“the persons Christ conferred authority on some 1,400 years prior”
The persons - leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in 1517 - were neither the apostles, nor the disciples of Yeshua before or after the crucifixion, nor even Paul nor Paul’s contemporaries. “Tradition” does not “pass” “the authority” of Christ. Like salvation it is a gift received by faith.
There is no Christ chosen “vicar” of Christ. In is an institutional invention, invented by humans NOT to “maintain the faith”, only to maintain the domination of the institution. Faith had been purged from the church institution by its own corruption, corruption that was secular, venal and sinful.
Hear here! Here is wisdom.