I have written a book defending Pope Francis as well, called Pope Francis Explained: Survey of Myths, Legends, and Catholic Defenses in Harmony with Tradition. That was published relatively early in his papacy (January 2014), but I think I still amply illustrate the false premises, dubious “facts” and inadequate logic and faulty interpretation often utilized in the ongoing critiques and outright bashing.
I wrote two articles that might be regarded as mildly critical of the pope. It has been my position that it would be good and helpful for him to reply as regards the five dubia: “I Hope the Pope Will Provide Some Much-Needed Clarity” (National Catholic Register, 9-30-17). I would say that this is “very gentle advice and encouragement.”
I was also quite critical (in March 2018) of his practice of repeatedly doing interviews with an atheist (Eugenio Scalfari) who has a lamentable record of distorting the pope’s alleged “words” in public, thus causing scandal (regarding the doctrine of hell). This involves matters of prudence and methodology, not theology (as with the other one).
See also my collection of 342 articles (as of 5-3-25) from others: “Pope Francis Defended: Resources for Confused Folks”.
I have categorized the many articles below under alphabetized topics, for greater ease of access and reference. All articles were published on my Patheos blog (Biblical Evidence for Catholicism) unless otherwise indicated.
*****
God bless you, brother! You are doing a great work! Defending Pope Francis from all of the caricatures and slander can be exhausting, as well as frustrating. And the anti-Francis mob has become fanatical. At times, it seems so many of them just end up angrily and incoherently rambling, and they tend to fall so far away from the pope’s actual words that one is left wondering… “Huh?” And the sheer volume of words can be daunting. But God bless you for cutting through the thick jungles of words and defending very simply “what the pope actually said…”
— Catholic Answers apologist and author Tim Staples on my Facebook page, 9-16-21
Amoris Laetitia
Amoris Laetitia: Pope Francis’ “1968 Moment” [4-8-16]
Defenses of Pope Francis’ Amoris Laetitia [4-9-16]
More Defenses of Amoris Laetitia & Pope Francis [4-26-16]
Satan Loves Divisions Re Amoris Laetitia [5-2-16]
Dialogue: Amoris Laetitia: Confusing or No? [5-3-16]
Amoris Laetitia, “Trads” & Reactionaries [5-4-16]
Buzzing, Mosquito-Like Trashers of Amoris Laetitia [5-6-16]
Amoris Laetitia Has Already Been Clarified Many Times, Including by High-Ranking Cardinals [11-16-16]
Dr. Robert Fastiggi Defends Amoris Laetitia Against Critics [10-3-17]
Review: The Orthodoxy of Amoris Laetitia (Pedro Gabriel) [5-10-22]
Capital Punishment
Jesus, the Death Penalty, & the Adulterous Woman [8-2-18]
Burning Heretics, Frying Murderers, & Slavery (Analogies) [8-3-18]
Steve Skojec: Pope Sez Death Penalty is Intrinsically Evil (?) [10-8-20]
Death Penalty, Reactionaries, & a Devious Liar-Pope? [10-10-20]
Three Popes & Capital Punishment (vs. Ed Feser) (with Catholic Theologian Dr. Robert Fastiggi) [10-20-20]
Celibacy, Priestly
Pope Francis: Strong Defender of Priestly Celibacy [1-14-20]
Chilean Sexual Abuse Scandal
Pope’s Chilean Abuse Apology Troubles Simcha Fisher [4-12-18]
“Confusing” Pope Francis?
