Pete Vere Apologizes to Dave Armstrong

It’s good to see grace and humility and charity wherever you find it.  This is well done:

APOLOGY TO DAVE ARMSTRONG
AN AMERICAN APOLOGIST WHO DEFENDS THE HOLY FATHER

I’ve been meaning to apologize to Dave Armstrong for the past few weeks, but was too busy defending him from his critics. Three years ago, almost to the day, Dave Armstrong and I had a massive falling out.

I won’t get into the exact issues too deeply because we still view the incident and reasons for our falling out differently, but for the most part these issues are now moot in my opinion. Dave has NOT followed other popular Catholic authors and apologists from his neck of the woods in morphing into a critic of the Holy Father, or of faithful Catholics elsewhere in the world.

Moreover, he has had a change of heart on several issues where the Holy Father’s critics have only become more critical of faithful Catholics elsewhere in the world. (In fact, Dave has even recently drawn strong criticism from one particular high-profile critic of Pope Francis who at the time I had accused Dave of following.)

So my full apology Dave. As well as my gratitude for remaining faithful to Pope Francis as an online American-based Catholic apologist. And I would also highly recommend your piece explaining your recent change-of-heart over capital punishment.

http://www.patheos.com/…/capital-punishment-ive-changed-my-…

Now if only I can convince you to break out of your apologetics shell and write some shorter pieces geared more toward the parish catechesis and adult faith formation crowd. 

I’d like to add my voice here in agreement and apology.  We’ve had our rows and I’ve been guilty, for my part, of nastiness.  Mea culpa.  Meanwhile, since then Dave has done a fine job of defending Francis from the cultus of Francis Haters that has come to dominate Conservative Catholicism and its organs of propaganda.  Bravo to him for that.  And bravo still more for really embracing the Church’s teaching on the death penalty.  Respect.

Finally, kudos to Pete Vere as a standup guy who humbles himself when he is wrong.  It is a rare and beautiful thing and I am honored to call him a friend.