Well, that was not the issue under dispute, as I understand it. However, neither do I dispute that the thinkers that came before had an influence on the the ideas of the founding fathers. Even Catholic, Jewsih, and possibly even Muslim ones.
And, of course, we all know that the Founders got their ideas about Constitutional governance from the Iroquois. ;). But what was the proportion of Iroquois, or any Native Americans for that matter, among them?
The fact is, that the vast majority of them were of a British Protestant background, and that is my point.
>> Well, that was not the issue under dispute, as I understand <<
Then maybe you should refrain from the snarky, sarcastic comments, because I was responding directly to the question, “[W]hat role did Catholics play in forming the institutions of this country?” I was not answering, “what were the demographics of the founding fathers?” Common law is an institution of this country which considerably predates the Constitution, and from which the Constitution depends.