Dave Armstrong’s chapter-by-chapter walkthrough of the early Pope Francis “controversies” — foot-washing, atheist salvation, homosexuality, *Evangelii Gaudium*, the *Civiltà Cattolica* interview, and more. The survey method: what was said, how the left spun it, how the right reacted, and what the pope actually meant in the light of tradition.
Dedication (p. 3)
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Introduction (p. 5) [read online]
1. Foot-Washing (p. 11)
2. Rorate Caeli Website Hysteria (p. 23)
3. Atheist Salvation / Salvation by Works (p. 33)
4. The Blessed Virgin Mary at the Cross (p. 47) [read online]
5. Homosexuality (p. 77)
7. Pro-Life (p. 95)
8. Evangelii Gaudium and Alleged Marxism (p. 99)
9. La Civiltà Cattolica Interview and Ensuing Myths (p. 115)
Afterword: “Those who are willing to understand Pope Francis, can and will do so . . .” (p. 125)
MISCELLANEOUS
Response to a Misguided Criticism of my Introduction and Supposed Profound Lack of Charity in the Book [Facebook, 26 January 2014]
Reply to a Critique of My Book, Pope Francis Explained, by Dr. Phil Blosser [8-24-14]
5 star review on Amazon, Patrick Vandapool [22 February 2014] “In this little book, Dave Armstrong presents some of the Holy Father’s controversial statements, along with a survey of responses these statements have inevitably elicited. He offers commentary on both, and in so doing, he ably defends Pope Francis from the various charges that have been levied against him.
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“The majority of this book’s text is in fact lengthy quotation. This work, then, is an example of Mr. Armstrong editing and compiling and commenting, and not necessarily providing us with essays. But this simply means it’s most fair to view Pope Francis Explained as a work of reference, and it should be used and treated as such.
“In compiling this work, Mr. Armstrong saves his reader a fair bit of research effort, and presents material to him in a way that is logical, well-organized, and, most important of all, Catholic and orthodox. This book surely will be a great help to anyone who’d like to know more about our Holy Father’s perspective, and will be a useful tool of apologetics for those friends and family members who have misconstrued the words of our Pope.” [4-star review on Amazon by L. Robbins, 1-24-14]
“I finished reading your Pope Francis Explained book yesterday. It was very helpful for me personally. Your incorporation of so many good sources in the book was a perfect counter to the Devil’s ‘divide and conquer’ strategy. With opinion so polarized about Pope Francis, it’s easy to feel a little isolated and unsure about what to believe. Bringing the various arguments together in one place makes it much easier to see it all in proper context. God bless you!” [John O’Connor, personal correspondence, 2-8-14]
A timely and much-needed book on the current Roman pontiff, Pope Francis, who, since his papal election , has courted both praise and controversy. In this survey, Armstrong takes the reader behind all the myths, rumors, and media spin to reveal the actual words and gestures of Pope Francis in their proper context and meaning. In this clear and precise work, Armstrong does the work for us, culling from the pages (and web pages) of defenders and critics alike, from the liberal media that makes him in their own image to the radical Catholics that vilify him. The author draws on the writings of scripture, former popes, and Church councils in support of Pope Francis. What is revealed beneath all the confusion, is a humble pope who is in perfect harmony with his predecessors and the constant teaching of the Church. The reader is offered easy-to-read chapters on a wide array of topics, from Francis’ surprising foot-washing of prisoner’s feet, abortion, homosexuality, atheism, to chapters with deep insights on Mary at the Cross, and Pope Francis’ alleged Marxism. The chapter on Mary’s suffering at the Cross is alone worth the price of the book!!! This little book should be in every Catholic library, from the collections of scholars and apologists to the bookshelves of ordinary lay people! For those who harden their hearts and close their minds to this remarkable Pope, not even this excellent book will satisfy. But for those who are genuinely seeking truth, they will find clear and cogent explanation for what the author concludes, in the words of Jesus, is the truth that sets us free!! [5-star review on Amazon, by Victoria Cecil, 2-10-14]
Pope Francis Explained is absolutely amazing. I love the way you methodically approach every chapter, dissecting every “controversy” and giving us its background and context, then taking us through Church documents and Scripture to unveil the meaning of the pope’s action or saying in a new light. After reading each chapter, I went, “Duh! Of course!” Yet I would have never understood it so well all by myself! [impromptu remarks on Facebook from Michelle Muabana, 6-9-14]
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