Resilience Correlates and Perseverance among Filipino Clergy

Abstract

Priests experience crises in their priestly lives and ministry. In such critical situations, some decide to leave while others decide to stay in the priestly ministry. While a number of previous research studies have investigated the reasons why priests leave their ministry, this research study investigates why priests decide to stay in spite of or in the midst of their crisis experiences. This research study particularly explores what aspects of resilience best predict the perseverance of Filipino clergy in their priestly life and ministry, and how they are associated with each other. Resilience is a psychological construct that explains one's capacity to master change, or resist and rebound from life's disruption, resulting in successful adaptation in crises. Resilience was measured by four indices: secure attachment style, hopeful cognitive style, appropriately regulated affective style, and internalized spirituality. Four scales were used to measure these variables. The questionnaires are the Relationship Scales Questionnaire, the Adult Dispositional Hope Scale, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and the Index of Core Spiritual Experience. These questionnaires were administered to 118 participants from groups of both active priests and formerly active priests, in a convenience and snowball sampling. Additionally, a semi-structured interview was conducted to examine other variables that may help explain priestly perseverance, such as clarity of vocational identity, motivation, and level of priestly satisfaction. Results indicate that priestly perseverance among Filipino clergy is related to the correlates of resilience, particularly to internalized spirituality. Internalized spirituality also fostered a resilient cognitive style, affective style and relational style that provide protective resources in times of crises. The study concludes by discussing the pastoral implications of the research findings for preparatory and ongoing priestly formation.