Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
History and Religion
My Supposed “Papolatry”: Outrageous Reactionary Lies

My Supposed “Papolatry”: Outrageous Reactionary Lies

Last updated on: June 6, 2026 at 12:45 am by Dave Armstrong

My Supposed “Papolatry”: Outrageous Reactionary Lies 2026-06-06T00:45:24-04:00 Dave Armstrong

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A “Doctoral student in theology” who goes by @johnamonaco tweeted:

Of course, normal Catholic sensibility would obviously take issue with the idea that the pope can create/abolish sacraments, sacramentals, & devotions at will. The idea that papal favor is the only thing protecting the Rosary & Sacred Heart devotions from abrogation is insane. (8-25-21)

Then he went on to literally attribute such an “insane” notion to me (along with two other papal defenders), as if I believe or would defend it:

For some Catholic apologists (such as Dave Armstrong, Michael Lofton, Erick Ybarra), there seems to be no limit to what a pope can do. Thus, a ban on the rosary/Sacred Heart would be seen as “unfortunate” but “binding”, because it falls within the realm of discipline/devotion. (8-25-21)

I replied there:

Really? Why don’t you document that I’ve ever stated or believed in such an asinine, ridiculous thing? I have more than 3,700 articles online and my blog is easily searchable. So, have at it, or kindly retract this nonsense.

It’s the usual canard that any papal defender must be an “ultramontanist” or “papolater” who thinks the color of socks that the pope picks out or a weather report from the Holy Father are infallible. I wrote in a second reply:

As just one example, I wrote on 9-15-03 (that’s 18 years ago): “Each Protestant can even choose to become completely a-historical, . . . Popes can’t do this. They are limited by precedent.”

I wrote in July 2000:

Protestants rely on the fallible, late-arriving distinctives of Luther and Calvin, and in effect grant them apostolic authority. They can flat-out invent doctrines and claim they are both historical and biblical. No pope could even dream of doing that. They wouldn’t dare do it (on a few occasions when they came remotely close to that a mass uproar occurred). They are strictly dependent upon received precedent. Not so for Luther and Calvin, the Super-Popes. That’s why I say Protestantism is fundamentally man-centered at its very roots.

Just five days ago, I wrote about the pope’s recommendation of widespread reception of COVID vaccines:

It does not include those who object in good conscience, because it cannot. Catholic teaching on that is firm and clear. See, for example, the Catechism. Nor is he a science expert, as he himself admits, and this is not part of his jurisdiction. He can only give opinions. We must respect them, but we’re not bound to them. So, for example, in his encyclical Laudato si, he wrote:

There are certain environmental issues where it is not easy to achieve a broad consensus. Here I would state once more that the Church does not presume to settle scientific questions or to replace politics. But I am concerned to encourage an honest and open debate so that particular interests or ideologies will not prejudice the common good. [188]

I certainly did respectfully disagree with him regarding global warming and nuclear energy. Otherwise, I enthusiastically praised the wonderful document. . . .

Vaccines are a matter of science and medicine, and the pope is assuredly not infallible in those areas. Nor is the Holy Father a “scientist”. . . .

He has not, on the other hand, indicated that there has been a reversal of Church teaching on conscience. I disagree where I have a perfect right to, in non-magisterial areas where the pope cannot bind me to obedience, and it is not disobedience. Reactionaries disagree where they are wrong, and even have views contrary to de fide dogmas: such as the indefectibility of the Church and the pope. . . .

He can’t possibly disagree about conscientious objection because he okayed the Vatican document above, last December, which included that very thing. What is he: two-faced? Many of his critics think so. . . .

Learn the difference between “agreeing” and being “obliged to agree based on the magisterium.” This thing is not the latter. You’re simply agreeing with a non-magisterial opinion of the pope, where his particular view carries no more weight than anyone else’s.

