It does not matter how old a certain Church is for that does not make it the truth,and the truth has always been out there,before the Protestant movement,but that movement made it more popular,but eventually it would have to happen,as people would get wiser as time went on to their ways,which I heard that they would not allow the common folk to read the Bible,so that would hinder the truth for they could tell them whatever.
God always had people in the truth throughout the Church age regardless the popularity of a Church,and influencing people,and God said that when Israel went astray,He will had 7000 men that did not bow the knee to Baal,and said He has Jews that are in the truth,although a lot were not.
The Roman Empire when they embraced Christianity did not get rid of their religious ways,but dragged them in to the Bible,and it became their foundation of the interpreting of scriptures,and why they are so off base,for their paganism shines through a lot.Joseph Smith,Scientology,and a lot of others did the same thing,drag a belief in to the Bible,and it becomes their foundation for interpreting scriptures.
Daniel had a vision of 4 beasts that would come up one after the other,Babylon,Medo-Persia,Greece,and the Roman Empire,which the first three beasts had their dominion taken away,but their ways are still on earth,and all show up at the beast kingdom,and will never have dominion again,but the Roman Empire does not have their dominion taken away until God puts them down,and the saints possess the kingdom on earth.
Since the Roman Empire has the dominion until the future put down of them,and the Roman Catholic Church,the Vatican,and Pope,is for the most part their religious system,then the Roman Catholic Church will be popular.
Which I believe it is for a purpose as she becomes the leader,Pope,and headquarters,Vatican,of a unified religious system,where all religions are valid for spiritual evolution,with a false interpretation of Christianity,Islam,and Judaism,to fit the standard format of the unified religious system,based on the new age movement,which means the Roman Catholic Church,and the Pope,are going to change more to fit that format,which means they already have it in the works,and will slowly introduce it,and since the Roman Catholic Church is pagan based,that interprets the Bible as such,it will not be that difficult for them to shuffle right along in to that transition,and the Roman Catholic Church,the Vatican,become mystery Babylon the great,the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth,for she represents all the false religions of the world,but I believe a lot of people claiming Catholic will abandon her at that time.
So there appears to be a purpose for the Roman Catholic Church,who is deceived by the Vatican and the Pope,as they slowly indoctrinate the new age movement,and the Roman Empire does not have their dominion taken away until God puts them,as they want to revert back to the old systems before Christianity,for they believe they are better systems than even the way America operates today,or anything else going on today,which they will slowly put the focus on people,and take it off God,and then in the beast kingdom,they believe in no personal God,but that kingdom will be of the occult like the good ole' days,but worse in arrogance,and the belief of it,and believe in the God of forces,which God tells us the last king will not honor the God of his fathers,and not regard any god,but honor the God of forces,for that will be their God,the force of nature,and trying to harness the power of nature for spiritual evolution.
The Churches that Jesus addressed in Revelation I believe is how the Church age will go in popular influence,although there is always people in the truth all through Church history.
1.Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
They left their first love,but at this popular moment the Roman Catholic Church did not come in to play yet.
2.Rev 2:9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
This appears as if it could be the beginning of the Roman Catholic Church,as their foundation is paganism,and somewhat of the occult.
Church age 3,4,5,6,7,the Roman Catholic Church is still popular,but people are kind of backing away,but not quite enough.
5.Rev 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
Rev 3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Rev 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Then it appears as if a lot are backing away,which might be the beginning of the Protestant movement,for no mention of the synagogue of Satan,or any of that.
6.Rev 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
Rev 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
Rev 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
This could be the Protestant movement when it is popular,which Jesus did not have anything to say amiss about them,but hold fast which they have,that no man take their crown,and also this popular Church age occurs when the hour of temptation comes upon all the world,to try them that dwell upon the earth,which Jesus will deliver them from that temptation for they abide in the truth,which there can only be one temptation that can come upon the whole world,and that is when the world says Peace and safety,which is when the world will come together and try to achieve peace on earth,that will eventually lead them to the beast kingdom,but Paul said that the people in the truth will not be deceived by that,for they know it is not the operation of God,but man going astray going against what God wants for the earth.
7.Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.
Now we are at this Church age which we see a lot of this with the prosperity Gospel,and a lot of people who claim Christ involved in material and monetary gain,but the Protestant,and the Catholic,are right there in popularity too.
This is what is seems like to me,and since the Roman Empire does not lose their dominion until God puts them down,then the Roman Catholic Church will be popular,but that does not make it the truth,and the purpose of it to be the head of all the false religions,as the Roman Empire has the dominion in the beast kingdom,with the Babylonian spirit,for she will never have physical dominion again,as they want to revert back to the systems of old,like Egypt,Babylon,and those type systems,for their kingdom is based on the occult.