those priests who allowed me to interview them, or who completed the questionnaires.