Pope Fiction: Answers to 30 Myths and Misconceptions About the Papacy [Paperback]

Patrick Madrid (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998

This exciting new apologetics book offers a tour-de-force refutation of 30 major arguments raised against the papacy. Using Scripture, Church history, and common sense (with a dash of wit added for good measure), Patrick Madrid explains why these commonly believed "pope fictions" simply don't hold water.

Fr. Ray Ryland, a former Protestant minister and now a Catholic priest, says, "In a very readable style, Pope Fiction catalogs and refutes those fictions charitably and completely. Had it been available when I first began to be drawn to the Church, my journey home would have been years shorter."

Catholic author and apologist David Hess praises its "amazing clarity and readability."

Former Protestant minister Marcus Grodi (now Catholic and host of the popular EWTN show 'The Journey Home') describes Pope Fiction as "concise and complete with a welcome tinge of humor. I highly recommend this book to all those who are looking for truth. They'll find it here."

The myths and misconceptions about the papacy covered in Pope Fiction include: The persistent "Pope Joan" myth about a ninth-century female pope, the popes' involvement in the Crusades and Spanish Inquizition, what the New Testament reveals about Simon Peter's role in the early Christian Church, the attitude of the early Church toward the bishops of Rome, the scandal of bad popes, the Galileo Affair, the papacy's track record on slavery, the Seventh-Day Adventist myth about the bogus "Vicarius Filii Dei" papal "title," historical issues pertaining to the papacy, specific examples of popes who allegedly taught error, and the facts surrounding Pope Pius XII's attitude toward the Jews during the Holocaust.

Arranged in 30 tightly focused chapters, Pope Fiction provides a balanced, comprehensive overview of the major arguments against the papacy and provides the biblical, historical and commonsense responses to those arguments. Pope Fiction is engaging and charitable, yet challenging and hard-hitting.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Addresses misconceptions about the papacy with a clear, organized, and readable style. -- Stephen Ray, author, Crossing the Tiber

Had it been available when I began to be drawn to the Church, my journey home would've been years shorter. -- Rev. Ray Ryland, Ph.D., J.D.

I highly recommend this book to all who are looking for truth. They'll find it here. -- Marcus Grodi, host of EWTN's "The Journey Home"

About the Author

Patrick Madrid is the editor-in-chief of Envoy Magazine. His books included Surprised by Truth, Any Friend of God's Is a Friend of Mine, and Not by Scripture Alone (co-author), and Pope Fiction.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Basilica Press; 1 edition (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964261006
• ISBN-13: 978-0964261006
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #156,845 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #14 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Catholicism > Popes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Rock" and Roll, October 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Pope Fiction: Answers to 30 Myths and Misconceptions About the Papacy (Paperback)

For nearly 2,000 years, the visible leader of the Catholic Church has been attacked. Whether by persecutions of the Roman Empire in the early Church or by verbal assault from present day Fundamentalist Christians, one thing has remained the same - those outside of the Catholic Church do not trust the Pope. Their lack of trust comes from either a lack of faith or a lack of knowledge. In Pope Fiction, Patrick Madrid does an outstanding job trying to correct the latter. He meticulously refutes 30 popular myths that are used to attack the Papacy. Unlike most apologetic books on the Papacy, Pope Fiction goes way beyond the biblical and early historical proofs of the Papacy. The book covers common misconceptions throughout history such as the Inquisition and the Crusades. The one major mistake people make in regard to the Papacy is confusing infallibility (ie, incapable of making error that officially binds all believers) and impeccability (ie, incapable of making poor decisions). This is why things such as the Inquisition get in the way of people accepting the divine authority Christ bestowed upon Peter and his successors (Mt 16:18). Pope Fiction does an outstanding job explaining to the reader that most objections are not valid because Christ did not protect his Church from making poor choices, but he protected his Church from officially teaching error. This fact is made clear over and over again in the book. I just hope people will be open enough to see it. The real strength of Pope Fiction comes from its easy to read style. Each chapter is concise enough not to lose the reader, but filled with enough material to effectively answer the objection. The readability as well as the cute title, makes Pope Fiction a perfect book to "accidentally" leave on your coffee table. Or, for that matter, someone else's coffee table. Reviewed by Gospel Truth Ministries.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Read -- A real winner, February 7, 2000

By 

Charles Wesolowski (Madison, AL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pope Fiction: Answers to 30 Myths and Misconceptions About the Papacy (Paperback)

I couldn't put it down. Each chapter begins with a commonly heard proposition that claims to refute the Catholic position on the papacy -- the primacy of Peter and its consequent teaching authority of the office. The remainder of the chapter is a refutation of the particular "pope fiction." The book does not shy away from addressing some of the more "sticky" situations that the Church has found itself in due to poor decisions of certain pontiffs: Honorius and the monothelites, Sixtus and the Vulgate. The history is accurate enough in its detail to illustrate the Catholic position without getting bogged down. On occaision the author does point out that certain un-Christian behavior, like burning heretics, was not the exclusive domain of the Catholic Church, yet maintains the intellectual honesty not to use that fact as "evidence" in his argument. This one should be read by both Catholics and Protestants, perhaps it will provide a basis for informed discussion on the papacy.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clear and to the Point, December 6, 1999

By 

"voracity" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pope Fiction: Answers to 30 Myths and Misconceptions About the Papacy (Paperback)

Mr. Madrid's book is clear and to the point. The "easy read" format makes the book enjoyable for the "religiously" challenged. The last chapter alone is worth the price of the entire book. The misconceptions surrounding Pope Pius XII and World War II were enlightening. Since Mr. Madrid quotes many secular sources and non-Catholic contemporaries, the book comes through as a reliable piece of verifiable literature.