Even the best of us, especially those who have lived their entire lives in the V2 and post-V2 era, do not see things as clearly as our fathers did.
Or more clearly. We can look back on the string of private predictions and prophecies speaking of a darkened or apostate church and see what they meant. We can look back on same and see what was meant by a 'disorganized' remnant of Catholics somewhat mistrusting of each other.
What we don't know is where does the next Pope come from, this great holy Pope who is perhaps brought back to Rome by a secular ruler called the Great Monarch, out of France. Or does it even happen that way? Does this Pope arise from the apostate church? Is he elected by the cardinals? Or does he come from the disorganized and leaderless remnant, who decide to elect a Pope and who decides to go to Rome? The next council? Is this the remnant council, or one of bishops shaking themselves out of apostacy, or a combination - etc?
My suspicion is that much of this plays out when there are two men claiming the papacy, one legitimately, one falsely. I would certainly suspect that the fraud is the one in Vatican City, and least for a time. Perhaps, because of the armies of this Monarch, Catholics do again get back the Vatican, and Notre Dame, etc. Maybe the Roman Protestant doesn't give it back. Maybe they are shrinking, scared and physically removed to make way for those they had shunned and mocked.