Pope Francis, 8-17-14 in South Korea [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license]
See also my book, Pope Francis Explained: Survey of Myths, Legends, and Catholic Defenses in Harmony with Tradition.
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I wrote on 9-20-13:
For all of you out there worried about the pope. Relax; chill. All is well. We have a pope who says the unexpected: a lot like Jesus. And, like Jesus, those who don’t get it and are outside looking in, will misunderstand, and those who are in the fold will grasp what is being said, in the context of historic Catholic teaching, if they look closely enough and don’t get hoodwinked by silly media wishful thinking.
Those who are outside often hear only what they want to hear (God loves everyone, even sinners!!!) and not what they need to hear (stop sinning; stop this sin . . .).
I wrote in a letter to a friend:
It’s the same old dumb misunderstandings: media misreports what the pope said; never understand what he means in context, and in context with past teachings. Don’t fall into their trap! Pope Francis is a good Catholic; nothing to be alarmed about at all. The world wants Christians to renounce their teachings. We’re the guys who have never done so. We keep the same moral teaching that the Church had from the beginning: no abortion, no divorce, no contraception, no same-sex “marriages,” etc. Virtually no one else has done so! So the attack is against us to change traditional morality, and we will never do that.
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1. Nine things you need to know about Pope Francis’s inaugural Mass (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 3-17-13)
2. Should We Be Concerned About Pope Francis’s Inaugural Mass? (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 3-18-13)
3. Pope Francis on Homosexual Unions (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 3-20-13)
4. Behind the Campaign to Smear the Pope (Mary Anastasia O’Grady, Crisis / The Wall Street Journal, 3-22-13)
5. How Should We Understand Pope Francis Washing Women’s Feet? (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 3-28-13)
6. Pope Francis, Foot-Washing, & Humility (Pete Vere & Dave Armstrong, Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, 3-13-13 and 3-30-13)
7. Pope Francis and lying to save life (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 5-15-13)
8. Dreadful Misleading Headline of Catholic Online Pins Heresy on Pope (Brian Kelly, Catholicism.org, 5-23-13)
9. Did Pope Francis Say That Atheists Can Get to Heaven by Good Works? (Jimmy Akin, JimmyAkin.com, 5-24-13)
10. Did Pope Francis poke Protestants in the eye? (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 6-4-13)
11. Seven things you need to know about what Pope Francis said about gays (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 7-29-13)
12. Pope Francis and the Franciscan Friars (Michelle Arnold, Catholic Answers, 7-30-13)
13. Don’t Tell the Press: Pope Francis Is Using Them (Elizabeth Scalia, First Things, 7-30-13)
14. Franciscans of the Immaculate decree worries traditionalists (Catholic News Agency, 7-30-13)
15. On the Pope’s Remarks about Homosexuality (Scott P. Richert, Crisis, 8-1-13)
16. What Did the Pope Really Say about Gays in the Priesthood? (Fr. Regis Scanlon, O.F.M. Cap., Crisis, 8-5-13)
17. Pope Francis Will Enliven the Benedict Legacy (Jeffrey Tucker, Crisis, 8-12-13)
18. What should we make of Pope Francis bowing when greeting people? (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 8-30-13)
19. Is Pope Francis about to eliminate celibacy? (9 things to know and share) (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 9-12-13)
20. What Pope Francis really said about atheists (Stephen Kokx, Catholic Vote, 9-13-13)
21. Did Pope Francis say atheists don’t need to believe in God to be saved? (9 things to know) (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 9-15-13)
22. Pope Francis Focuses on the Bigger Picture With New Interview (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 9-20-13)
23. Pope condemns abortion as product of ‘throwaway culture’ (Francis X. Rocca, Catholic News Service, 9-20-13)
