Oh, I disagree. I think we have had some popes with very strong prophetic gifts.
*Hi guanophore:
Actually, I’ve never heard one of our popes referred to as a prophet. I apologize if I misspoke. I would be interested in knowing who they may be.*
I think it is more accurate to say that there are sinful men who are joined to the Church. The sin, however, cannot be laid at the feet of the Holy and Pure bride of Christ.
*Yes, what you say about the Church as an “entity” is true. But I meant it in the sense of a body of Christians.
With warmest respect for what you’re saying, I was catechized to believe that the Church Christ left with Peter is still in tact even though there are “limbs” that have broken away from Christ’s Church, they are nevertheless still a part of it. To say that the Church (body of Christians) is only those confirmed catholic is to separate us from other Christians and leave Christ’s promise to us broken. There are those who left the faith, but that does not negate Christ’s promise that the Church remains. We are not separated from our brethren by faith, only the correct practice of it. I think the scripture you quote can be taken to mean the Church as a body of baptized individuals practicing the catholic faith, not withstanding those who do not. I do not believe you can separate the church from the sinners within it. Since “the Church” is referring to a body of people, not an entity. If you interpret the scripture below the way you have, you are saying that Christ gave himself up for only those confirmed in the catholic faith. I am not on board with that and I know a deacon in my church who made it perfectly clear to me that his Protestant parents were in Heaven. ( I was slightly scorned for thinking otherwise.)
I would be interested in hearing whether you believe our Church teaches that only confirmed catholics receive the benefit of Christ’s sacrafice. Please undestand, I’m not being confrontational. Some of us are not catechized correctly, it’s sad but true.

And I want to make sure I have the correct belief. Incedentally, the catechism is on the Holy See’s website and as I read through parts of it, it seems at times to be referring to the Church proper, but at other times referring to the Church as a body of believers (like in matters of faith, as an entity can’t have faith) I think it’s a matter of context with the catechism and the Scripture. This could make for good discussion among us catholics. It would be a welcomed change from having to defend ourselves.***
I would think it would be a great embarrassment to do so.
Well, it would be an imbarassment in the respect that the church was founded on the premise that it is the Remnant Church and is recognized as such through the gift of prophecy. No EGW, no remnant church. They would like to sweep her under the rug, but they cannot completely do so. That is why they keep her radical teachings primarily to themselves. Did you know she had a vision whereby God supposedly told her that the Pharisees wanted Mary to “get control” of Jesus? And that Jesus’ “older brothers” were constanly irretated by Him? She wrote these things in a book titled, “Desire of Ages”. She has written some really blasphemous stuff.