How to Talk About the Papacy Without Offending Catholics

Last updated on: May 24, 2017 at 3:00 pm By Dave Armstrong

Pope St. John Paul II [Flickr / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license] *** (6-3-09) *** Sometimes Protestant apologists argue to the effect that it is some inherently terrible and inconceivable thing for Catholics to believe as they do vis-a-vis ecclesiology and the papacy, so that ecumenism is scarcely even possible. When one side is forced from the outset to make one of its non-negotiable tenets negotiable, or else be accused of outrageous intolerance and arrogance and hubris (which also occurred... Read more

Cardinal Newman’s Conversion Odyssey, in His Own Words (1839-1845)

Last updated on: June 6, 2026 at 12:25 am By Dave Armstrong

Oxford caricature of John Henry Newman, 1840 [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (3-19-15) *** The following chronological documentation is drawn from entries in my two books: The Quotable Newman (Manchester, New Hampshire: Sophia Institute Press, 2012) Section: “Conversion (His Own)” Cardinal Newman: Q & A on Theology, Church History, and Conversion (Lulu, 2015) Section: Ch. 6: “Conversion (to Catholicism)” Sometimes different portions of the same letter are in the two different books, which will be noted. I note... Read more

Cardinal Newman: Q & A in Theology, Church History, . . .

Last updated on: December 5, 2025 at 11:40 am By Dave Armstrong

Completed on 24 May 2015 and published at Lulu on the same day. 367 pages. Purchase Options *** [PAPERBACK: $23.95] [ePUB: 2.99] *** Miscellaneous * Cardinal Newman’s Conversion Odyssey, in His Own Words (September 1839 to December 1845) [list compiled from two of my Newman quotations books] [19 March 2015] Excerpts On the “Argument from Longing” [10 May 1828] On the “Rule of Secrecy” (“Disciplina Arcani”) and Development of Doctrine [26 Jan. 1834] On How the Indwelling Holy Spirit Works... Read more

“Live Chat” Exchange with Mark Shea on Waterboarding

Last updated on: June 5, 2026 at 11:32 pm By Dave Armstrong

Caïn venant de tuer son frère Abel, by Henry Vidal (1896) in Tuileries Garden in Paris, France. [Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0] *** (1-30-15) *** I tried, folks. I mightily tried. I summoned (only by God’s grace, believe me) every last fiber and nerve in me of patience, and was willing to be a punching bag for two hours, in order to achieve rational dialogue with Mark. You be the judge. This took place in the wee hours of 1-30-15 and was about 75 minutes in duration. Mark’s words will be in blue. *... Read more

Lies About My Position Regarding Torture & Waterboarding

Last updated on: May 24, 2017 at 3:17 pm By Dave Armstrong

+ Removal of My Post Dealing with Matthew 18:34 “Frustration” (photograph by Peter Alfred Hess, 10-21-08) [Flickr / CC by 2.0 license] (1-26-15) I have removed a blog post of mine (and two related Facebook discussion posts) that deal with Matthew 18:34, as related to the vexed “waterboarding / torture” issue. I have done so because in the present hysterical, fanatical, anti-rational, “us vs. them” climate that prevails online when it comes to discussion of this issue, my reasoning cannot... Read more

“Irresponsible” Pope Francis? (Woman Who Had Seven C-Sections)

Last updated on: May 24, 2017 at 3:19 pm By Dave Armstrong

Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square, 27 November 2013 (photo by Gabriel Sozzi) [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license] *** (1-23-15) *** This is the latest complaint of Pope Francis’ endless, relentless (and, I’ve found, usually wrongheaded) critics. It’s the second aspect of the infamous “rabbits” controversy that I wrote about two days ago. * * * * * Here are the pope’s related remarks, as recorded in America magazine: This does not mean that the Christian must make... Read more

Pope Francis: Orthodox and Pro-Tradition (Dan Marcum)

Last updated on: May 24, 2017 at 3:21 pm By Dave Armstrong

Caricature of Pope Francis by “DonkeyHotey” [Flickr / CC by 2.0 license] *** Edited by Dave Armstrong on 1-22-15, from Dan Marcum’s manuscript. *** This was originally posted in the Catholic Answers forum on 9 January 2015 and then expanded later on. I modified the title of #11 and deleted one quotation from it (which I felt was off-topic), and shortened many other titles. * * * * * 1. Tradition “We must put ourselves in line with the great... Read more

Pope Francis and Catholics Reproducing Like “Rabbits”

Last updated on: May 24, 2017 at 3:23 pm By Dave Armstrong

Photograph by Ervinpospisil [Wikimedia Commons /CC BY-SA 3.0] *** (1-21-15) *** There is nothing whatsoever wrong with what the pope said. In context (and even out of context, for those who understand Catholic teaching on this score), it is altogether sensible, orthodox, and defensible. *** But if people are looking for heterodoxy (or “liberalism”) in the Holy Father’s utterances, assuredly they will “find” them. Folks seem to “see” whatever they want to see. The arts of logic and objective analysis (not... Read more

Waterboarding Deabate: Dr. Francis Beckwith vs. Mark Shea

Last updated on: May 24, 2017 at 8:08 pm By Dave Armstrong

[Wikipedia /Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 license] *** The following exchange is from the combox of a piece entitled “The Boy Who Cried Waterboard,” by Zippy Catholic, posted on the What’s Wrong With the World website on 29 April 2009. Catholic philosopher Francis Beckwith‘s words will be in regular black; Mark Shea’s in blue. This is (note!) an edited version, to highlight their particular back-and-forth dialogue. To read the whole thing and all the context, follow the link above. * * * *... Read more

Waterboarding Debate: Dr. Edward Feser vs. Mark Shea

Last updated on: May 24, 2017 at 8:11 pm By Dave Armstrong

“Debate and Oratory”. Image for first page of “Debate and Oratory” section of 1909 Tyee (yearbook of the University of Washington). [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] The following excerpts are from the combox of the article, “It’s Just So Obvious!”: The Case of Torture (Edward Feser, What’s Wrong With the World, 2 May 2009). Mark Shea’s words will be in blue; Francis Beckwith’s in green.* * * * * You seem to me simply to be ignoring everything I said... Read more

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