A Blue-Collar Catholic Can Recognize a White-Collar Heretic.
Most American Catholics do not know the definition of a heretic. However, a smaller percentage of mainstream Catholics who have studied a little theology might know that Catholics used to call Protestants "heretics," whereas they now prefer the term "separated brethren." An even smaller percentage of Catholics, namely traditionalists, still prefer to label Protestants as "heretics" (as well they should.) However, most traditional Catholics today are hesitant to grant the moniker "heretic" to anyone in the clergy without a formal canonical trial. Why are they so free with the first group and hesitant with the second group? They are afraid that an obvious heretic in the hierarchy as such undermines [...]