I'm a Roman Catholic because I like the church I go to. I tried others, and I didn't feel a connection there. I like the way the service is done. I like my priest because he never condemns people or other religions during his services. He's very encouraging and tells people to try their best and treat people how you want to be treated. I like the traditions and holidays, Easter, Palm Sunday, Lent, etc. Everything you said in your second paragraph isn't important to me because that's not why I go to church.

I could give a crap about what the 'leader' says. He's just another person who has faults like everyone else.

I don't follow your strict definition of Catholicism, and I don't understand why someone has to in order to identify with the religion. Honestly, if the Pope came up to me today and excommunicated me personally, I'd still go around and say I'm Catholic and go to church whenever I felt like it.

Religion isn't about rules to me, its about how you as an individual choose to connect to a higher power (if you believe that sorta thing.)