text: This column has been bothering me. Yes, for most Catholics, lay and clerical, the "past battles" mean nothing, or little. However, as with the Trump base, there is a hard-core that is unmoved and unmovable, who use the origins and "protestantization" argument to decry a more merciful, inclusive, principle driven Catholicism in favour of the rote dogmatic authoritarian model. The corollary being: trad cath'ism good; protestant bad. 
  The other dimension that bothers, is the validity of the Civilta Cattolica premise of "surprising ecumenism" - the putting aside of just about everything Christian, not only "past battles", to coalesce around anti- of gay, abortion, and pro- the furtherance of privilege, tax-exempt accumulation of wealth and political influence. 
  It almost seems that the "secularization" of remaining church goers and (whether through ignorance or irrelevance) the diminution of theological distinction is humanizing religion. Isn't that where Jesus is - when a few 
  gather?