[Pyro7480]

This odd tendency among some Catholics to forgo actually learning the faith in favor of learning a sort of compound of rumor and stray factoids

The above line is where he wanders off a bit. Does he honestly believe that many, if not most, of the people he talks about, haven't learned the faith?

[defconw]

I have a friend, a lovely woman and devout Catholic, who I am quite sure knows the faith. However, she has gone completely off the deep end when it comes to private revelations.

I think that's what Mr. Shea means.