as a person raised in what was a very conservative catholic household in latin america, I feel like there is a new wave of very reactionary catholicism coming from the US that makes the Opus Dei or Legionaireslook like reasonable people.

I agree, I worked for Catholics for a few years and there are so many people just itching for a new pope to reverse ideologies so they can be more mad and racist and judgy and be justified for it. Not all, but many.