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Pope Fiction: Answers to 30 Myths & Misconceptions About the Papacy
Patrick Madrid Answers to 30 Arguments that Mythed the Mark
"As a Protestant minister, I sincerely believed and enthusiastically taught almost all the papal fictions which this book so deftly unmasks. In a very readable style, it catalogs and refutes those fictions charitably and completely. Had it been available when I first began to be drawn to the Church, my journey home would have been years shorter. Following Mr. Madrid's suggestions, let us pray that countless non-Catholics will read this book and recognize that the stone (rock) which they have rejected is indeed the cornerstone of the true Church of Jesus Christ." - Rev. Ray Ryland, Ph.D., J.D., Franciscan University of Steubenville
"Throughout the centuries, the papal office has been the focus of many objections and condemnations. Mr. Madrid addresses many of these seemingly plausible arguments against the papacy, answering each of them with amazing clarity and readability. In a thorough fashion, each 'papal fable' is exposed for what it is and refuted. Pope Fiction is a powerful addition to one's library, a book that will never gather dust." - Deacon David Hess, Co-author, Jesus, Peter & the Keys
"Pope Fiction drives straight to the heart of the issue: Authority. It's the matter that most divides Christendom, especially Catholics and Protestants. This book addresses misconceptions about the papacy with a clear, organized, and readable style. Coming from an Evangelical Protestant background mystelf, I know these misunderstandings that surround the papacy well - they are legion. Pope Fiction couldn't be more timely, answering objections one at a time, and clearing the air for the beginning of the third millennium."" - Stephen Ray, author, Crossing the Tiber and Upon This Rock
"As a Protestant minister, I sincerely believed and enthusiastically taught almost all the papal fictions which this book so deftly unmasks. In a very readable style, it catalogs and refutes those fictions charitably and completely. Had it been available when I first began to be drawn to the Church, my journey home would have been years shorter. Following Mr. Madrid's suggestions, let us pray that countless non-Catholics will read this book and recognize that the stone (rock) which they have rejected is indeed the cornerstone of the true Church of Jesus Christ." - Rev. Ray Ryland, Ph.D., J.D., Franciscan University of Steubenville
"Throughout the centuries, the papal office has been the focus of many objections and condemnations. Mr. Madrid addresses many of these seemingly plausible arguments against the papacy, answering each of them with amazing clarity and readability. In a thorough fashion, each 'papal fable' is exposed for what it is and refuted. Pope Fiction is a powerful addition to one's library, a book that will never gather dust." - Deacon David Hess, Co-author, Jesus, Peter & the Keys
"Pope Fiction drives straight to the heart of the issue: Authority. It's the matter that most divides Christendom, especially Catholics and Protestants. This book addresses misconceptions about the papacy with a clear, organized, and readable style. Coming from an Evangelical Protestant background mystelf, I know these misunderstandings that surround the papacy well - they are legion. Pope Fiction couldn't be more timely, answering objections one at a time, and clearing the air for the beginning of the third millennium."" - Stephen Ray, author, Crossing the Tiber and Upon This Rock
Paperback
First published July 1, 1999
40 people are currently reading
261 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Madrid
70 books95 followersPATRICK MADRID is the publisher of Envoy Magazine, a journal of contemporary Catholic thought, and the director of the Envoy Institute of Belmont Abbey College. Since its inception in 1996, the Envoy team has garnered numerous journalism awards, including several first-place awards in the magazine-of-the-year “General Excellence” category from the Catholic Press Association.
Patrick is the author or editor of 14 books on Catholic themes including, Pope Fiction, Search and Rescue, Does the Bible Really Say That, 150 Bible Verses Every Catholic Should Know, and The Godless Delusion: A Catholic Challenge to Modern Atheism (Spring 2010). He edited and co-authored the acclaimed multi-volume Surprised by Truth series.
