Padre Peregrino – Theology from a wandering priest

18 08, 2026

Projecting Transient Errors On Past Orthodoxy.
Projecting Transient Errors On Past Orthodoxy.

Projecting Transient Errors On Past Orthodoxy.

By Father David Nix|2026-08-17T15:45:58+00:00August 18th, 2026|Theology|

Many serious Christians today (Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants) are interested in discovering how the early Christians lived and worshipped. Many scholars today astutely investigate the early Church, considering the first three centuries following the Passion and Resurrection of Christ before all else. This investigation into the early Church is highly laudable, especially when using primary sources. Of course, authentic research into any form of history must refrain from both cherry-picking and excluding evidence that might be contrary to a desired outcome. But heretics have always attempted to foist their own errors upon the early Church in order to pretend like their new theories are, in fact, very old. In other [...]

11 08, 2026

The Laity Will Not “Save” The Church.
The Laity Will Not “Save” The Church.

The Laity Will Not “Save” The Church.

By Father David Nix|2026-08-11T12:42:04+00:00August 11th, 2026|Theology|

Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes and the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops act like bishops and your religious act like religious.—Archbishop Fulton Sheen. Let’s dissect the quote above a bit. Firstly, Bishop Sheen was wrong to insist any man on earth will "save" Christ's Church. He was wrong since only Christ will save His Church from the current madness. Now, of course, I’m the last priest on earth to say this will be done [...]

6 08, 2026

How to Sanctify the Lord’s Day.
How to Sanctify the Lord’s Day.

How to Sanctify the Lord’s Day.

By Father David Nix|2026-08-06T13:49:24+00:00August 6th, 2026|Theology|

A while ago, I wrote an article titled Are Irreverent Masses Binding On Sundays? and the first paragraph of it reads: The most common question I receive from my readers is: "Do I have to attend a Novus Ordo Mass on a Sunday when there is no Traditional Latin Mass nearby?" I was going to title this article that very question, but then I realized that question is only sixty years old. Then I thought to title this article: "Is it a mortal sin to skip an irreverent Mass on Sunday if I can't get to a reverent Mass?" but that was too long. I then realized the entire topic [...]

4 08, 2026

White Martyrs of Compiègne?
White Martyrs of Compiègne?

White Martyrs of Compiègne?

By Father David Nix|2026-08-04T13:58:14+00:00August 4th, 2026|Theology|

What if you "went big" in your self-offering and petitions while suffering for being a traditionalist in the 21st century? Many of you already know the story of the Carmelite nuns who were executed in the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century. On 17 July 1794, the enemies of the Church led to the guillotine eleven Discalced Carmelite Nuns, three lay sisters and two tertiaries. These holy nuns even went so far as to ask permission of their Mother Superior to die under obedience. They were granted their final request on earth. They offered up their martyrdoms for the Catholic Church and for the end of the [...]

28 07, 2026

Ecclesiastical Self-Incriminating Struggle-Sessions.
Ecclesiastical Self-Incriminating Struggle-Sessions.

Ecclesiastical Self-Incriminating Struggle-Sessions.

By Father David Nix|2026-07-25T21:50:58+00:00July 28th, 2026|Theology|

The above picture is "the governor of Heilongjiang province, Li Fanwu, falling victim to the Cultural Revolution in 1966," (p/c Inside Story of Australia.) Wikipedia describes the history of Communist Struggle Sessions: People non-compliant to the Communists "were forced to wear placards around their necks bearing the words 'Counter-Revolutionary Revisionist' or other similar slogans with their names crossed out. Specific methods of abuse included hair shaving (阴阳头) dunce caps, "jetplane position" (喷气式) (a type of stress position), and verbal and physical attacks... The term 'struggle session' refers to a session of pīdòu (批鬥.) The session is held in public and often attended by a large crowd of people, during which the [...]

21 07, 2026

Doctrinal Pitfalls to Each Traditional Group.
Doctrinal Pitfalls to Each Traditional Group.

