I think RealCatholicTV's position has a point.
There was a time when I had fallen away from the Church. Thanks to many circumstances, including my wonderful wife and the birth of my daughter (whom I want to get to heaven above all else, along with my other children now), I began the process of returning to the faith. I could easily just "walk through the doors and into the confessional", something I did, but the "process" involved dying to myself - especially letting go of all my favorite pet sins. Of which I had way too many :(
At this point, there was someone in my life that kept attacking the pope, and in my mind it created confusion: Why join the Catholic Church? Apparently they've just fallen into heresy with everyone else! There are all the trad groups, but they don't like each other - the sedes, SSPX (where I had attended as a child), Institute of Christ the King, etc. All in their own camps. Kind of like --- Protestants!
I'm not trying to attack anyone here, just describing the frustration and confusion that person was sewing in my heart as I was returning. I finally told him what he was doing, and that maybe my faith wasn't as strong as his, but that it made me just want to "give up". I didn't have problems with bishops and priests becoming heretical, but that since my understanding was "Where Rome is, there is the Church", that if "Rome was heretical, then there is no way I could know the Truth".
He apologized, and actually became a huge support in my conversion.
Perhaps those here who have stronger faith than I had at the time cannot see this. They didn't experience it. But in Mr. Carrol's responses, that is basically what they are saying. That they do not want to push people like me away.
RCTV is not perfect. But, then again, neither is anyone on here. We are all horrible sinners. If we lose sight of that, then all the knowledge in the world won't get us to heaven. But as I was in my conversion, or rather re-version, process, RCTV's attitude would not have pushed me away from the faith. A more "fully-trad" RCTV equivalent would have, because that attitude is what almost made me say "forget it".
Anyways, I am very thankful to God that I did come back. Not only has my coming back to the faith filled my household with joy, by getting rid of the sins and letting our house flourish as a Catholic household. It has also filled it with beautiful children. We went from one child, now almost old enough to drive, to seven, and by God's grace, maybe more in the future
I am not as knowledgable about Catholic history as many on here, but I have learned enough in this past decade that I helped a friend return to the faith, and his wife and two sons also joined (his wife and kids hadn't even been baptized). My wife and I are witnessing to another family friend, and while she has not yet "swum the Tiber", she has gone from believing all the "lies and falsehoods" about Catholicism she was reading in the New York Times, and watching on CNN, to saying that she respects the teachings of the Church, and that she really does like the pope now. Hey, it's a start
She's even come to Mass with us a few times!
In all of this, I kind of take RCTV's stance. I have pointed out that there is a struggle in the Church over teachings, etc, but that we know what the true teachings are because of Tradition, and that because Holy Mother Church is preserved from error in this area, we know that if what is taught today contradicts yesterday, then that teaching is false. If there is any confusion, read Aquinas, or Augustine, etc...
What I have chosen not to do is criticize the Pope, or Rome, even though I know there is much to be critical about in this day and age. I don't want to sew the kind of confusion in her heart (or my other friend's heart) that I myself experienced.
Anyways, my two cents.
God Bless
-Martin
EDIT: fixed typos