He has published numerous popular articles on Scripture, Church history, patristics, apologetics, and evangelization in various Catholic and Protestant periodicals, and he has contributed scholarly articles on apologetics in the New Catholic Encyclopedia.
Active in apologetics since 1987, he worked at Catholic Answers for eight years (from January 1988 to January 1996), where he served as vice president and helped co-found that apostolate's flagship magazine, This Rock, in January of 1990.
Patrick is a cradle-Catholic, not a convert. By God's grace, he was raised in the Catholic Faith and has been a practicing Catholic his entire life.
Growing up in Southern California, he attended grammar school at the Mission San Juan Capistrano parish school, where for years he served as an altar boy for the parish's daily Traditional Latin Mass in the famed Serra Chapel. Ever since his boyhood, Patrick has loved the Traditional Latin Mass.
Patrick earned a bachelor of science degree in business from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor of philosophy degree (B.Phil.) from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, where he is completing a master's degree in dogmatic theology. He has also done graduate studies in theology at the University of Dallas.
He is the host of several EWTN television series, including “Pope Fiction,” “Search & Rescue,” and "Where Is That In the Bible?" and he hosts the Thursday edition of EWTN Radio's “Open Line” broadcast, heard on approximately 150 AM & FM stations across the United States, as well as on shortwave and on the Sirius Satellite Radio Network (Thursdays from 3:00 p.m. — 5:00 p.m. ET). He is also a regular guest on the "Catholic Answers Live" program and Sirius Radio's "The Catholic Channel."
Patrick serves on the board of trustees of the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, CA, on the board of directors of St. Gabriel Catholic Radio, in Columbus, Ohio, and on the board of advisors for Catholics United for the Faith, Immaculate Heart Radio Network, and Catholic Scripture Study International. He authored all the original website content for CatholicsComeHome.org, where he also serves as a theologica
Patrick is the author or editor of 14 books on Catholic themes including, Pope Fiction, Search and Rescue, Does the Bible Really Say That, 150 Bible Verses Every Catholic Should Know, and The Godless Delusion: A Catholic Challenge to Modern Atheism (Spring 2010). He edited and co-authored the acclaimed multi-volume Surprised by Truth series.
He has published numerous popular articles on Scripture, Church history, patristics, apologetics, and evangelization in various Catholic and Protestant periodicals, and he has contributed scholarly articles on apologetics in the New Catholic Encyclopedia.
Active in apologetics since 1987, he worked at Catholic Answers for eight years (from January 1988 to January 1996), where he served as vice president and helped co-found that apostolate's flagship magazine, This Rock, in January of 1990.
Patrick is a cradle-Catholic, not a convert. By God's grace, he was raised in the Catholic Faith and has been a practicing Catholic his entire life.
Growing up in Southern California, he attended grammar school at the Mission San Juan Capistrano parish school, where for years he served as an altar boy for the parish's daily Traditional Latin Mass in the famed Serra Chapel. Ever since his boyhood, Patrick has loved the Traditional Latin Mass.
Patrick earned a bachelor of science degree in business from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor of philosophy degree (B.Phil.) from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, where he is completing a master's degree in dogmatic theology. He has also done graduate studies in theology at the University of Dallas.
He is the host of several EWTN television series, including “Pope Fiction,” “Search & Rescue,” and "Where Is That In the Bible?" and he hosts the Thursday edition of EWTN Radio's “Open Line” broadcast, heard on approximately 150 AM & FM stations across the United States, as well as on shortwave and on the Sirius Satellite Radio Network (Thursdays from 3:00 p.m. — 5:00 p.m. ET). He is also a regular guest on the "Catholic Answers Live" program and Sirius Radio's "The Catholic Channel."