24. Francis Confounds the Associated Press (Elizabeth Scalia, The Anchoress, 9-20-13)
25. Francis and Benedict, Peter and John (Thomas L. McDonald, God and the Machine, 9-20-13)
26. Pope Francis and His Critics (Scott P. Richert, Crisis, 9-23-13)
27. The Mission of Pope Francis, S. J. (Michelle Arnold, Catholic Answers, 9-23-13)
28. Report: Pope Excommunicates Priest for Supporting Gay Marriage, Female Priest (Dr. Susan Berry, Breitbart, 9-24-13)
29. The Papal Interview: A Survey of Reactions (Joseph Meaney, Crisis, 9-25-13)
30. Pope Francis and ‘The Interview’ (Abp. Charles Chaput, CatholicPhilly.com, 9-25-13)
31. Pope Francis: Every Unborn Child Has the Lord’s Face (Andrew M. Greenwell, Esq., Catholic Online, 9-26-13)
32. A Big Heart Open to God: The exclusive [complete] interview with Pope Francis (Antonio Spadaro, S. J., America, 9-30-13)
33. Did Pope Francis just say that evangelization is “nonsense”? 8 things to know and share (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 10-1-13)
34. Is Pope Francis about to “rip up” the Vatican constitution? 12 things to know and share (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 10-2-13)
35. The Pope’s Pro-Life Declaration “in Context” (Dr. William Oddie, Crisis, 10-3-13)
36. Pope Francis’s new letter to homosexual Catholics (9 things to know and share) (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 10-11-13)
37. Is Pope Francis going to let the divorced and remarried receive Communion? (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 10-22-13)
38. Papal Style: Caring for Souls while Leaving Doctrinal Exposition to Others (Dr. William Oddie , Crisis, 11-19-13)
39. Pope’s words in interview may not have been his own, Scalfari says (Andrea Gagliarducci, Catholic News Agency, 11-21-13)
40. Only Fools RUSH in Where Angels Fear to Tread: Limbaugh Excoriates Pope Francis Unfairly (Fr. John Trigilio, 11-30-13)
41. Would Someone Just Shut That Pope Up? (Patrick J. Deneen, The American Conservative, 12-5-13; mostly about economics)
42. Pope Francis addresses Marxism charges, women cardinals in La Stampa interview (Catherine Harmon, The Catholic World Report, 12-15-13)
43. Pope Francis takes on allegations and rumors about his papacy: 9 things to know and share (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 12-15-13)
44. Pope Benedict Defends Francis on Markets and Ethics (Andrew M. Haines, 12-16-13, Ethika Politika)
45. Pope Francis on the “parable” of the loaves and fishes: 11 things to know and share (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 1-1-14)
46. Don’t fall for this Pope Francis hoax: 5 things to know and share (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 1-2-14)
47. What did Pope Francis say about the children of homosexual couples? 8 things to know and share (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 1-4-14)
48. Does Francis Really Have a Marxism Problem? (David Byrne, Crisis Magazine, 1-10-14)
49. Did Pope Francis baptize a baby whose parents aren’t married? 12 things to know and share (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 1-12-14)
50. Il Papa’s Not a Rollin’ Stone (Christopher Manion, Crisis Magazine, 2-3-14)
51. The War on Pope Francis (M. Anthony Mills, Real Clear Religion, 2-3-14) [economics issues]
52. Quotes from Pope Francis [great website that notes the massive distortions and spin taking place about the pope; added on 2-8-14]
53. Judge Not (Tim Staples, Catholic Answers, 2-14-14) [Same-sex couples and homosexuality]
54. Did Pope Francis just diss apologists? 9 things to know and share (Jimmy Akin, 3-10-14)
55. Francis and Traditionalist Catholics (Alberto Carosa, The Catholic World Report, 3-12-14)
56. The Media’s Fictional Francis (John Paul Shimek, The Catholic World Report, 3-13-14)
57. Did Pope Francis tell a divorced and civilly remarried woman she could receive Holy Communion? (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 4-23-14)
58. Vatican responds to Francis’ call to Argentinian woman; more details emerge (Catherine Harmon, The Catholic World Report, 4-24-14)
59. Pope Francis: Zacchaeus and “legitimate redistribution” (Ed Morrissey, Hot Air, 5-9-14)
