Rating: 
Summary: Apologetic Trash filled with logical errors
Review: Apologetic Trash!I guess I should have realized it before reading this book (well, before buying it), but I didn't. I actually thought this was going to be an intellectual account of the commonly cited misdeeds of the Catholic Popes. Well, it isn't. What it is, is an apologetic work that contradicts itself from chapter to chapter in trying to make an argument for why the Roman Catholic Papacy is legitimate. In so doing the book attempts to refute all of the arguments made against the legitimacy of the papacy, including such things as: the pope's involvement (or lack thereof) in World War II and the murdering of the Jews; whether or not the pope has a tiara with 666 on it, etc. As with most apologetic work, the author stretches arguments, pushes logical fallacies out windows, quaintly misquotes (while accusing detractors of doing the same), and butchers history. And I can make that accusation without being an expert on Catholic history. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't claim to know a lot about Catholic history. But what I do know is that this book really isn't worth your time or money. Having studied history, read academic books on history, and studied some philosophy and logic, this book is a poor excuse for an argument. If you are Catholic and like to argue with Protestants or other detracting groups and don't care whether or not your arguments make logical sense, then this might be a good book for you. If not, the weak attempts at historical accounting don't even make it worth reading. There are better books out there than this for studying the history of the popes. Don't waste your time. Addendum: I guess I am being a bit harsh here and am not really backing up my claims, am I? Well, I apologize. I would just suggest, in the end, that you look for an academic book on the popes, like 'Saints & Sinners: A History of the Popes'
by Eamon Duffy.
Rating: 
Summary: More Entertaining Than Fiction
Review: But of course there was once a woman pope. Her name was Joan. If it were not so, Whoopi Goldberg would not have confirmed it from her pulpit in the center of the Hollywood Squares. Or, at least, the commanding comedienne wouldn't have hogged the microphone after her turn had passed to make the pronouncement -- and with the seriousness of a distinguished historian presenting a research paper at a university symposium. No, this was clearly something the Whoopster felt she had to get through to a world in denial. In truth, Whoopi said it, I didn't buy it, and that settled it. Then I read Patrick Madrid's new book and found out just how tall the tale really was. Suffice it to say that Whoopi probably had no idea just how much of a whopper she had bitten into by believing and repeating that particular "pope fiction." In laying out the lapses in logic lurking beneath this and 29 other frequently parroted fallacies about the papacy, along with the bends scandalmongers force on historical facts -- unwittingly or deliberately -- Madrid makes a startlingly simple, yet thorough, defense of the binding spiritual authority of St. Peter and his successors on all who would call themselves Christians. The world gives skeptics plenty of reasons to doubt divine initiative behind, and protection over, the Church's highest office. Madrid dissects all the most popular ones and takes on enough less-familiar salvos that the book ends up reading as much like a brief history as an apologetics exercise. The best part is, it's a fun read. Madrid, editor-in-chief of the spunky Catholic evangelization magazine Envoy, is an adroit wordsmith as well as a seasoned defender of the Faith. This is an apologetics lesson as taught by a favorite high-school teacher -- the one who draws in even the most disinterested students, gets them to laugh out loud, then feeds them a whole lot of truth while their mouths are still open. There's St. Peter, "the rock that will not roll." Here comes Pope Vigilius, a somewhat chicken-hearted sort, "poultry in motion." And there go Clement VII, Benedict XIII and John XXIII -- a few of the Middle Ages' "smooth-talking antipopes." Yet, while Madrid's playfulness should indeed appeal to younger readers, Pope Fiction won't disappoint those of any age looking for a substantive encounter with the actualities behind the allegations. This favorite teacher doesn't fail to amuse -- but, by the time the final bell rings, he's also filled his students with facts and inspired them to want to know more. "All popes, even the saintly ones, have been sinners in need of God's mercy and grace," reads a section on papal infallibility. "Some, unfortunately, were heavy-duty sinners who seemed to give no thought to the eventual hellfire that awaited them if they refused to repent and change their wicked ways. But even their gross sinfulness didn't change by one fraction the fact that, as popes, they enjoyed the charism of papal infallibility. They may have lived horrible lives, but they were prevented by this grace of the Holy Spirit from formally teaching error to the Church. Amazing, but true; and we should thank God for that kind of armor-plated protection. Even bad popes can't wreck the papacy!" Breezy, yes, but Madrid backs up his findings with copious Scripture excerpts and scores of citations from scholarly books and journals. Read the book for pure enjoyment, but don't be surprised when you find yourself mulling the finer points of things like ultramontanism, sedevacantism and Monophysitism. As for the specific pope fictions covered, Madrid begins with the arguments some Christians raise over the primacy of St. Peter. He had no special authority, say some. Jesus wasn't referring to Peter when he said "upon this rock I will build my Church," according to others. Jesus called him "Satan," Paul publicly rebuked him, the Bible never says he ever went to Rome, and so on. From there it's on to charges that the papacy is a medieval Roman invention, the apostle John was prophetically referring to a future pope when he wrote about "666" in Revelation, the Galileo controversy proved that the papacy was a sham and the modern-day papacy doesn't resemble Peter's ministry in the Acts of the Apostles. "The history of the papacy isn't all good," writes Madrid. "If the papacy and the succession of the Apostles were of merely human origin and not divinely established and preserved by the Triune God, they would have collapsed centuries ago under the weight of human weakness. ... But [the] dark chapters are simply the proof that the Catholic Church is Christ's Church, not the pope's Church." As for Whoopi Goldberg, a talented entertainer by any standard, I don't think she's a fibber. More likely, she's underinformed and overeager. Along comes a delicious legend, popularized by a best-selling historical novel -- 1996's *Pope Joan* by Donna Woolfolk Cross, who implies it's based on a true story and who has sold the movie rights to a major studio. Given that kind of momentum, what is a star to do but provide a little advance publicity for industry mates across town? Especially when the body on the brunt end of the slam is Hollywood's favorite sacrificial straw man of late. (That'd be the Catholic Church.) Well, for starters, she might consider spending an evening with the very entertaining *Pope Fiction*. But she shouldn't wait for the movie. The truth flies off these pages, but it will never be big at the box office. David Pearson is features editor of the National Catholic Register.
