I don't see why my last question is weird, unless you've never considered it before(??).  Protestants figured it out 500 years ago, unless you think their theology is without merit.

I didn't mean to imply that PF was playing a game, but rather it is the whole pretense (IMO) of the institutional Roman Rite as being descendant of God/Jesus.  In my view (and well supported by good scholarship I might add), ancient Rome capitalized on their worldly success and eventually added theocratic rule as a viable form of church governance.  Read up on the Constantine era (if you have not already) and you will see what I mean... it was/is a symbiotic relationship plain and simple.  It worked well back in the day but this form of dominion theology is simply no longer tenable in the modern age.