Well, the divide is actually one of recognition of earthly authority. The crux of the Protestant Reformation was the denial of Church authority in all matters Christian. That hasn’t changed to this day.
To me, there is little productivity in attempts at unification if all we talk about is interpretations of this or that scripture. The divide goes deeper. It bottoms out at this: did Christ establish, and endow with Holy Spirit guidance and protection, a visible, hierarchical, magisterial, liturgical, sacramental, and above all, authoritative Church on earth or did He not? Sure, you can find some evidence of this in scripture itself. But that is always subject to a biased reading of the verses, framed by the oral, traditional teachings of whatever Christian community you are exposed to. It’s helpful, but it’s not where the divide is. Ultimately, protestants are entrenched in a belief that Christ would not, and did not, create, gift and commission an institution made up of sinful men to shepherd His flock in His earthly absence.
So, I agree with you that the divide (or better, debate) should not be based on whether we are subject to Scripture, whether that’s a final authority for one group, or an integrated part of a final authority for another. But it should also not be based on individual interpretations here and there. While there is a place for that sort of discussion, the debate should be about God’s appointed authority post-Pentecost. To me, the swim across the Tiber to Rome, while ultimately a matter of Spirit-led interior conversion, is buoyed by scripture, history and reason.
I think you are trying to make the Church fit into the Sola Scriptura box, but it simply won’t work. And the reason is that SS promulgates the concept of the efficacy of individual, independent, interpretation based on the perspicuity of Scripture regarding all things pertaining to salvation. The Church does not hold to this concept. It understands that Scripture alone, without the Church, is not sufficient for understanding that which pertains to salvation. It understands this, not because an individual here or there can never see the fullness of truth of the Catholic faith from their isolated reading of it, but because on the whole, without the framework of the divine deposit of faith, many will misinterpret and be led astray, away from the fullness of Truth not only in Scripture, but in the sacramental and spiritual life of the Church.
So, it has everything to do with the divine appointment of the Church and the fact that SS says “you don’t need Her”. That’s why ultimately, you can never say that the Church does not object to a notion of SS.