Rating:
Summary: "Rock" and Roll
Review: For nearly 2,000 years, the visible leader of the Catholic Church has been attacked. Whether by persecutions of the Roman Empire in the early Church or by verbal assault from present day Fundamentalist Christians, one thing has remained the same - those outside of the Catholic Church do not trust the Pope. Their lack of trust comes from either a lack of faith or a lack of knowledge. In Pope Fiction, Patrick Madrid does an outstanding job trying to correct the latter. He meticulously refutes 30 popular myths that are used to attack the Papacy. Unlike most apologetic books on the Papacy, Pope Fiction goes way beyond the biblical and early historical proofs of the Papacy. The book covers common misconceptions throughout history such as the Inquisition and the Crusades. The one major mistake people make in regard to the Papacy is confusing infallibility (ie, incapable of making error that officially binds all believers) and impeccability (ie, incapable of making poor decisions). This is why things such as the Inquisition get in the way of people accepting the divine authority Christ bestowed upon Peter and his successors (Mt 16:18). Pope Fiction does an outstanding job explaining to the reader that most objections are not valid because Christ did not protect his Church from making poor choices, but he protected his Church from officially teaching error. This fact is made clear over and over again in the book. I just hope people will be open enough to see it. The real strength of Pope Fiction comes from its easy to read style. Each chapter is concise enough not to lose the reader, but filled with enough material to effectively answer the objection. The readability as well as the cute title, makes Pope Fiction a perfect book to "accidentally" leave on your coffee table. Or, for that matter, someone else's coffee table. Reviewed by Gospel Truth Ministries.
Rating: 
Summary: You MUST Own this Reference Book
Review: I can't say "thank you" enough to Patrick Madrid. I hope he reads this review someday, just so he can finally hear my appreciation. This book is so desperately needed... If you've done any reading of authors like Boettner (*Roman Catholicism*), or more recently, Dave Hunt (*A Woman Rides the Beast*), or if you've interacted with "well-read" Protestants who know a little Catholic History, then you may have heard most of the myths in this book... Did you know Pope Honorius taught heresy and was officially condemned by a council for his teaching? Did you know Pope Pius was on Hitler's side during the war? Did you know Peter was never even in Rome? These arguments and 27 more are examined, and then addressed by Madrid. Why is this book so invaluable? Because some of us can defend the Catholic Church on issues of theology. Some of us know the bible and the Church Fathers well enough to spot bad theology or bad philosophy. But not many of us know our Church history too well. And you can sit and argue the meaning of "You are Peter, and on this Rock I will build my Church" all day long, but when your opponent pulls some devastating historical fact out of his hat, you're in trouble. "Don't tell me the Pope is infallible, Pope Liberius signed a document promulgating the Arian heresy, a heresy that was later condemned by the Council of Nicea!" He may even throw a few dates in there. Now you're really in trouble. Why? Because this isn't in the bible. It's not in the theological treatises of the Fathers. It's in Church History, and if you're not a historian, it can be hard to even know where to start looking for answers. Madrid has done all the homework for you. He answers the myths (and yes, they are myths), gives places and names and dates, and provides historical documents in his citations so you can do some brush-up reading later. Don't be stumped by someone who once heard a rumor, attached a few ancient dates, places, and names, and then called it "history." Get this book, and help put an end to the myths. I use this book as a reference all the time... I hear the myth about Pope Honorius, and I think, "I've heard that name before... let's see... yep! Here it is!" Thanks to Madrid's book, I've got the information at my fingertips, and I can help set the story straight.
