Not by works lest any should boast, helps clear things up
It does: we are saved by grace of Christ alone and that we cannot earn by any works. Catholic doctrine.
it does speak of "churches" in plural?
Yes, they are local churches. Same as today. There is no condoning of divisions into denominations in the scripture. Care to prove me wrong on that?
meaning in original usage ~universal~ Church
Right. It is still the meaning: the Church that has no doctrinal, geographical or historical theological distinctions.
nowhere was it stipulated that all must unilaterally submit to one particular Apostle
That can be argued either way, but certainly the power to "bind and loose" belongs not to the Pope alone but to all the bishops acting in communion with him and one another. What these passages do preclude though is denominations: when two or more incompatible doctrines bind some people but not other. It is also notworthy that no similar passage exists where the Hoyl Scripture would be given such "binding and loosing" role.
Generally, understand that the argument here is not about papacy but about the Catholic Church as a whole. That the Eastern Orthodox have a different view on the papacy does not disqualify them as theologically Catholic. The Orthodox view on the relative roles of the Church and the Scripture and the faith and works is identical to ours and is entirely correct.
Ahh, so you will be telling the pope and others to rescind all the reams of popery "fluff" theological additions, uhm err, developments, and have those whom are presently in oversight of RC "magesterium" tender apology to the Orthodox?
No?
Do the same work which is being required of others.