You wrote:
“He was only a heretic to the papacy.”
No, he was a heretic to all orthodox Christians.
“He was faithful to Christ.”
Only the Christ of his own making.
He just realized that papacy was a man made institution, some good, some bad, nothing holier than any other christian believer. Probably really realized it when they threatened to arrest him if he didnt recant. Jesus didn’t arrest many people. Good thing Prince Frederick III, Elector of Saxony protected him.
It’s like math. You dont need to know 2+3=5 to know that 765 is the incorrect answer. Nothing in Christs life or words suggests the creation of a hierarchical government, living in spendor, ruling by fear, and suggesting that it is the necessary intermediary between a man and Christ.
If fact, Christ said no man comes to the father except by me. He could have said “or the pope, or a Bishop of Antioch, or an deacon, etc. But he didn’t.
Now I’m ready for you to snidely tell me that Jesus himself started the papacy by pointing to the Peter/Rock verse in the Bible. Then of next course, without a hint of irony, you’ll tell how a Christian cannot go solo scriptura.
You guys got away with *a lot* back when translating or reading the Bible was against your rules for the laity.