avenir:
There is a hint of truth what you say, but there is a difference. There are lots of individual Catholics who don’t know dude dilly squat about their Faith, that is most certainly true. There are bad bishops, nuns and theologians as well, not going to deny that. But there is one clear standard of the faith, so if is easy to see who is going in the wrong direction and at times, sometimes very slowly, Rome eventually cracks down. For example, several women have been excommunicated formally for mimicking ordination to the priestly ministry, which is tantamount to potentially causing a schism because it can falsely lead Catholics, most likely the not so solid ones, or just good folks who are misguided, to think they can receive the sacraments from a woman who is no more a priest than I as a man can give birth to children.
In the end, the be fully Catholic is to be in communion with a Bishop and Diocese that is in communion with the Church and Bishop of Rome. Once you break that sacramental bond of communion, one is in schism.
Protestantism is no anchor at the Institutional level, the Methodist will probably split and now you have 2 different groups from the former United Methodist.
Thanks for your thoughtful reply!