As a former Catholic from the Northeast now living in the state of Texas, I’m fairly safe in advising that it’s not about Catholics being naïve. Nope. Sorry. Still, nope.
It’s all about greed.
Greed about getting grants from the government teat is it’s driving force, now.
Between being Tax Exemption and getting Grants it’s rolling in the dough. And, it figures, rightly so, as long as it’s parishioners continue to give their tithes to the Catholic Church, it can keep right on rolling along.
Yes. George Bush’s “Faith-based Initiates”, that most of us approved of. He played us for chumps and suckers.