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Where are the apologists arguing that this is just one bishop’s opinion and he doesn’t speak for the church? And the old throw away, something about the floor being paved with the skulls of bishops?

For the benefit of lurkers, no individual bishop defines or promulgates Catholic dogma, whether it relates to the intercession of the saints, purgatory, the nature of grace, the priesthood, the morality of abortion or any other element of Catholic teaching. That is reserved to the teaching magisterium of the Church comprising the Pope and bishops united to him. The word "speak" is often used loosely and this is sometimes what is meant when people talk about "speaking" for the Church.

An individual bishop is, however, sent by the Church to preach the Gospel to those who have it not in a particular diocese and also to safeguard it and enforce its teachings amongst Catholics, which is exactly what is happening here, so there is no contradiction.

Should an individual bishop neglect to do this by failing to oppose the spread of error or even worse, contributing to its dissemination, he himself becomes a heretic. Hence the phrase..."the floor of hell is paved with the skulls" of bishops."

Hope this helps.

It does help. By your statement every single bishop that is aware of what the National Catholic Reporter espouses must either join Finn in his opinion or be guilty of heresy and the sin of omission.

No stampede of bishops to join Finn. Guess they're all heretics.