Respectfully, the term “Catholic Church” is improperly used and understood today.
Faithful Catholics (traditional Catholics who follow all the true teachings of the Church that were extant prior to Vatican II—think SSPX) recognize that Pope Francis is the leader of the “visible” or “institutional” Church. It is often referred to as the “Conciliar Church” since it was established by and follows the teachings of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II).
That institution must be distinguished from the true Church of Jesus Christ which is believed by faithful Catholics to be the “Mystical Body of Jesus Christ.”
Prior to Vatican II there was no distinction, but as the heresy of Modernism crept into the hearts of various bishops and popes after the death of St Pope Pius X, the leaders of the visible Church were led astray.
But, like any sinners, Those men have the opportunity to return to preaching the true faith and bring the visible Church back in line with the true Church founded by Jesus Christ under St. Peter and the Apostles (the first pope and bishops).
All that being said, faithful Catholics ignore the false teachings of these Modernist leaders in Rome and around the world by celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass and following all of the true teachings of the Church.
So how do you, a lay Roman Catholic I presume, make the determination as to the validity of what is or is not Roman Catholic dogma?
You seem to be putting yourself in the very position of the Reformers.
How can you say you're any different??
The Catholic church is the organization headquartered in the Vatican.
Lay Catholics who try to distance themselves from it are putting themselves in schism with it and putting themselves according to Catholic teaching, in spiritual danger.
Many lay Catholics seem to feel they can sit as judge and jury as to what is *true* Catholicism and what is not, and there is certainly not any agreement among you all even here on FR.
What Catholic doctrine or theology gives you the right or privilege or ability even to decide for yourselves what or who you want to believe and follow and what or who you don’t?
The lay Catholic who sits in judgment of the Catholic religion headquartered in Rome and claims allegiance to the *true* Catholic church, is only holding allegiance to their interpretation of what Catholic church they want to adhere to.
There are some here who don’t think there have been any valid popes for a long time but won’t tell which one they think was the last one.
And which era of Catholicism do you adhere to? Vatican 2? Vatican 1? The Council of Trent? Some other version of Catholicism? And more interestingly, WHY that particular point inn church history?