Patrick serves on the board of trustees of the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, CA, on the board of directors of St. Gabriel Catholic Radio, in Columbus, Ohio, and on the board of advisors for Catholics United for the Faith, Immaculate Heart Radio Network, and Catholic Scripture Study International. He authored all the original website content for CatholicsComeHome.org, where he also serves as a theologica
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 8, 2021
I'm a big fan of Patrick Madrid's radio show, so I can't help liking his writing. The book was a little long to me, but I think that was partly because most of the controversies he addressed were not controversial to me. The most fascinating historical descriptions to me were: 1. Two successors of Peter as the bishop of Rome are mentioned in the New Testament (aka popes Linus and Anacletus), 2. The real reasons the church disciplined Galileo, and 3. Pope Pius XII's stealthy and heroic opposition to Hitler. These and others are reminders that historical revisionists intentionally oversimplify history to create easily-refuted straw man arguments. Real history tells the whole story. The longevity of the papacy and the Church is a testament to its strength. Opponents claim the Church is an oppressor, but for much of its history, the church was oppressed and not influential. The times when it had the strength of imperial governments enforcing it (as in the 16th century) were arguably when the Church was spiritually weakest. It has survived the wrath of tyrants the corrosion of affluence, but still stands.
May 5, 2025
Short Review:
This book isn’t perfect, but it takes you on a journey and is an easy read. I recommend it for non-Catholics seeking to understand the Catholic perspective, and maybe even gain a little empathy. More than likely, you’ll find you’ve been in some way or another misinformed or duped about what the Papacy is and what kind of power it actually wields or has wielded historically.
I also recommend it for Cradle Catholics, because ignorance is unnecessary, and it’s a fun read, too.
——
Long Review:
I picked this book up as a Protestant on a mission to “rule out” Roman Catholicism on my family’s journey to commit to a church tradition.
Instead, it became a large stepping stone that led to my Confirmation in the Catholic Church the following Spring.
Raised Southern Baptists but having spent close to two decades denomination and non-denomination hopping, my husband and I found ourselves frustrated in a post-Covid space where few of our family members (ourselves included) were regularly attending church. We were missing tradition, guidance, and wisdom from our Christian parents and mourning that absence of treasure for our own children. Family holiday gatherings felt hollow and angsty, lacking reverence. Our kids’ grandparents seemed to be focused inwardly and on their immediate surroundings versus modeling dwelling on Higher things in the way some of our own grandparents had. We were falling prey to the same inclinations. Something had to give.
We wanted back in church, but we’d been burnt repeatedly by personality cults where independent pastors crumbled under the pressure of upholding their churches with little support or image obsession. Over time we began to wonder why some traditions were time-tested versus the rapid turnover and splits in the American Protestant church (even two generations of consistency are rare).
Leadership and structure began to gain appeal.
We were vacillating between ACNA Anglicanism and Eastern Orthodoxy. I had conceded intellectually on paedobaptism, the sign of the cross, and some Marian doctrine. We were close to committing to a path and even baptizing our children within one of those traditions… but I observed infighting online among these circles, and that forced me to contemplate: which tradition is most likely to look the same to my great-grandchildren? Which is most likely to be sustained generationally? Which will be realistically achievable to maintain for my children’s spouses/families? My gut gave me pause, because the whole point of this search in the first place was to stop the denominational derailing and help our children to feel part of a legacy that connected them to both their ancestors’ and *descendants’* worship of Christ.
There was one big, bad, monster of a denomination left to scrutinize, and up to this point I had totally dismissed it as a candidate thanks to the preposterous Papacy.
Because I had a newly acquired respect for church authority… maybe my heart softened a bit. I desired to at least understand where Roman Catholics were coming from. I also realized that if I were to join in communion with the EO or Anglicans, I was effectively sealing my dissent of the Papacy. Maybe I should understand better what it was I was dissenting?
Having read Pope Fiction, I feel I cannot un-know what I now see in Scripture. I now understand on both a logical/historical and spiritual level why the Roman Catholic faith is the largest sect of Christianity, crossing the broadest array of cultural borders yet so greatly unified with respect to the Chair of St. Peter. While there IS some infighting as in other traditions, there is yet a consistent, irresistible unity and affection among Catholics for the church model they believe was bestowed on this world by Jesus Christ.
