Divine forgiveness among Spanish-speaking Catholics

Project Description This Templeton Foundation–funded project investigates the psychological bases of Divine Forgiveness (DF) in practicing Spanish-speaking Catholics. The project integrates qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine how Divine Forgiveness is conceptualized, experienced, and psychologically associated within Catholic contexts. The project is organized around multiple samples and associated studies, which are presented in OSF as components and subcomponents. Below we describe the samples and their corresponding studies. --------------------------------------------- Sample 1: Qualitative Interviews with Catholic Priests This sample consists of 26 in-depth interviews with Spanish-speaking Catholic priests who have at least 15 years since ordination. The interviews focus on Divine Forgiveness, self-forgiveness, sin, and sacramental confession, with particular attention to how Divine Forgiveness is communicated and experienced in pastoral practice. The full set of 26 interview transcripts is stored in a private component and is available upon reasonable request, due to the sensitive nature of the data. This sample also includes a separate component documenting an associated qualitative study, based on a subset of 10 interviews. These interviews were analyzed because thematic saturation was reached with respect to the study objectives. --------------------------------------------- Sample 2: Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Study This component documents a mixed-methods, cross-sectional study conducted with Spanish and Mexican Catholic participants. The study examines psychological correlates of Divine Forgiveness, including cognitive variables, well-being indicators, and mental health–related measures. An associated component presents Study 2, including the dataset for this sample, which is publicly accessible, along with the analysis scripts used in the study. --------------------------------------------- Sample 3: Longitudinal Study on the Effects of Sacramental Confession This sample corresponds to a longitudinal study currently in the data collection phase. The study examines changes before and after sacramental confession, including a comparison group. The corresponding OSF component will be made public once data collection is complete.