Rating:
Summary: You MUST Own this Reference Book
Review: I can't say "thank you" enough to Patrick Madrid. I hope he reads this review someday, just so he can finally hear my appreciation. This book is so desperately needed... If you've done any reading of authors like Boettner (*Roman Catholicism*), or more recently, Dave Hunt (*A Woman Rides the Beast*), or if you've interacted with "well-read" Protestants who know a little Catholic History, then you may have heard most of the myths in this book... Did you know Pope Honorius taught heresy and was officially condemned by a council for his teaching? Did you know Pope Pius was on Hitler's side during the war? Did you know Peter was never even in Rome? These arguments and 27 more are examined, and then addressed by Madrid. Why is this book so invaluable? Because some of us can defend the Catholic Church on issues of theology. Some of us know the bible and the Church Fathers well enough to spot bad theology or bad philosophy. But not many of us know our Church history too well. And you can sit and argue the meaning of "You are Peter, and on this Rock I will build my Church" all day long, but when your opponent pulls some devastating historical fact out of his hat, you're in trouble. "Don't tell me the Pope is infallible, Pope Liberius signed a document promulgating the Arian heresy, a heresy that was later condemned by the Council of Nicea!" He may even throw a few dates in there. Now you're really in trouble. Why? Because this isn't in the bible. It's not in the theological treatises of the Fathers. It's in Church History, and if you're not a historian, it can be hard to even know where to start looking for answers. Madrid has done all the homework for you. He answers the myths (and yes, they are myths), gives places and names and dates, and provides historical documents in his citations so you can do some brush-up reading later. Don't be stumped by someone who once heard a rumor, attached a few ancient dates, places, and names, and then called it "history." Get this book, and help put an end to the myths. I use this book as a reference all the time... I hear the myth about Pope Honorius, and I think, "I've heard that name before... let's see... yep! Here it is!" Thanks to Madrid's book, I've got the information at my fingertips, and I can help set the story straight.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful Read -- A real winner
Review: I couldn't put it down. Each chapter begins with a commonly heard proposition that claims to refute the Catholic position on the papacy -- the primacy of Peter and its consequent teaching authority of the office. The remainder of the chapter is a refutation of the particular "pope fiction." The book does not shy away from addressing some of the more "sticky" situations that the Church has found itself in due to poor decisions of certain pontiffs: Honorius and the monothelites, Sixtus and the Vulgate. The history is accurate enough in its detail to illustrate the Catholic position without getting bogged down. On occaision the author does point out that certain un-Christian behavior, like burning heretics, was not the exclusive domain of the Catholic Church, yet maintains the intellectual honesty not to use that fact as "evidence" in his argument. This one should be read by both Catholics and Protestants, perhaps it will provide a basis for informed discussion on the papacy.
Rating:
Summary: Unfalsifiable
Review: I delightfully found Patrick Madrid's book to be an excellent and clear, to the point understanding of issues that could easily get clouded over by historical misunderstanding. Mr. Madrid's obvious grasp of such sometimes confusing history and the theological framework underlying many of the issues makes this an excellent sourcebook to start from in understanding things as they happened without historical misunderstanding that can easily result from this kind of material. I applaud the skill with which he conveys the heart of the issues and uncovers the reasons why misunderstandings would happen about such issues.
Rating:
Summary: Oh, Brother! For fans of dogmatic trivia only...
Review: I keep remembering that old George Carlin line about people who mention God more than 50,000 times in a twenty second sentence. This book is for them, and for people who think that the institution of the Catholic Church has anything to do with true spirituality. A very, very dry read that presents nothing new. It always amazes me, how people can find justification for anything in religious texts. "The Catholic Church really did'nt support Hitler, what really happened was...."
Sheesh.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, affirming and sometimes frustrating
Review: I've not been particularly versed in the arguments between the papal detractors and the papal apologists, so this book was a good introduction to issues that arise in this argument. Madrid has done his research and often does a wonderful job of examining the bible, and how it relates directly to the papacy today. He takes pains to show how, even though the word Pope is never used in the Bible, the concept that began with Peter is valid through the ages. At the same time, the book is often frustrating. Madrid charges his opponents with lies begot from splitting hairs and interpretations. But often to defend the Papacy, he must resort to the same splitting of hairs for his cause. Sometimes the counter arguments border on "well yes, it is true, but that misses the point which is..." In his final chapter on the role of Pius XII and the Jews in World War II, while he makes some very good points and brings up facts that I was not aware of, shows the shortcoming of this book. The charges and rebuttals are almost too well chosen and written, so when he refutes the myths, he keeps his scope so narrow on the text of the misconception that sometimes his writing addresses the specifics without looking at the general argument. While a gross simplification - some of his arguments hinge on interpretations that are reminiscent of Clinton's denial of a relationship with Monica Lewinsky - cutting on semantics. Some of his rebuttals are extremely well written and certainly put to lie the charges as being false. But I wish he had kept to those, instead of some of the responses that required more narrow focus and verbal gymnastics. Still, and excellent resource on this topic.
Rating:
Summary: Answering Those Who Bear False Witness Against the Church
Review: Just a note of thanks to patrick Madrid for crafting such a fine work. Written in a clear and well reasoned format this book will be of great value to Catholic Christians who find themselves on the receiving end of criticisms about the Papacy and the Catholic faith. It will also serve to answer questions that non-Catholics have about the Church and the Papacy. There are many anti-Catholic individuals and organizations that continue to bear false witness against the Catholic Church. Madrid's book is a compassionate and loving response. I encourage you to click that mouse and add it to your shopping cart now. You won't be sorry.
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