The Papacy is fascinating. It’s a blessing. I liken it to the office of the American Presidency (and its necessity), albeit far more historically consequential.
This book isn’t perfect, but it takes you on a journey and is an easy read. I recommend it for non-Catholics seeking to understand the Catholic perspective, and maybe even gain a little empathy. More than likely, you’ll find you’ve been in some way or another misinformed or duped about what the Papacy is and what kind of power it actually wields or has wielded historically.
I also recommend it for Cradle Catholics, because ignorance is unnecessary, and it’s a fun read, too.
——
Long Review:
I picked this book up as a Protestant on a mission to “rule out” Roman Catholicism on my family’s journey to commit to a church tradition.
Instead, it became a large stepping stone that led to my Confirmation in the Catholic Church the following Spring.
Raised Southern Baptists but having spent close to two decades denomination and non-denomination hopping, my husband and I found ourselves frustrated in a post-Covid space where few of our family members (ourselves included) were regularly attending church. We were missing tradition, guidance, and wisdom from our Christian parents and mourning that absence of treasure for our own children. Family holiday gatherings felt hollow and angsty, lacking reverence. Our kids’ grandparents seemed to be focused inwardly and on their immediate surroundings versus modeling dwelling on Higher things in the way some of our own grandparents had. We were falling prey to the same inclinations. Something had to give.
We wanted back in church, but we’d been burnt repeatedly by personality cults where independent pastors crumbled under the pressure of upholding their churches with little support or image obsession. Over time we began to wonder why some traditions were time-tested versus the rapid turnover and splits in the American Protestant church (even two generations of consistency are rare).
Leadership and structure began to gain appeal.
We were vacillating between ACNA Anglicanism and Eastern Orthodoxy. I had conceded intellectually on paedobaptism, the sign of the cross, and some Marian doctrine. We were close to committing to a path and even baptizing our children within one of those traditions… but I observed infighting online among these circles, and that forced me to contemplate: which tradition is most likely to look the same to my great-grandchildren? Which is most likely to be sustained generationally? Which will be realistically achievable to maintain for my children’s spouses/families? My gut gave me pause, because the whole point of this search in the first place was to stop the denominational derailing and help our children to feel part of a legacy that connected them to both their ancestors’ and *descendants’* worship of Christ.
There was one big, bad, monster of a denomination left to scrutinize, and up to this point I had totally dismissed it as a candidate thanks to the preposterous Papacy.
Because I had a newly acquired respect for church authority… maybe my heart softened a bit. I desired to at least understand where Roman Catholics were coming from. I also realized that if I were to join in communion with the EO or Anglicans, I was effectively sealing my dissent of the Papacy. Maybe I should understand better what it was I was dissenting?
Having read Pope Fiction, I feel I cannot un-know what I now see in Scripture. I now understand on both a logical/historical and spiritual level why the Roman Catholic faith is the largest sect of Christianity, crossing the broadest array of cultural borders yet so greatly unified with respect to the Chair of St. Peter. While there IS some infighting as in other traditions, there is yet a consistent, irresistible unity and affection among Catholics for the church model they believe was bestowed on this world by Jesus Christ.
The Papacy is fascinating. It’s a blessing. I liken it to the office of the American Presidency (and its necessity), albeit far more historically consequential.
July 23, 2008
written by a convert and an apologist. It is a very readable book. There was only one chapter "Peter Syndrome" that is difficult to read.
anyone that wants a concise mythbuster about 33 issues of the Church then they should read this book
anyone that wants a concise mythbuster about 33 issues of the Church then they should read this book
September 13, 2024
THE POPULAR APOLOGIST GIVES DETAILED ANSWERS TO CRITICISM OF THE PAPACY
Patrick Madrid (born 1960), is a Catholic author, TV/radio host on EWTN, apologist, and the publisher of Envoy Magazine; he has written many books such as 'Search and Rescue: How to Bring Your Family and Friends Into or Back Into the Catholic Church,' 'Where is That in the Bible?,' 'Answer Me This!,' 'Why is That in Tradition?,' 'A Pocket Guide to Catholic Apologetics,' 'Any Friend of God's Is a Friend of Mine: A Biblical and Historical Explanation of the Catholic Doctrine of the Communion of Saints,' etc.
