Yes, all of that is true, Joe.

But your parishioner, the person in the pews, sees a hierarchy with one dude at the top who has stated, unequivocally, that he can be infallible.   Yes, yes, I know -- but but say you're infallible often enough and an encyclical becomes taken as ex cathedra.

Moreover, your person in the pews wants change and s/he wants it now. "Our diocese has been racked by pedophiles, the bishop has been doing nothing except going to meetings, we've been sued for millions, they're closing churches, and we have no priests coming along. Why can't we CHANGE, ferchissakes???" and change might well come along, eventually, but by then it's too little and too late.

You're dead on about the nuns. I know one in particular quite well -- best friend of my wife's from high school on -- and if you try to tell her "NO!" you'll be wasting your breath because she'll find a way to do it anyway.