Does Pope Francis Have “Foot-in-the-Mouth” Disease? [1-22-15]
Dialogue: “Bad” Bishops & “Confusing” Francis [4-28-16]
“Confusing” Pope Francis & Prudent Public Discussion [6-22-16]
Contraception / Procreation
Dialogue: Has Pope Francis Changed the Constant Catholic Prohibition of Contraception? [1-2-14]
Pope Francis and Catholics Reproducing Like “Rabbits” [1-21-15]
“Irresponsible” Pope Francis? (Woman Who Had Seven C-Sections) [1-23-15]
Pope Francis: 7 C-Sections is “Irresponsible” (Group Discussion) [1-23-15]
Criticism of Pope Francis and Other Popes / “Papal Bashing” / Honoring Popes
Folks Willing to Understand Pope Francis, Can; Unwilling Won’t [1-18-14]
Peter Kwasniewski, Fr. Thomas Kocik and a Growing Chorus Disagree with Pope Benedict XVI Regarding the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite Mass (Or, Reports of the Death of the Reform of the Reform are Greatly Exaggerated) [+ Part Two] [2-24-14]
Denunciations of Incessant Bashing of Pope Francis [2-22-15]
The Ridiculous “Anti-Francis” Mentality: My Theory in Brief [12-7-15]
Ratzinger: Avoid Criticizing Church in “Mass Media” [6-26-16]
On Rebuking Popes & Catholic Obedience to Popes [12-27-17]
On Rebuking Popes & Obedience to Popes, Part II [12-28-17]
“Nothing New”: Reactionary Attacks on Pope St. John Paul II [4-9-05; with tie-in end note added on 3-2-18]
Dialogue: Sharp Inquiring Protestant vs. Pope-Bashing Catholic [3-6-18]
Dialogues w Critics & Disparagers of Pope Francis [3-6-18]
Popes Leading the Church Into False Doctrine (E.g., Paul VI) [3-8-18]
Reactionaries Begin Savage Attacks on Pope Benedict [3-17-18]
Negative Reactionary Views of Popes Since 1958 [3-18-18]
Honoring Popes / Scriptural Honor of Even Wicked Rulers [11-30-17; some additions on 3-26-18]
*
Dialogue w Timothy Flanders #2: State of Emergency? [2-25-20]
St. Paul’s Rebuke of St. Peter = Francis-Bashing? [8-19-20]
If We Have to Constantly Defend Holy Scripture, How Much More the Pope? [Facebook, 10-23-20]
Kwasniewski vs. Cdl. Newman Re Pope- & Council-Bashing [12-3-20]
Pope Francis: Popes Can be Respectfully Criticized [7-21-21]
Reply to Fr. Thomas Weinandy: Pope Francis a Heretic? [9-21-21]
Some Catholics Hope Pope Francis Dies? Yes . . . [9-25-21]
Erasmus’ Criticism of Popes = Today’s Pope-Bashing? [11-10-21]
Now Pope Francis’ Press Conferences are Supposedly Unprecedented and Somehow Objectionable? [Facebook, 10-6-22]
Pope Francis-Bashing Evolving Into Pope Benedict Tin Foil Hat Conspiratorialism (A Sad Case Study) [Facebook, 10-10-22]
Too Many Papal Critics or Bashers Exhibit the Heretical Spirit of John Wycliffe [Facebook, 8-10-23]
Leila Marie Lawler: Self-Appointed Pope-Basher / Papal Indefectibility Taught at Vatican I [Facebook, 9-27-23]
Tragic Bp. Strickland & Reaction from the Usual Suspects [11-14-23]
Bishop Strickland: The Writing Was on the Wall [Catholic365, 11-16-23]
“Respectful Criticism” of the Pope Quickly Morphs Into Impious Pope-Bashing [originally 9-30-21; revised for Catholic365 on 11-17-23]
Ed Feser’s “Respectful and Reserved Criticism” of the Holy Father (?) [Catholic365, 11-29-23]
Pedro Gabriel’s Masterful Heresy Disguised As Tradition [12-18-23]
So-Called “Conservative” Catholic Media and “Conservative” American Catholicism Have Gone to Hell (Big Pulpit and Fiducia Supplicans) [Facebook, 12-23-23]
Bible on the Disgraceful Attitude & Behavior of So Many Pope-Bashers [Facebook, 12-24-23]
Bible on Deference to Popes & Leaders, & Disobedience [12-26-23]
Get it Right! Yours Truly on Papal Criticism (from the Year 2000) and on My Distinctions Among Papal Critics (2018) [Facebook, 1-13-24]
St. Ignatius of Antioch [50-110 or 117] on Submission to the Bishop [Facebook, 1-25-24]
Yes, James White; the Pope Is Infallible, Now, Just As He Always Has Been (I Educate Him as to Where Caving on the Nature of Marriage Has Actually Occurred) [Facebook, 2-26-24]