He also edited: Surprised by Truth: 11 Converts Give the Biblical and Historical Reasons for Becoming Catholic, Surprised By Truth 2: 15 Men and Women Give the Biblical and Historical Reasons For Becoming Catholic. (v. 2), and Surprised by Truth 3: 10 More Converts Explain the Biblical and Historical Reasons for Becoming Catholic (v. 3)
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1999 book, "In this book we'll meet some of the bad popes, men who lived ruthless, immoral lives while in the office of Bishop of Rome. We'll see why their wicked behavior, while deplorable, does not injure the Catholic Church's teachings regarding papal infallibility, Petrine primacy, or apostolic succession. We will examine situations in which popes have made poor administrative and political decisions, were cowards, connived with secular powers for base objectives, and even came perilously close---but never all the way---to the edge of leading the Church astray in their teaching. We'll also see the papacy for what it is: a human office that was divinely established. A special function of unity by men who are as vulnerable to sin and human weakness as any of us are." (Pg. 19)
He recounts, "a 1915 issue of 'Our Sunday Visitor' ... claimed that the papal mitre is inscribed with the title Vicarius Filii Dei in diamonds. I contacted ... the president of Our Sunday Visitor about this... Evidently, it had been removed. The error on the part of a newspaper staffer (and let's remember, the Catholic Church doesn't claim infallibility for journalists) was caught only after it had slipped into print. Obviously concerned about the blunder being perpetuated, the editor expunged that issue from the archives." (Pg. 95)
He admits, "The fabulously wealthy and prestigious theophylact family wielded immense power in Rome during the tenth century, even, sadly, over several popes. It appears that Morozia was [Pope] Sergius's mistress and bore him at least one son, the future Pope John XI... This is a sorry episode in the history of the Church, one which displayed a decadence and immorality that even popes, at times, could fall prey to..." (Pg. 174)
Later, he adds, "yes, during the Spanish Inquisition terrible things were done by Catholics in the name of the pope and the Church itself... The popes are not infallible in their application of ecclesiastical discipline. They can and do at times make mistakes in judgment which it comes to how to deal with a problem in the Church. Papal infallibility... involves only the formal teaching office of the papacy. It has nothing to do with how popes govern the affairs of the Church." (Pg. 241)
He concedes, "Pope Sixtus nearly drove the Catholic doctrine of papal infallibility right over the cliff with his error-laden revision of the Vulgate. But... he didn't quite make it to the edge. If ever in the life of the Catholic Church there was a 'close call' regarding papal infallibility, this was it. If the pope had formally promulgated this botched version, a very strong case could be made that the doctrine had been proven false." (Pg. 249)
This is a frank, detailed, and very useful compendium of information and suggested answers, that will be of great interest to anyone studying Catholic apologetics.
He acknowledges, "While it's true that a decree issue by Pope Urban VIII instructed that Galileo 'should be questioned as to his intentions and that he should be menaced with torture,' no torture was ever carried out." (Pg. 187)
Patrick Madrid (born 1960), is a Catholic author, TV/radio host on EWTN, apologist, and the publisher of Envoy Magazine; he has written many books such as 'Search and Rescue: How to Bring Your Family and Friends Into or Back Into the Catholic Church,' 'Where is That in the Bible?,' 'Answer Me This!,' 'Why is That in Tradition?,' 'A Pocket Guide to Catholic Apologetics,' 'Any Friend of God's Is a Friend of Mine: A Biblical and Historical Explanation of the Catholic Doctrine of the Communion of Saints,' etc.