60. Breaking: Pope Francis is not an anarcho-capitalist (David Freddoso, Conservative Intelligence Briefing, 5-9-14)
61. Totally Missing the Pope Francis Story, Yet Again (Kathryn Jean Lopez , National Review Online, 5-9-14)
62. No scandal here: How the 20 couples married by Pope Francis were legit (Kevin Jones and Ann Schneible, Catholic News Agency, 9-15-14)
63. Sorry, But Media Coverage of Pope Francis is Papal Bull (Elizabeth Dias, Time, 10-29-14)
64. Is Pope Francis Duping Liberals on Marriage? (Paul Kengor, American Spectator, 11-21-14)
65. Pope Francis As Reformer, Evangelizer — And Doctrinal Conservative (National Public Radio; All Things Considered: review of The Great Reformer by Austin Ivereigh, 11-30-14)
66. What Hierarchy Really Means (By Eric Johnston, Crisis Magazine, 12-1-14)
67. The Pope’s True Agenda (William Doino, Jr., First Things, 12-1-14)
68. No, Pope Francis Did Not Call the Koran a “Prophetic Book of Peace” (Thomas L. McDonald, God and the Machine, 12-5-14)
69. Sorry, Fido. Pope Francis did Not say our pets are going to heaven (David Gibson, Religion News Service, 12-12-14)
70. Documentation: Pope Francis is Orthodox, Pro-Tradition and Against Modernism (Dan Marcum, Catholic Answers Forum, 1-9-15)
72. The predictable provocations of the Pope of Rome [“Rabbits” controversy] (Deacon Scott Dodge, 1-19-15)
73. Pope Francis and Catholic Rabbits–5 Points to Consider (Dr. Greg Popcak, Faith on the Couch, 1-20-15)
74. Feeling Devastated by What Pope Francis Says? Try These 3 Helpful Keys (Thomas Peters, Catholic Vote.org, 1-21-15)
75. On rabbits and number of offspring: What the Pope did and did not say (Vatican Insider, 1-22-15)
76. Pope Francis Shocks Liberals on Same-Sex “Marriage” (Paul Kengor, Crisis Magazine, 1-23-15)
77. Pope Francis surprised by misunderstanding of his words on family (Catholic News Agency, 1-24-15)
78. When Pope Francis rips ‘proselytism,’ who’s he talking about? He really may not be talking about, or to, Catholics at all (John L. Allen, Jr., Crux, 1-27-15)
80. VIP treatment for LGBT group at the Vatican? Not really (Andrea Gagliarducci, Catholic News Agency / EWTN News, 2-19-15)
81. Is Pope Francis’ Papacy a New Front for the Left? (Kate O’Hare, Breitbart, 1-3-14)
82. The game changer nobody has noticed [Pope Francis’ closing remarks to the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops] (Joe Garcia, Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, 10-21-14)
83. Here We Go Again or “Lousy English Translations, Pt. CCXVIII” (Joe Garcia, Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, 11-26-13)
84. Pope Francis: An Agenda Behind his Back? (Andrea Gagliarducci, MondayVatican, 2-23-15)
85. Concerning Recent Reports from the Blogosphere on the State of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate (Fr. Angelo M. Geiger, Mary Victrix, 2-18-15)
86. Pope Francis Defends Human Nature Against Gender Radicals (Anne Hendershott, Crisis Magazine, 2-25-15)
87. Irish Liberals Have Second Thoughts on Pope Francis (John P. McCarthy, The Irish Echo, 2-25-15 / reprinted in Crisis Magazine, 3-2-15)
88. Can a Pope Be a Heretic? (Jacob W. Wood, Crisis Magazine, 3-4-15)
89. Beware of the two faces of Pope Francis: he ain’t no liberal (Jemima Thackray [a liberal], The Telegraph, 1-22-15)
90. Notre Dame Prof Accuses Pope Francis of Being a Misogynist (Thomas P. Williams, Breitbart, 2-23-15)
91. Signs of Hope: The Benedict Bishop Bump (Thomas Peters, Catholic Vote, 3-4-15)
92. Foundless Francis Fantasies (Adam A. J. DeVille, The Catholic World Report, 3-6-15)
93. Demystifying the Pope Francis Enigma (Msgr. Hans Feichtinger, Crisis Magazine, 3-17-15)
94. Pope Francis ‘refuses’ gay French ambassador (Henry Samuel, The Telegraph, 4-10-15)
95. Pope Francis: Removal of Differences Between Man and Woman Is the Problem, Not the Solution (Zenit, 4-15-15)
96. Pope Francis: Challenging and Humbling the Faithful (David Mills, Aleteia: Religion, 5-20-15)
97. I Am Not the Pope and Neither Are You (Constance T. Hull, Swimming the Depths, 5-27-15)
98. Did Pope Francis say it doesn’t matter what kind of Christian you are? 9 things to know (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 5-26-15)