Off-the-Cuff Comments on the Continuing Pathetic, Study-Challenged Pope-Bashing [Facebook, 9-27-24]
The Cynical “Narrative” Regarding Pope Francis from the Pope-Bashers and Papal Nitpickers (and Nattering Naysaying Nabobs of Never-Ending Negativism in General) [Facebook, 9-27-24]
*
Deaconesses
Deaconesses: Examination of Biblical & Patristic Data (Dave Armstrong, Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, 5-12-16)
*
Development of Doctrine
Pope Francis, Cardinal Newman, & Fresh (Orthodox) Presentations [1-29-18]
Dr. Echeverria: Francis Wants Development, Not Revolution [5-28-19]
*
Douthat, Ross / To Change the Church
Douthat’s Flawed Critique of “Conservative” Catholicism [3-2-16]
Douthat’s To Change the Church: Mini-Debate w Karl Keating [3-24-18]
Protestant Takes Solace in Douthat’s Pope-Bashing Book (also discusses Phil Lawler) [3-24-18]
Douthat’s Pope-Bashing Book Attacks Vatican II [3-24-18]
Debate on Ross Douthat’s Critical Views of Vatican II [3-26-18]
Dubia / Cardinal Burke
Pope Francis on Cardinal Burke (+ Discussion) [Facebook, 12-8-14]
Cardinal Raymond Burke Appears to Deny the Indefectibility of the Church and the Pope; Virtually Calls Pope Francis an Apostate [Facebook, 12-21-24]
Ecumenism and World Religions
Encyclicals
Are Modern Papal Encyclicals Too Long? [7-9-15]
Environmentalism / Theology of Creation
Eucharist / Transubstantiation
Pope Francis & Transubstantiation (vs. Sedevacantists) [7-2-19]
Evangelism and Apologetics / The Gospel
Dialogue: Pope Francis Doesn’t Evangelize? [4-29-16]
Pope Francis Condemns Evangelism? Absolutely Not! [10-17-16]
Is Pope Francis Against Apologetics & Defending the Faith? [11-26-19]
Debate: Pope Francis on Doctrine, Truth, & Evangelizing (vs. Dr. Eduardo Echeverria) [12-16-19]
Dialogue: Pope Francis vs. Gospel Preaching & Converts? No! (vs. Eric Giunta) [1-3-20]
Abp. Viganò Whopper #289: Pope Forbids All Evangelism (?) [4-8-20]
Pope, Peter, & Paul: Evangelize; Don’t Proselytize [4-28-20]
“Filial Correction” / Correctio and Formal Criticism of June 2016
Is Pope Francis Wrong? Thoughts on the “Filial Correction” [9-24-17]
Radical Reactionary Affinities in “Filial Correction” Signatories [9-28-17]
Reactionary Influence: Correctio & June 2016 Criticism of the Pope [10-3-17; expanded on 1-24-18]
Foot-Washing
Pope Francis, Foot-Washing, & Humility [with Pete Vere, 3-13-13 and 3-30-13]
Pope Francis Foot-Washing Controversy Redux [3-26-16]
Fundamentalism: Catholic and Otherwise
Hell, Satan, and Demons / Demon Possession
Lawler vs. Pope Francis #3: The Pope Annihilated Hell? [1-2-18]
Pope Francis, Hell, Phil Lawler, Lies, Damned Lies, . . . [3-30-18]
Satan Referenced 24 Times in Gaudete et Exsultate [4-9-18]
Taylor Marshall’s Whopper: Pope Francis Denies Hellfire? [6-7-19]
Pope Francis’ Satanic, Demonic, & Hellish Views [6-7-21]
Yes, Virginia, There is a Hell, as Pope Francis Teaches [Facebook, 1-27-24]
Heretic Popes? / Papal Indefectibility
Pastor Aeternus (1870): Can a Pope Ever Make Heresy Binding? (Dr. Robert Fastiggi and Ron Conte; edited by Dave Armstrong, in Response to Timothy Flanders) [12-1-20]
The “Spirit of Defectibility” & “Quasi-Defectibility” [Catholic365, 11-22-23]
Did Pope Francis Succeed St. Peter? Reply to Steve Ray [5-3-25]
Homosexuality and Same-Sex Unions
Lawler vs. Pope Francis #2: Homosexuality & “Judging” [1-2-18]
Pope Francis, Same-Sex Unions, & Chicken Little Mass Hysteria [10-22-20]
“Gay Unions”: Leftist & Reactionary Catholics vs. Pope & CDF [3-23-21]
Pope Francis vs. Same-Sex “Marriage”: The Record [3-25-21]
Fiducia Supplicans (On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings) (12-18-23) [Facebook, 12-18-23]
Further Off-the-Cuff Thoughts on the “Gay Blessings” Tempest [Facebook, 1-1-24]
“Insulting” Pope Francis?
