"And has the Catholic Church EVER claimed that certain Popes were not bad choices, or tried to claim that everything they did was right?"
According to your own doctrine is not the Pope infallible?
You do not understand Papal infallability.
Apparently you don't know what infallibility is, either.
And I don't think it will be helpful to explain.
In matters of faith, morals and teachings. He doesn't have to be perfect in his own personal life. Did Jesus pick men who were without sin as His Apostles?
Of course not, but His Twelve chosen ones never strayed from what He had personally taught them. The same with the Pope. He might err in his human behavior, but he CAN NOT err in the matters I listed above.