I don’t think I am delusional at all, in many aspects, especially this one. I believe it was in Pope John Paul II’s Ecumenical doctrine, Et Unim Sint, that he posited the fact that the original heretics were the ones who first broke away from the Church and started their own church dominions. But then perhaps, as some do, you think of Pope Paul II as heretical?
With all the information we have available today, it would be very difficult to point a finger and call anyone a heretic. But then, you know, even those “terrible” Protestants have a sense of loyalty to their Faith.

Only God has the complete answers and the right to judge anyone, anytime.
I fail to see how one can adhere to the tenets of a community founded by heretics and not hold heretical views himself. The two seem to be irreversibly linked. Particularly these days when information is freely available to almost all who are even the slightest bit interested.
Tell you what. Read 2 Peter Chapter 2 and get back to me. And no, I don’t think that John Paul II was a heretic at all. I don’t practically worship him as do many on this forum, but he wasn’t a heretic.
He had a dream, a vision as it were, of uniting at any cost apparently, all religions into one great umbrella with Catholicism at the center providing guidance. Maybe he was a visionary, maybe he was foolish, who can say at this point.
As fas as the protestants having loyalty to their particular faiths, maybe they do, maybe they don’t. They don’t seem to think too much of splitting off from a group when it no longer suits them. The sheer number of denominations seems to bear that one out.
And even if they do have fealty and loyalty,to their faith, so did the Montanists. the Albigenses- . the Arians, , the Docetists, the Gnostics, the Nestorians, the Jansenists, the Pelagianists, the Modalists, the Cathars, the followers of Jim Jones and David Koresh, heck the Spartans, the followers of Bushido etc,** ALL**** had loyalty to their particular faith.** We could even go so far as to say the followers of radical Islam have loyalty to their faith as well.
It doesn’t make them right or true or proper.
Sorry, read 2 Peter Chapter 2. Most people never have, and they should. Then they might not be so willing to accept any faith that comes bopping down the road as being valid and pleasing to God.
Just in case you don’t know, 2 Peter Chapter 2 speaks about one thing. The inevitable onslaught of error, false teachers and false prophets arising among the people and corrupting the Church and poisoning minds… If Peter is not enough read Corinthians as well and see what Paul says about them, and their open minded ways.
In the end, you will believe what you want. As for me, I will accept the words of Peter and Paul on the subject. They seem pretty clear.
And pray tell, why it would be difficult to call someone a heretic?