St. Paul: Far More of an “Insulter” Than Pope Francis [4-11-18]
Jesus / Christology
Christ “Became the Sinner”: Pope Francis and Bad Translators [Seton Magazine, 1-21-15]
Pope Francis Espoused a Sinning Jesus? Think Again [1-8-16]
Keating, Karl, The Francis Feud
Keating & The Francis Feud: Six Errors Documented [6-2-18]
Review of Keating’s Francis Feud Removed, w Apology [12-24-18]
Kissing the Papal Ring / Papal Attire and Related Customs
Papal Ring-Kissing, Gossip, & Pharisaical Nitpicking [3-29-19]
Legalism Re Pope Francis & Papal Attire (Mozzetta) [7-10-20]
Lawler, Phil / Lost Shepherd
Quasi-Defectibility and Phil Lawler vs. Pope Francis [12-28-17]
Dialogues with Karl Keating & Phil Lawler on Pope Francis [12-29-17]
Lawler vs. Pope Francis #1: Critique of Introduction [1-1-18]
Lawler vs. Pope Francis #4: Communion / Buenos Aires Letter [1-3-18]
Lawler vs. Pope Francis #5: Jerusalem Council vs. “Ideology” [1-3-18]
My Critiques of Lawler’s Lost Shepherd / Exchanges w Karl Keating [1-7-18]
Shock! Former Catholic Rod Dreher Loves Lawler’s Pope-Bashing Book [2-22-18]
Phil Lawler’s Lost Shepherd: My One-Star Amazon Review [2-26-18]
Reply to Stephen Phalen Re Phil Lawler’s Lost Shepherd [3-10-18]
Phil Lawler’s Mythical Private Letter (Unfruitful Discussion) [3-10-18]
Merits of Phil Lawler’s Lost Shepherd: Three Common Fallacies [3-12-18]
Lawler Hypocritically Acts Like He Claims Pope Francis Does [4-28-18]
Keating & The Francis Feud: Six Errors Documented [6-2-18]
Phil Lawler: No Proof Pope Francis is a Heretic [3-5-21]
Liturgy / Mass
Pope Francis’ Traditionis Custodes is for the Sake of Unity [7-16-21]
Skojec Loathes Traditionis; Illustrates Why it is Necessary [7-19-21]
Traditionalist Fr. Chad Ripperger Critiques Traditionalism [7-21-21]
Traditionis Custodes: Sky Hasn’t Fallen (Bishops) [8-2-21]
Dialogue w Traditionalist “Hurt” by Traditionis Custodes [8-2-21]
Traditionis Custodes Results: No Fallen Sky (I Called It) [9-6-21]
Traditionis Custodes: Sky Still Intact After Two Months [9-14-21]
Marriage
Pope Francis: Pro-Marriage & Contra “Marital Skepticism” [1-29-18]
Marxism
Random Thoughts on Rush Limbaugh’s Comments on the Pope’s Alleged “Marxism” [Facebook, 12-5-13]
Mary, Blessed Virgin
Yes, Virginia, the Pope Believes Mary is Immaculate [12-29-18]
Pope Francis’ Deep Devotion to Mary (Esp. Mary Mediatrix) [12-23-19]
*
Merit
Does Pope Francis Deny the Catholic Doctrine of Merit? No [7-1-19]
Miscellaneous / General
Reply to a Critique of My Book, Pope Francis Explained, by Dr. Phil Blosser [8-24-14]
Exchange on Pope Francis and the Church [vs. Tony Jokin; Facebook, 12-17-14]
Jeremiad on Stupefied Anti-Francis Mentalities (w Paul Hoffer) [1-22-15]
Forcing Pope Francis Into Our Own Image [9-18-15]
On the Endless Second-Guessing of Pope Francis [2-25-16]
The Real & the Imaginary Pope Francis [6-27-16]
Dialogues with Karl Keating Regarding Pope Francis [12-29-17]
Am I a “Pope Francis Defender”? (Statement of Intent & Purpose) [11-5-19]
Fr. Z Asks for Pro-Francis “Compendium”. I Provide It [3-9-21]
“Pope Francis is So Confusing!”: A Spirited Reply (The Sad and Slanderous Promotion of a “False Narrative” Concerning Pope Francis’ Supposedly Massive Errors) [9-7-21]
Modernists / Theological Liberals / Dissidents / Heterodox / Heresy
Swishy Bishops, Liberal Dissidents, & “PR” Regarding Pope Francis [3-6-14]
Why is Pope Francis So Loved by Theological Liberals? [2-21-15]
Pope Francis: Obsessed with “Change”? [5-14-16]
The Orthodoxy of Pope Francis [9-6-21]
