No sense in calling yourself a “Catholic” if you don’t believe in the Pope or Mary. As a Catholic you are either in all the way or you have effectively excommunicated yourself. I can not fathom the thought of not agreeing with the Pope in matters of faith and morals. I can not fathom the thought of not going to Mother Mary to put in a special word for me with her son. She knows Him better than anyone.
Mary is dead.
Good luck with getting past the executive secretary...
Does your statement hold true for all Popes or just the current one? How about Pope Alexander VI? He took over much of Italy by force with the help of his son Cesare (yes, his son), a racy relationship with his daughter Lucrezia (some say her son was his), and his affinity for throwing large parties, bordering on orgies, that usually culminated with little naked boys jumping out of large cakes.
How about Pope Innocent IV? He introduced the use of torture to extract confessions of heresy. It is shocking to learn about the deranged instruments of torture that were used on so many innocent people. One of the most famous people to suffer at the hands of Roman inquisitors was Galileo. The church condemned Galileo for claiming that the earth revolved around the sun.
How about Pope John XV? He split the church's finances among his relatives and was described as "covetous of filthy lucre and corrupt in all his acts."
How about Pope John XII? He converted the Lateran Palace into a brothel, raped female pilgrims in St. Peter's, stolen church offerings, drank toasts to the devil, and invoked the aid of Jove, Venus, and other pagan gods when playing dice. He was deposed, but returned as pope when Otto left Rome, maiming and mutilating all who had opposed him. On 964, he was apparently beaten by the husband of a woman with which he was having an affair, dying three days later without receiving confession or the sacraments.
Shall I go on? History bears witness to the fact that Rome's Popes have no special handle on "matters of faith and morals"..... in fact sometimes quite the opposite!