ATF.....both those guys who signed that letter to Francis are cardinals....not bishops and I rather doubt it was a status issue, so much as a conservative issue...these guys see/saw Francis as a threat to their version of Church and act/acted  accordingly....

Personally I don't respect either one of them for a variety of reasons ...I take some comfort in that recent survey that indicated an increased number of Catholics are voting from an independent perspective.....(as a developmental psychologist, I would say, from an "adult perspective")...

As to a "pure" Church....perhaps inhabited by developmentally limited folks not able to make adult choices....or an imperfect human Church....inhabited by "adults" ...I'd go for the adult version every time....

We have had enough of fear, shame and juvenile based religiosity....