This is old news, but none the less very relavent.
Well in the Western Schism, a lot of people did not know who the Pope was, this kind of situation is not unheard of, so it has an historical basis from which to draw from. But the Pope as the vicar of Christ is not the whole Church, because sometime he has to die, and the Church will still exist in an interregnum, whether there is a Pope or no. Christ is the head of the Church, the Pope represents Christ, if the rep dies, Christ still remains head, and the Church still exists. Even if the interregum were an extended period, it is no real stick against the argument in question, rather that it has happened before, and that ergo is possible and feasible.
However, the priest as a vassal of Papal authority, represents the Pope, who reps Christ, and after all he represents Christ in the confessional, is a visible part of the Church hierarchy.
The main sticking point is that we always have to have a pope, but what is overlooked is that all throughout history there were times where there was no pope, and the majority did not know the true pope, or simply did not know between various claimants. The visiblility issue I believe was settled by Our Lady at LaSalette when she said that the Church would be in eclipse, and this is straight from heaven, from our lady. And some prophecy said some thing said that the Church will be punished because the majority of her members, will become so perverted. that the Church would sink deeper and deeper until it would seem to be extinguished, and the succession of
Peter to have expired, and after this, would be exalted in the sight of all doubters.
But since I am no authority, I cannot judge the Pope, but as Catholics, if we see heresy, we are bound to condemn it and it propagator, no distinction is made.