“Pachamama” Hysteria and Controversy / Amazon Synod
“Pachamama” [?] Statues: Marian Veneration or Blasphemous Idolatry? [11-5-19]
“Pachamama” Fiasco: Hysterical Reactionaryism, as Usual [11-8-19]
“Pachamama” Confusion: Fault of Vatican or Catholic Media? [11-12-19]
Michael Voris on Pope Benedict’s “Immoral” Resignation, Questionable Illness [12-15-15]
Did Cardinal Burke Criticize Pope Benedict’s Resignation? [1-13-18]
Illogic & Silliness Re Benedict-Francis “Blurring” Incident [3-17-18]
Pope Benedict’s Enthusiastic Approval of Pope Francis [11-27-19]
Pro-Life / Anti-Abortion / Catholic Social Teaching
*
Must the Pope Explicitly Mention Abortion to Congress? [9-24-15]
Pope Francis’ Strongly Pro-Life Comments to the UN (“Both/And”!) [9-25-15]
Pope Francis: All Life: Preborn and Born, is “Equally Sacred” [4-9-18]
Reactionaries
Pope Francis and Pope Benedict Refer to “Extreme Traditionalism” [8-5-13]
Discussion on the Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, Especially in Relation to Radical Catholic Reactionaries [Facebook, 11-26-13]
Opposition to Extreme Anti-Francis Bias: Elliot Bougis [2-28-14]
Debate with Hilary White: Masonic “Bergoglianism” or Catholicism? [2-16-16]
Classic Reactionaryism: Skojec Disses Cardinal Burke (Over Amoris Laetitia) [4-12-16]
Dr. Fastiggi & Dr. Goldstein Debate Dr. Shaw Regarding Pope Francis [10-9-17]
Dr. Joseph Shaw Apes “Reformers” (“Ambiguous” Catholic Documents) [10-11-17]
Dr. Fastiggi’s “Exchange” with Correctio Signatory Chris Ferrara [10-12-17]
Is Pope Francis Opposed to Catholic Traditionalism, or Only to the Extreme Reactionaries? [Facebook, 9-13-19]
Pope Francis’ Emphasis on Criticizing Reactionaries (A Theory) [12-30-19]
Sire, Henry / The Dictator Pope
Henry Sire of Dictator Pope Infamy: Reactionary Extremist [3-27-18]
Temper / Anger
Pope Francis’ Slap & Loss of Temper (Close Examination) [1-2-20]
Ultramontanism / Papolatry (common charges against papal defenders)
My Supposed “Papolatry”: Outrageous Reactionary Lies [8-26-21]
Vatican I (1870)
Peter Kwasniewski: Gotta Exorcise Vatican I (1870) [12-4-20]
Newman on Infallibility & Vatican I (vs. One Peter Five) [Catholic365, 11-24-23]
“Vicar of Christ”
The Remnant’s Anti-Francis Insanity (“Vicar of Christ”) [4-7-20]
Bishops Viganò & Schneider: The Extreme Anti-Francis Fringe Among the Bishops
Bishops Viganò & Schneider Reject Authority of Vatican II [11-22-19]
Viganò, Schneider, Pachamama, & VCII (vs. Janet E. Smith) [11-25-19]
Abp. Viganò Descends into Fanatical Reactionary Nuthood (. . . Declares Pope Francis a Heretical Narcissist Who “Desacralized” & “Impugned” & “Attack[ed]” Mary) [12-20-19]
Abp. Viganò, the Pope, & the “Vicar of Christ” Nothingburger (with Catholic Theologian Dr. Robert Fastiggi and Apologist Karl Keating) [4-6-20]
Thoughts on Abp. Viganò & the Continuing “Wacko-ization” & Fanaticism of the Anti-Francis Mentality [Facebook, 6-14-20]
What’s So Bad About Abp. Viganò? (Traditionalists Ask) [7-14-20]
Anti-Francis = Anti-Vatican II (You Heard it Here First) [7-16-20]
Bp. Schneider Evokes Luther’s Disdain for Councils [7-17-20]
***
See also my collection of 342 articles (as of 5-3-25) from others: “Pope Francis Defended: Resources for Confused Folks”.
***
Photo credit: Swiss Guard at the Vatican. Photo by gunthersimmermacher (9-8-15) [Pixabay / CC0 Creative Commons license]
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Total of 242 articles.
Last updated on 2 May 2025
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