Are between 20-50% of Catholic priests homosexual? In Penn & Teller's Bullshit, Season 7, there is an episode about the Vatican. I just watched it via this post on the blog, Arizona Atheist. In it, around the 8m:10s mark, a statement is made that around 20-50% of Catholic priests may be homosexual. I'm transcribing the episode here for the pertinent quote. It opens with Keith Wood, the executive director of The National Secular Society, making a comment about the Catholic Church's opposition of homosexuality: > **Keith Wood:** And the almost ultimate irony is that I do not know of an organization anywhere that has such a high proportion of gay people in its employ. > > **Penn Jillette:** Well, the Bullshit staff, but he doesn't know that. According to some studies, somewhere between twenty (20) and fifty (50) percent of all priests may be gay. **What studies/data support this estimate, and is it accurate?**

Finally found what looks like a reliable scientific study on the subject. It isn't itself a study of the orientation of priests, but it quotes several others that also look reliable.

Homosexual Applicants to the Priesthood: How Many and Are They Psychologically Healthy?

> While there are no ofcial estimates of the number of homosexual men in the priesthood, best current estimates range from 10% to 60% [...] with most experts and authorities who have access to this information more closely estimating between 25% and 40%.

Note that this is for homosexual orientation, not practicing homosexuals.