Doctrinal Pitfalls to Each Traditional Group.

By Father David Nix|2026-07-21T16:14:36+00:00July 21st, 2026|Theology|

p/c NASA. Today we consider the intellectual pitfalls to the FSSP, SSPX and sedevacantists, specifically on the topics of the papacy and Vatican II to show no one has the "Rosetta Stone" to the Church crisis. This is a very long one, but I think you’ll find it worth it if you can find the time to sit down and read it. It’s ultimately to unify—not divide—all the traditional groups under Jesus and Mary. But we have to start with humility towards each other. Humility is why you will see that I try to disprove even my own camp of views towards the Church crisis below. But let's start at [...]

14 07, 2026

Death Penalty for Post-Aborts?
Death Penalty for Post-Aborts?

Death Penalty for Post-Aborts?

By Father David Nix|2026-07-14T14:01:47+00:00July 14th, 2026|Theology|

p/c Statesman Journal. My answer is "No" to the death penalty for those who have committed abortion, but the abolitionists make a logical argument. Before I get to my answer, let me say I am no softie on abortion. I still try to pray and counsel at the abortion center every other week. I have been arrested for peaceful prayer inside abortion centers on the East Coast twice. But I am not as extreme as the "abolitionists" and a few Catholics who say that women who have had abortions should receive the Death Penalty. Do people really say such things? Yes. Although NPR is rarely to be trusted, they quoted [...]

7 07, 2026

Due-Process: Torquemada vs. Tucho.
Due-Process: Torquemada vs. Tucho.

Due-Process: Torquemada vs. Tucho.

By Father David Nix|2026-07-07T14:19:42+00:00July 7th, 2026|Theology|

Today, we are going to look at canonical due-process as executed by the 15th century Spanish Grand Inquisitor, Tomás De Torquemada (top left) versus that of Cardinal Tucho Fernandez (top-right.) Tucho is the Cardinal who allegedly-excommunicated the SSPX recently on 2 July 2026. (SSPX is the American abbreviation for FSSPX which stands for the Fraternity of the Priestly Society of Pope St. Pius X.) Although a heretic can’t excommunicate anyone (as explained here by the WM Review) we are going to suspend that obvious ecclesial reality in order to evaluate the difference in legal process between the 15th century Dominican and the porn-writer currently living in the Vatican. Fr. William [...]

30 06, 2026

The Heresy of Consequentialism.
The Heresy of Consequentialism.

The Heresy of Consequentialism.

By Father David Nix|2026-06-30T11:16:23+00:00June 30th, 2026|Theology|

Even JP2's Veritatis Splendor tackles the modernist heresies of moral theology called "consequentialism" and "proportionalism." These two errors "claim to draw the criteria of the rightness of a given way of acting solely from a calculation of foreseeable consequences deriving from a given choice." He continues that proportionalism "weighs the various values and goods being sought, focuses rather on the proportion acknowledged between the good and bad effects of that choice, with a view to the 'greater good' or 'lesser evil' actually possible in a particular situation."—Veritatis Splendor #75. In fact, Veritatis Splendor quotes Christ telling the rich young man that to be saved, he first must keep the commandments. [...]

25 06, 2026

Did the Pharisees Keep the Law?
Did the Pharisees Keep the Law?

Did the Pharisees Keep the Law?

By Father David Nix|2026-06-25T20:42:21+00:00June 25th, 2026|Theology|

One of the hazards in growing up in a Protestant nation like the USA is that our theology is suffused with dispensationalism and odd evangelical movies. Because of this, many American Christians (including Catholics) picture Jesus as a hippie with no concern for the moral law. The Pharisees, on the other hand, are portrayed as the people of the First Century in Israel who were overly-concerned with the Commandments and the Jewish law. Indeed, many Christian movies make Jesus out to be the beatnik who dissolved the moral law while the Pharisees were not only hypocrites, but even bad for thinking the Commandments mattered. The Church Fathers, however, paint a [...]