99. Pope Francis: “Children have a ‘Right’ to a Mother and Father” (Paul Kengor, Crisis Magazine, 6-8-15)
100. Pope Francis simply doesn’t take sides (Dr. Jeff Mirus, CatholicCulture.org, 6-5-15)
101. Pope Francis and the Just Third Way (Michael D. Greaney, Homiletic & Pastoral Review, 6-13-15)
102. Draft of Environmental Encyclical Leaked! 12 Things to Know and Share (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 6-15-15)
103. Pope Francis’s Conservatism of Joy (Aaron Taylor, Ethika Politika, 6-22-15)
104. Fear Not, Faithful Catholics (Paul Kengor, Crisis Magazine, 6-25-15)
105. Pope Francis’s Puzzling Comments on Guns and War: The Clue to Understanding Laudato Si’ (Jennfer Fitz, Sticking the Corners, 6-22-15)
107. Pope Francis on Weapons: 12 things to know and share (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 6-27-15)
108. Pope Francis Against the World (Elizabeth Stoker Bruenig, New Republic, 7-30-15)
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114. Trump, Clinton, and the Pope (Bill Donohue / Catholic League, 2-18-16)
115. Pope, Trump, and Immigration (Bill Donohue / Catholic League, 2-18-16)
116. Vatican: Pope Francis’ Comments About Donald Trump Not ‘Personal Attack or Instruction on How to Vote’ (Thomas D. Williams, Breitbart, 2-19-16)
117. Pope Francis Speaks on Hot-Button Issues: 9 Things to Know and Share (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 2-19-16)
118. Francis, Contraception, and the Zika Virus (Fr. Timothy V. Vaverek, The Catholic Thing, 2-25-16)
119. UK’s Mirror Incompetently Botches Easter Pope Story (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 3-17-16)
120. Pope Francis’s New Document on Marriage: 12 Things to Know and Share (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 4-8-16)
121. Pope Francis Shatters Reformers’ Dreams with ‘Modern Family’ Document (Thomas D. Williams, Breitbart, 4-8-16)
122. Interpreting Amoris Laetitia ‘through the lens of Catholic tradition’ (Andrea Gagliarducci, Catholic News Agency, 4-8-16)
123. First Thoughts on “Amoris Laetitia” (Bishop Robert Barron, Aleteia, 4-8-16)
124. “True Innovations but Not Ruptures”: Cardinal Christoph Schönborn Presents “Amoris Laetitia” (Diane Montagna, Aleteia, 4-8-16)
125. Pope Affirms Traditional Marriage (Bill Donohue, Newsmax, 4-8-16)
126. Pope Francis’s revolution has been cancelled (Damian Thompson, The Spectator, 4-8-16)
127. Pope Francis on love in the family (Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, CatholicPhilly.com, 4-14-16)
128. Pope Francis is a social conservative (Tim Stanley, The Telegraph, 4-18-16)
129. Amoris Laetitia and the Progressive Pope Myth (Anthony S. Layne, Catholic Stand, 4-23-16)
130. Cardinal Müller: Magisterium on Remarried Divorcees Unchanged by Amoris Laetitia [cites precedent in both Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI] (Edward Pentin, National Catholic Register, 5-4-16)
131. Cardinal Müller: Amoris Laetitia is in line with previous teaching on Communion (Catholic Herald, 5-4-16)
132. The Bitter Sons Speak of Francis (David Mills, Ethika Politica, 11-3-15)
133. Defend Him Against All Hazards: Newman on the Pope (David Mills, 10-24-14)
134. Pope Francis on Apologizing to Gays (And More): 6 things to know and share (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 6-28-16)
135. Pope Francis Condemned The Reform Of The Reform? Not Quite… (Jeff Ostrowski, Views from the Choir Loft, 2-23-15)
136. Framing the bottom line on opposition to Pope Francis (John L. Allen Jr., Crux, 7-17-16)
137. Pope okays Argentine doc on Communion for divorced and remarried (Inés San Martín, Crux, 9-12-16)
138. What Pope Francis said about Communion for the divorced-and-remarried (Catholic News Agency, 9-13-16)
139. Not heretical: Pope Francis’ approval of the Argentine bishops’ policy on invalid marriages (Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture, 9-15-16)
140. How Pope Francis’ ‘new joy’ surprised Benedict XVI (Catholic News Agency, 9-12-16) [“Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has said he is satisfied with the papacy of Pope Francis . . . he sees ‘no breach anywhere’ between his pontificate and that of his successor. ‘New accents yes, but no contradictions,’ . . .”]
