Psychological and Emotional Pathways to Sustainable Celibacy: A Phenomenological Study of Catholic Formators in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived psychological experiences through which Catholic formators sustain lifelong celibate commitment in Nairobi, Kenya. The study adopted a qualitative approach grounded in descriptive phenomenology, with data collected through eight in-depth individual interviews with male Catholic priests serving as formators in formation centres in Nairobi County, Kenya, and analysed using Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological method. The findings revealed that sustaining celibacy is accompanied by recurring experiences of loneliness, attraction, emotional struggles, and feelings of shame and guilt, which participants regarded as normal dimensions of vocational life. Psycho-affective maturity emerged as the principal psychological pathway to sustainable celibacy, with emotional awareness, emotional regulation, identity integration, and internalised commitment enabling participants to navigate challenges while maintaining long-term commitment. Cultural pressures, particularly family lineage expectations and the stigma of childlessness in Kenyan society, intensified these experiences. Participants identified prayer, mentorship, supportive relationships, counselling, and reflective practices as complementary coping mechanisms fostering emotional resilience and vocational stability. The study focused exclusively on male formators in Nairobi, limiting generalizability, and future research should examine experiences across different ministry stages and cultural settings. Formation institutions must prioritise formator training in psychological accompaniment to address the emotional struggles celibates face, establish confidential counselling services to reduce stigma and encourage help-seeking, and develop culturally sensitive interventions addressing family lineage pressures and childlessness stigma to sustain celibate commitment in the Kenyan context.