Actually every pope affirms that protestants are damned to hell ... and so that is the official position of Rome.. it does not matter what "individuals" think
And we are constantly reminded of that when we state something that Catholics we know believe or practice and and we are told *You are wrong* because it’s not an *OFFICIAL* teaching of the Catholic church.
And we know that the OFFICIAL teaching of the Catholic church teaches that it is the way of salvation and there is no salvation outside of it. And while Catholics point out that the church has *officially* made *exceptions* It’s common knowledge that none of the people the RC’s are talking to fit those exceptions.