From Moral Rupture to Vocational Reconstruction: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study of Roman Catholic Priest-Fathers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67167/vertex.724Keywords:
interpretative phenomenological analysis, vocational identity, Roman Catholic priests, priest-fathers, fatherhood, moral injury, narrative identity, vocational reconstructionAbstract
Vocational identity represents a central psychological construct through which individuals organize meaning, purpose, relationships, and moral commitment across the lifespan. Although previous research has substantially advanced understanding of clergy well-being, burnout, and resilience, little empirical evidence explains how Roman Catholic priests who become biological fathers reconstruct their vocational identity while remaining in active ministry. This study explores the lived experiences of Roman Catholic diocesan priest-fathers and examined the process through which vocational identity was reconstructed following fatherhood. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), eight Roman Catholic diocesan priest-fathers who had fathered biological children after ordination and continued active ministry following ecclesiastical mandated renewal program participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using the idiographic and hermeneutic procedures of Smith et al., (2022). Four interrelated experiential themes emerged: Constructing the Priestly Self, Relational Vulnerability, Moral Rupture, and Vocational Reconstruction. The findings revealed that priesthood initially functioned as participants’ master identity, while emotional loneliness and unmet attachment needs gradually created conditions for significant relationships that culminated in fatherhood. Rather than experiencing fatherhood as the end of vocation, being a breach of celibacy, participants described profound identity disruption followed by an ongoing process of reconstructing vocation through responsibility, relational accompaniment, narrative reinterpretation, and spiritual integration. These findings informed the development of the Phenomenological Framework of Vocational Identity Reconstruction, an interpretative model illustrating how vocational identity may be disrupted and subsequently reconstructed through lived experience. The study contributes to vocational psychology, narrative identity theory, attachment theory, moral injury research, and the psychology of religion by suggesting that vocational identity is a dynamic interpretative process continually reconstructed through significant life experiences rather than a fixed achievement established at ordination.
Downloads
References
American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct (2002, Amended Effective June 1, 2010, and January 1, 2017). https://www.apa.org/ethics/code
Carey, L. B., & Hodgson, T. J. (2018). Chaplaincy, spiritual care and moral injury: Considerations regarding screening and treatment. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, Article 619. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00619
Clarke, M. A., Walker, K. D., Spurr, S., & Squires, V. (2023). Role-related stress and adversity impacting Christian clergy resilience: A Pan-Canadian study. Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling, 77(1), 51–63. https://doi.org/10.1177/15423050221133033
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). Sage.
Dik, B. J., & Duffy, R. D. (2009). Calling and vocation at work: Definitions and prospects for research and practice. The Counseling Psychologist, 37(3), 424–450. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000008316430
Duffy, R. D., Dik, B. J., Douglass, R. P., England, J. W., & Velez, B. L. (2018). Work as a calling: A theoretical model. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 65(4), 423–439. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000276
Eatough, V., & Smith, J. A. (2017). Interpretative phenomenological analysis. In C. Willig & W. Stainton Rogers (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of qualitative research in psychology (2nd ed., pp. 193–211). Sage.
Francis, L. J., & Crea, G. (2021). Psychological predictors of professional burnout among priests, religious brothers, and religious sisters in Italy: The dark triad versus the bright trinity? Pastoral Psychology, 70, 399–418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-021-00951-8
Gadamer, H.-G. (1975). Truth and method. Continuum.
Griffin, B. J., Purcell, N., Burkman, K., Litz, B. T., Bryan, C. J., Schmitz, M., Villierme, C., Walsh, J., & Maguen, S. (2019). Moral injury: An integrative review. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 32(3), 350–362. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22362
Heidegger, M. (1962). Being and time (J. Macquarrie & E. Robinson, Trans.). Harper & Row. (Original work published 1927)
Hirschi, A., Steiner, R., Burmeister, A., & Johnston, C. S. (2019). A whole-life perspective of sustainable careers: The nature and consequences of nonwork orientations. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 117, Article 103319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2019.103319
Litz, B. T., Stein, N., Delaney, E., Lebowitz, L., Nash, W. P., Silva, C., & Maguen, S. (2009). Moral injury and moral repair in war veterans: A preliminary model and intervention strategy. Clinical Psychology Review, 29(8), 695–706. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2009.07.003
Mantri, S., Lawson, J. M., Wang, Z., & Koenig, H. G. (2020). Identifying moral injury in healthcare professionals: The Moral Injury Symptom Scale-HP. Journal of Religion and Health, 59(5), 2323-2340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-020-01065-w
McAdams, D. P. (2001). The psychology of life stories. Review of General Psychology, 5(2), 100–122. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.5.2.100
McAdams, D. P., & Guo, J. (2015). Narrating the generative life. Psychological Science, 26(4), 475–483. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614568318
McLean, K. C., & Syed, M. (Eds.). (2015). The Oxford handbook of identity development. Oxford University Press.
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2019). Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Pietkiewicz, I., & Smith, J. A. (2014). A practical guide to using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in qualitative research psychology. Psychological Journal, 20(1), 7–14.
Proeschold-Bell, R. J., & Byassee, J. (2018). Faithful and fractured: Responding to the clergy health crisis. Baker Academic.
Smith, J. A., Flowers, P., & Larkin, M. (2022). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Theory, method and research (2nd ed.). Sage.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014). SAMHSA’s concept of trauma and guidance for a trauma-informed approach (HHS Publication No. SMA 14-4884). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
World Medical Association. (2013). World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. JAMA, 310(20), 2191–2194. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2013.281053
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 The International Review of Multidisciplinary Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
