It is unreasonable to be confused, as to who speaks for the RC church. The Pope and his organization seems to say it is somewhere in Rome.   Many individual RC members often claim it is not the Pope nor the Vatican. Some claim it is the local the Bishops and local structure. Then there are others say it is the individual RCs or the parishes. Then there are those who point to the results of large meetings, where issues are discussed, and sometimes resolved...on paper, that is.

And, then there are the outspoken folks...some right wingers, some left wingers,the defenders (right or wrong) , the apologists, single issues folks, alternative folks, back to the bible folks, back to the old church folks, those who select the convenient message, community active folks, those who don't want to focus on any issues (only faith), those looking out, those looking in, those pissed off by the pristly scandal, those directly impacted by the priestly scandal, the mystics, charismatic folks, "women priests in waiting", " married men in waiting, Christmas, Easter Ash Wednesday baptism, marriage and funeral attenders, those who go to church 'cause it kinda looks good (because of the neighbours or the kids) , or those who do so "cause their parents did so, and "it seems like the right thing to do".

And, then there are those who actually pay attention to God's and Christ's messages messages....that often seem to get lost in the worldly affairs of Christianity and the RC church.