[marshmallow]

But popes must defend the faith. When they do not, but command what is harmful to the Church, their commands lose legitimacy. You need to understand this important truth better. When a pope actually attacks Sacred Tradition, he forces ordinary Catholics to resist--and to defend the faith by default.

Here's an important truth that you need to understand better.

If the Pope's writings and teachings require your approval (at least in your mind), then you are the Pope.

[ultima ratio]

You misunderstand what I said. I was making the point that the Pope can't invent what we must believe. It is not up to him to teach anything new whatsoever. His office gives him authority only to teach what the Church has always taught and what Catholics have always believed--in other words, what has already been handed-down by Catholic Tradition. But if he does not do this, and will not protect that tradition but teaches novelties instead--then by default it falls to others to defend the true faith. That is not something that traditional Catholics wish to do--but they are forced by default to do this in a crisis.