A new study finds that Catholics lack knowledge of core teachings of the Catholic Church on the economy. In a nationally representative survey conducted by the Catholic Mental Models project, Americans were asked to identify Catholic teaching on private property, wages, and hiring and firing. In all three categories, only one-third or fewer US Catholics were able to do so.
When asked about Church teaching on the right to private property, only about one-third of US Catholics correctly identified that what the Church teaches is that private property is good: through ownership we imitate God. Close to half say they don’t know what the Church says about the right to private property.
The proportion of US Catholics who know what the Church teaches about wages is even smaller. About one-quarter of US Catholics correctly identified Church teaching to be wages should be sufficient for families to support themselves and also save something. A little over a quarter say they don’t know what the Church says about wages. But close to 40% of US Catholics think that the Catholic Church doesn’t talk about the matter per se.
The pattern continues. When asked what the Church teaches about hiring and firing, only about 16% of US Catholics correctly identified Church teaching to be that owners should make the dignity of employees central in their decision making, though sometimes firing is necessary. Close to a third of Catholics say they don’t know what the Church teaches on the matter. And, again, close to 40% of US Catholics think that the Catholic Church doesn’t talk about hiring and firing per se.
The Catholic Mental Models initiative, founded by Andreas Widmer and funded in part by The John Templeton Foundation, exists to help clarify and communicate the essential concepts of Catholic teaching on social and economic life.