The Pope's Armada: Unlocking the Secrets of Mysterious and Powerful New Sects in the Church [Hardcover]

Gordon Urquhart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1999

Three powerful ultratraditionalist lay movements in the Catholic Church are using mysterious initiation ceremonies, brainwashing techniques, intimidation, and dangerous psychotherapeutic practices to shift the course of Catholic policy. Former member Gordon Urquhart says these groups are task forces for extreme right-wing values.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Of the several right-wing Catholic organizations that have gained influence in the Roman Church during the reign of Pope John Paul II, Opus Dei is by far the most famous. There are several others, however and Gordon Urquhart's The Pope's Armada is a detailed, firsthand look at the inner workings of three such organizations: Focolare, Neocatechumenate, and Communion and Liberation.

For nine years, Urquhart belonged to Focolare, whose 80,000 core members live in 1,500 dioceses around the world. He left in 1976 and has since devoted himself to exposing what he now calls the "sinister characteristics" of the three aforementioned groups. Urquhart summarizes their common features this way: "the personality cult of the leader; a hidden but rigid hierarchy; a highly efficient internal communications system; secret teachings revealed in stages; a vast recruitment operation using sect-like techniques; indoctrination of members; and boundless ambitions for influence in church and society." Of greatest concern to Urquhart is another goal of these groups--"ego-destruction, causing depression and mental breakdown on an alarming scale."

God's Armada contains many damning stories about its subjects, but none more so than the stories of young people who give up their greatest loves, ambitions, and possessions in slavish devotion to their sect leaders. "Catholic critics of the new movements maintain that the Pope cannot know what is going on within the movements, otherwise he would not allow them such a free hand," Urquhart writes. He allows that this may be true, but he also raises some disturbing questions: "Have [Vatican leaders] concluded that their own supreme ends ... justify [these groups'] strong-arm techniques...? Could the Pope have had this in mind when he conferred special status on lay Catholics who joined the movements, 'which are a privileged channel for the formation and promotion of an active laity that is aware of its role in the Church and in the world'?" --Michael Joseph Gross

Review

"A fascinating read. Highly, highly recommended. One of the best of the decade in the area of religion." -- The Critical Review

Product Details

• Hardcover: 450 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books; 2nd edition (June 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157392699X
• ISBN-13: 978-1573926997
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #763,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars sad to say, but this book is a joke, October 6, 2003

By 

Stanislao Esposito "Father Stanislao" (Delaware, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Pope's Armada: Unlocking the Secrets of Mysterious and Powerful New Sects in the Church (Hardcover)

When I ordered the book I was very excited. I wanted to know what he had to say about these movements. I was born and lived in Italy and, in a way or another, I came in contact with all three movements. I now live in USA where I minister as a Roman Catholic Priest. At first, I was surprised that he said nothing about Opus Dei; I realize that it doesn't fit under the category of movement (although the word Armada would apply in this situation).

The author is very verbose in his description. It is interesting to notice how many "negative" adjectives he has used. There is a lot of anger in these pages. I would say that he had a thesis (the Movements are sects) and a hidden Agenda ("Focolare hurt me and I want to hurt Focolare").

The major flaw of this book, I believe, is found in the editing. It's badly put together. True, the author is not a scholar but a journalist; still, I would expect some logic in defending a thesis.

There is no description of what a sect is; nothing is given to the reader upon which, and against which, he or she (the reader) may evaluate the author's thesis. Sources (mostly organizations that studied religious cults) are mentioned sporadically and only when his point needs to be supported. This is call "prooftexting." It is usually avoided by scholars because it invalidates the strength of their argument. Mostly, the rule is "if you proof text, your argument doesn't stand on its on."

Because blinded by his Hidden Agenda, the author seems to ignore that Movements like Focolare belong to a tradition that he bigger, larger and deeper than he seems to see. The problem the author has is his lack of evaluating the spiritual points within the boundaries of the Catholic Tradition. Had he done so, he would have been surprised at the parallels between these movements and others that the Church has seen in years/century pasts. Nothing is said about the spirituality of the Movement but only about the "bad things" they do. All these "bad" things are given to the reader freely and without order, almost as a stream of consciousness. (It is very natural for people who have been hurt to cope with themselves in this way).

Everything that he says - in the way he says it - could be applied to anything else in the Catholic Church. The author could write another book about the Franciscans, Jesuits and Dominicans by using the same text (well, most of it anyway) and just substitute the words. This casual way of treat the subject of the work impoverishes the whole thesis.

Posting a review here doesn't allow me to go into details but it really makes me sad when people transform their arguments into "talk shows." This is another book that has been written to make money (like "a few good men," which is, in my opinion, even worst). I do not doubt the experience the author had, and I do not wish to minimize them; I also know very well the problems that NC has caused in many parishes (I would not allow them in my parish!) just as I have seen that some focolarini can indeed put themselves in danger to become too lost in the Chiara-cult. All this, however does not discredit the spiritualities of the Movements.
The book will not help anyone who really wants to know the shadows of these realities (as I wanted to). On the other hand, it is great for "talk-show" mentalities - very popular here in the US.

6 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This book is laughable., March 4, 2009

By 

Critic (Denver, CO, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pope's Armada: Unlocking the Secrets of Mysterious and Powerful New Sects in the Church (Hardcover)

I was really shocked at the amount of false information contained in this book. It seems as though the author was trying to make a statement at all costs, rather than presenting everything with a balanced perspective. If you do decide to base your opinion of these groups based upon this book, that would be tragic - it is necessary to take all of Urquhart's expositions with a very large grain of salt.

14 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Important reading for Catholics and others, April 11, 2001

By 

William Kirk (Rochester, MN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Pope's Armada: Unlocking the Secrets of Mysterious and Powerful New Sects in the Church (Hardcover)

Now I ought to say that, if you're an anticatholic you will find 'ammunition' in this book. That is to be regretted. Because the author raises the distinct possibility that Roman Catholicism as we know it may soon cease to exist, and THAT ought to be a concern for everyone. Everyone, that is, opposed to a 'fundamentalist' sect of Christianity. A fundamentalist Catholicism is in fact what is being promulgated by the Focolinari, the Neocatechumenate, and other appendages of the 'Pope's Armada'. The author suggests, but unfortunately, cannot prove, that John Paul II WANTS to promote these sects as a counterweight to the rising power of fundamentalist protestantism. One readily sees the danger, because the resources of the Catholic Church dwarf those of any Protestant fundamentalist sect. In contradistinction to the first reviewer, I think the Focolinari, as oftentimes said, are a kind of 'Moonies', and so, for the most part, ignorable, if not exactly harmless, as long as you can muster reserves of self-determination so as not to be subverted into their cult. The neocatechumenate, however, come off a great deal more sinister, almost violent, certainly they seek to compel obedience in any diocese which they 'infect'. And secretive. I think these guys are worht keeping an eye on.