Reply #7: You absolutely miss the point.

[ElboRuum]

Say what you want about "Catholicism" the faith, with all of its past and present ugliness, you will get no argument from me either for or against. That (as I clearly wrote) is NOT what I'm defending.

Catholicism is not some "organization" you "associate" with. The faith is a heritage characteristic present from birth, like your ancestry. People are born into this faith and grow up within it. That said, most Catholics can name several things they disagree with regarding the church leadership and their policies and decrees. But it is the FAITH that is of importance to them, not the papacy. I don't expect any Catholic to self-excommunicate (as if such a thing were possible) because they disagree with the leadership, because it does not fundamentally change their beliefs. They should not be made to feel "anti-progressive" because the leadership of the church is hopelessly backward.