Yes, "Littleway" it is crazy.  But this craziness was reinforced by the Council of Trent [1545-63].  The Council of Trent wasn't interested in any church reform, but only with a reaffirmation that the Roman Catholic Church teaches faithfully what has always been taught [they didn't know their Church history---church teachings amassed over the centuries, not from DAY 1], and they believed that things would always be taught this way [perhaps that is why many of the retro. bloggers like to cite the Council of Trent as their main point of reference that 'things can't change'.

One of the elements defended was the grace of the sacraments is EFFECTIVE [Christ works through the sacraments] in spite of the spiritual state of holiness of the celebrant.  He could be a 'devil in a chasuble' but if he prayed the correct formulary, Christ working in the sacraments, made them efficacious for the people receiving them.  So it is not the priest's or the people's faith--it is Christ who confers  grace.