[cupcakes]

Yeah and most of those Christians couldn't read and were at the whim of the "Church" to interpret it for them. I suspect the hypocracies would have been pointed out sooner if the general population had even a basic level of education to read and write, but they did not.
You also fail to point out that in those 1500 years, death was most certainly the outcome for anyone who even challenged Papal authority. In the days with no way to escape and for isolation to assure ones death, it would take a big person to challenge such authority. Just look at the Muslims. I would submit that little changes there because they are under the threats and lack of education that Christians were in those 1500 years. I wonder if there was no threat of death and isolation, if what folks like Martin Luther surmissed 1500 years later would have been noted a lot earlier.

[Cronos]

You also fail to point out that in those 1500 years, death was most certainly the outcome for anyone who even challenged Papal authority.

Not really, for the first 300 years, everyone was getting persecuted by the Roman authorities. up until the advent of Islam and the Great Schism between East and West, you could be excommunicated by one of the bishops (Rome, Constantinople etc) and go to the other.

Even if you didn't agree with Papal authority, in most nations and at most times you would be excommunicated and exiled, not killed by the Papal authorities. under Alexander VI, the Borgia Pope, things did get to the point you talk about and he was an abomination, but I doubt if most other Popes fall in his category.