Another idiot who thinks he knows my thinking and history chimed in:

Brownson_Review

“I am not the first to observe that converts like Armstrong and Lofton reasoned themselves into Catholicism with papal authority being the main dish. So it shapes their views on everything else, which creates a distorted picture of what Catholicism really is.” (8-25-21)

Then he added:

Contrast with Newman’s conversion, which was built on his examination of the Patristic Church: His perception of papal authority ended up being more balanced. (8-25-21)

He obviously has not the slightest idea what he’s talking about, and throws in Cardinal Newman for a good laugh. Newman (my hero), was, of course, the leading cause of my conversion and I have since edited three books of his quotations (one / two / three), including one published by Sophia Institute Press.

The three main reasons why I converted have been elaborated upon in my many conversion accounts:

Newmanian development of doctrine.

Catholic moral theology.

A study of the Protestant Revolt from a Catholic perspective.

“Papal authority” was, — far from being supposedly “the main dish” –: a very small factor in my conversion. Thus, if one reads my story as told in the book Surprised by Truth (the most well-known one, read by over half a million people), one finds that the words “pope” or “papacy” never appear in it: not even once.

Another mindless fool chimed in, too:

CAROLVS MAGNVS

Lofton had so much potential and it’s such a shame to see him turn into a papolator like Armstrong. (8-25-21)

And yet another:

Ninco Nanco

Because these guys are fake shills and grifters. (8-25-21)

This is how outrageous “discourse” has gotten today in reactionary circles. Any lie in the service of their dubious agenda goes, no matter how, well, “insane” it is. So, we’re gonna pretend that “papolater” Armstrong believes things that never ever remotely crossed his mind? It’s all for the cause, you see! Facts are irrelevant. We don’t even know what “documentation” or “research” are. It’s irrelevant, actually, whether he believes in this claptrap or not. He’s a bad guy and modernist and theological liberal, because he defends Pope Francis, so anything we can say about him is justified. The end justifies the means . . .

This ultra-stupid tweet has received 87 likes: all those people think I actually believe these ridiculous things about the pope and papal authority.

I don’t care what they think of me, in the end. I just find it so unutterably sad that they are burdened by believing in such trash.

***

Summary: Reactionaries take to Twitter and fantasize that I supposedly would defend the pope if he banned the Rosary or Sacred Heart devotions (as if he could or would ever do so). It’s so ultra-ridiculous as to be bizarre & surreal . . .

***

Papacy & Infallibility

Traditionalism vs. Radical Catholic Reactionaries

Radical Catholic Reactionaries

Previous Post

August 25, 2021

Reply to Engwer's Alleged "Absence of a Papacy"

Next Post

August 26, 2021 Tower of Babel, Baked Bricks, Bitumen, & Archaeology

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category & Last Things About Me Anti-Catholicism Atheism & Agnosticism Baptism and Sacramentalism Bible and Tradition Blessed Virgin Mary Books by Dave Armstrong C. S. Lewis Calvinism & General Protestantism Catholic Apologetics Catholic Apologists Catholic conversion Catholic converts Christmas Church (Ecclesiology) Church History Conversion and Converts Development of Doctrine Eastern Orthodoxy Ecumenism & Christian Unity Eucharist & Liturgy Fathers of the Church French Translations G. K. Chesterton Hell Hell & Satan Hell & Satan & Last Things Heresies & Comparative Religion Holistic Health Inquisition & Crusades & Scandals James White Jews & Judaism & Old Testament John Calvin John Henry Newman Liberal / Modernist Theology Life Issues Literary Resume Lutheranism Mariology Martin Luther Music Orthodoxy Papacy & Infallibility Personal Page Philosophy & Science Political & Ethical & Moral Issues Protestant Persecution & Intolerance Protestantism Purgatory Purgatory & Penance Romantic & Imaginative Theology Saints & Purgatory & Penance Salvation Salvation & Justification Satan & Last Things Sexuality and Gender Issues Spanish Translations Traditionalism vs. Radical Catholic Reactionaries Traducciones al español / tradução para português Trinitarianism & Christology Uncategorized Videos

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 April 2010 March 2010 December 2009 October 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 March 2009 February 2009 October 2008 September 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 May 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 October 2005 June 2005 April 2005 February 2005 July 2004 May 2004 April 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz