It truly is baffling. Just the title “vicar of Christ” would cause me to back away. Vicar from the Latin vicarius which means “instead of” or “in place of”. Christ said when He left He would send someone but it wasn’t a pope. It was the Holy Spirit who would indwell every true believer. The only scripture reference to a person “instead of” or “in place of” is the anti-Christ. And no, I’m not saying the pope is the anti Christ. I’m saying I would back off from anyone who claimed that title because scripture says there will be many anti Christs.
I think people have the false assumption that when the Antichrist arrives they will be able to identify him. They forget that God says clearly he will send deception as such that they will certainly fall under his power and control and not be able to see him as he truly is.