141. Pope Francis on “Proselytism” (Jimmy Akin, Catholic Answers blog, 10-21-13)
142. Cardinal Schönborn: Pope Francis follows John Paul II’s teaching on communion (Catholic Herald, 4-8-16)
143. Is Pope Francis a Heretic? (+ Part II) (Tim Staples, Catholic Answers blog, October 3-4, 2016)
144. Amoris Laetitia – An Apologia for its Orthodoxy (Scott Smith, Reduced Culpability, 1-19-17)
145. Vatican’s Muller: No Communion For Divorced, Remarried — Not Even a Pope Can Change This (Michael W. Chapman, CNS News, 2-1-17)
146. Cardinal Müller, German bishops clash on interpretation of Amoris Laetitia (Catholic World News, 2-1-17)
147. Cardinal Müller: Communion for the remarried is against God’s law (Catholic Herald, 2-1-17)
148. Does Amoris Laetitia 303 Really Undermine Catholic Moral Teaching? (Robert Fastiggi & Dawn Eden Goldstein, La Stampa / Vatican Insider, 9-26-17)
149. The document against the Pope’s “heresies”: it happened to Wojtyla too (Andrea Tornielli, La Stampa / Vatican Insider, 9-27-17)
150. ‘Filial correction’ of pope marked by glaring hypocrisy, risible accusations (Stephen Walford, National Catholic Reporter, 9-28-17)
151. Cardinal Müller Speaks Out on ‘Amoris Laetitia,’ the Dubia and the Vatican [see highlighted passages about desired replies from the pope, and the need for dialogue, on Facebook] (Edward Pentin, National Catholic Register, 9-28-17)
152. Dr. Robert Fastiggi Defends Amoris Laetitia Against Critics (hosted at Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, 10-3-17)
153. Defending Pope Francis (Amoris Laetitia) [+ Part Two] (Tim Staples, unknown date)
154. Donum Veritatis illegitimatizes the Filial Correction (Emmet O’Regan, La Stampa / Vatican Insider, 10-3-17)
155. Critics of Amoris laetitia ignore Ratzinger’s rules for faithful theological discourse (Robert Fastiggi & Dawn Eden Goldstein, La Stampa / Vatican Insider, 10-4-17)
156. “The correctio? The method is incorrect: they do not discuss, they condemn” [Dr. Rocco Buttiglione] (Andrea Tornielli, La Stampa / Vatican Insider, 10-5-17)
157. Dr. Fastiggi & Dr. Goldstein Debate Dr. Shaw Regarding Pope Francis (hosted at Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, 10-9-17)
158. Dr. Fastiggi Replies to Dr. Brugger Regarding Amoris Laetitia (hosted at Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, 10-12-17)
159. Dr. Fastiggi’s “Exchange” with Correctio Signatory Chris Ferrara (hosted at Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, 10-12-17)
160. Recent Comments of Pope Francis Should Help to Quiet Papal Critics (Robert Fastiggi, La Stampa / Vatican Insider, 11-28-17)
161. Pastoral Charity is the Key to Pope Francis’s Endorsement of the Buenos Aires Bishops’ Document (Robert Fastiggi, La Stampa / Vatican Insider, 11-28-17)
162. No, Pope Francis Is Not Changing the Lord’s Prayer (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 12-11-17)
163. The Heretical Pope Fallacy (Emmet O’Regan, La Stampa / Vatican Insider, 11-12-17)
164. “The approach a Pope takes is not what destroys the Church” (Andrés Beltramo Álvarez, La Stampa / Vatican Insider, 12-23-17)
165. Vatican “Awards” for Abortion Activists? (Facebook discussion, featuring Paul Hoffer, 1-18-18)
166. Canon Law, Pope Francis, and Airplane Weddings [+ Part Two] (Pete Vere, Facebook, 1-19-18)
167. Pope Francis explains why he celebrated the airborne marriage of two flight attendants [+ Facebook discussion] (Nicole Winfield, America, 1-22-18)
168. Striking God’s Anointed One (Mark Mallett, The Now Word, 1-18-18)
169. Articles on Pope Francis and Sex Abuse Scandals in Chile (one / two / three / four / five) (2-18-18)
170. Development or Corruption? (Gerhard Cardinal Müller, First Things, 2-20-18)
171. Responding to the Five Dubia from Amoris Laetitia Itself (Dr. Robert Fastiggi, Vatican Insider / La Stampa, 3-9-18)
172. Ratzinger, “Francis with no theological formation? A foolish prejudice” (Andrea Tornielli, La Stampa / Vatican Insider, 3-12-18)
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186. Pachamama, Celibacy, and the Amazonian Synod (Trent Horn, Catholic Answers, 10-23-19; audio with transcript)
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271. Can a Pope Become a Heretic? (Rev. Joseph L. Ianuzzi, STD, Ph.D)
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305. 9 Reasons to Calm Down: Pope Francis is Still Catholic [gay unions] (Tim Staples, Oct. 2023)
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307. Papal Consistency on Same-sex Blessings (Deacon Tracy Jamison, Where Peter Is, 10-18-23)
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Last Updated 11 March 2024
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