He also edited: Surprised by Truth: 11 Converts Give the Biblical and Historical Reasons for Becoming Catholic, Surprised By Truth 2: 15 Men and Women Give the Biblical and Historical Reasons For Becoming Catholic. (v. 2), and Surprised by Truth 3: 10 More Converts Explain the Biblical and Historical Reasons for Becoming Catholic (v. 3)
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1999 book, "In this book we'll meet some of the bad popes, men who lived ruthless, immoral lives while in the office of Bishop of Rome. We'll see why their wicked behavior, while deplorable, does not injure the Catholic Church's teachings regarding papal infallibility, Petrine primacy, or apostolic succession. We will examine situations in which popes have made poor administrative and political decisions, were cowards, connived with secular powers for base objectives, and even came perilously close---but never all the way---to the edge of leading the Church astray in their teaching. We'll also see the papacy for what it is: a human office that was divinely established. A special function of unity by men who are as vulnerable to sin and human weakness as any of us are." (Pg. 19)
He recounts, "a 1915 issue of 'Our Sunday Visitor' ... claimed that the papal mitre is inscribed with the title Vicarius Filii Dei in diamonds. I contacted ... the president of Our Sunday Visitor about this... Evidently, it had been removed. The error on the part of a newspaper staffer (and let's remember, the Catholic Church doesn't claim infallibility for journalists) was caught only after it had slipped into print. Obviously concerned about the blunder being perpetuated, the editor expunged that issue from the archives." (Pg. 95)
He admits, "The fabulously wealthy and prestigious theophylact family wielded immense power in Rome during the tenth century, even, sadly, over several popes. It appears that Morozia was [Pope] Sergius's mistress and bore him at least one son, the future Pope John XI... This is a sorry episode in the history of the Church, one which displayed a decadence and immorality that even popes, at times, could fall prey to..." (Pg. 174)
Later, he adds, "yes, during the Spanish Inquisition terrible things were done by Catholics in the name of the pope and the Church itself... The popes are not infallible in their application of ecclesiastical discipline. They can and do at times make mistakes in judgment which it comes to how to deal with a problem in the Church. Papal infallibility... involves only the formal teaching office of the papacy. It has nothing to do with how popes govern the affairs of the Church." (Pg. 241)
He concedes, "Pope Sixtus nearly drove the Catholic doctrine of papal infallibility right over the cliff with his error-laden revision of the Vulgate. But... he didn't quite make it to the edge. If ever in the life of the Catholic Church there was a 'close call' regarding papal infallibility, this was it. If the pope had formally promulgated this botched version, a very strong case could be made that the doctrine had been proven false." (Pg. 249)
This is a frank, detailed, and very useful compendium of information and suggested answers, that will be of great interest to anyone studying Catholic apologetics.
He acknowledges, "While it's true that a decree issue by Pope Urban VIII instructed that Galileo 'should be questioned as to his intentions and that he should be menaced with torture,' no torture was ever carried out." (Pg. 187)
December 3, 2020
Lots of interesting facts about the papacy some of which I had not heard before.
June 29, 2024
It starts strong, but some later chapters the argument gets weak.
May 23, 2016
Excellent apologetic work. Ranging from 2 or 3 pages to 10 or 15 for each "Pope Fiction" easily digestible bites for the casual reader. Well defended with historical sources and actual papal documents. Much of the defense is as the old quote goes about hating what you think the Church is versus not really when you know what the Church really is. This is really well written and well developed. A sense of humor and the sacred mixed together.
Want to read
December 25, 2009Listed by Patrick Madrid in the Reading Plan of Search and Rescue in Phase 2 (Intermediate).
March 26, 2015
Of course, this is not fiction, but an apologetic work to set the record straight on the papacy. I learned quite a lot.
February 5, 2014
Great book!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews