“I know what happened to Israel. I draw a different conclusion.”
O.K., what conclusion do you draw?
In support of that I have not only the Gospels and the letters of Clement and Ignatius, but also the senses that part of our vocation as Church is to be subject to unjust accusation.
Indeed, all Christians share that vocation. But the very nature and number of the accusations made against those in communion with the See of Peter tells me that the very stony hearts of our enemies give testimony to our call to be better and ever better than we are.
The world sees Peter looking up from the fire in the chilly morning and lying through his teeth. So do we. But we also see the dialogue on the beach and Peter' martyrdom.
Our "separated brethren" see our failures, which, while many are perhaps not quite so many as some think they are. We see Peter chickening out from his OWN teaching and practice about eating with gentiles, but finally taking the right stand, and then being martyred.
Paul himself raises the possibility, even if only academically, that he might end up excluded from the Gospel he proclaims. We, reading our Bibles, no matter what is said about us, see that possibility for some of us, but continue to rely on the extraordinary and unmerited grace of God.
So, I say again, I conclude that God's promise to His Church will not be broken and that the "plene esse" of that Church is found among those in communion with the See of Peter.