Theology

3 08, 2023

The Cardinal Virtues Can’t Contradict Each Other
The Cardinal Virtues Can’t Contradict Each Other

The Cardinal Virtues Can’t Contradict Each Other

By Father David Nix|2023-08-03T15:20:04+00:00August 3rd, 2023|Theology|

Many seminarians and potential-seminarians to the Catholic Church are thrilled about salvation history. And this is a good thing. Indeed, new seminarians love to study how Joshua and Caleb took the Holy Land from the pagans. We all love how the underdogs could beat the Canaanites and all surrounding tribes. We all know the spoils of the Land of Milk and Honey did not go to merely the legalistic, but to the courageous. In fact, Joshua and Caleb were the only two of the original twelve spies to even enter what we now call "Israel." They obeyed the call to execute great fortitude against all odds: Have I not [...]

1 08, 2023

NFP Before Vatican II
NFP Before Vatican II

NFP Before Vatican II

By Father David Nix|2023-07-31T10:26:51+00:00August 1st, 2023|Theology|

Natural Family Planning (NFP) is a way that many Catholics today space-out births of children based on their economic, social or medical reasons. Unfortunately, many Catholics also use NFP to decide when they are "done" having children, often based on lifestyle-preferences more than "grave reasons," as required by the Catholic Church. On the other hand, some traditional Catholics today erroneously believe NFP didn't exist before Vatican II. Pope Pius XII spoke about this aspect of the matrimonial-contract in an Address to Midwives on 29 October 1951. A small segment of his talk is copied below. His words are in italics and my commentary is found in orange-bold. The Bonum Prolis [...]

27 07, 2023

The Most Destructive Line in the New Catechism
The Most Destructive Line in the New Catechism

The Most Destructive Line in the New Catechism

By Father David Nix|2023-08-09T13:25:24+00:00July 27th, 2023|Theology|

Keep in mind as you read this blog post that the new Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) released in 1992 is not infallible. There are significant errors in the CCC, including the constant flip-flopping of the death penalty as I discussed in yesterday's video. In fact, Pope John Paul II never claimed it was infallible upon its release. He simply said it was a "sure norm." But he still released a highly-defective catechism. On the other hand, Pope Clement XIII said that the 16th century Roman Catechism of Trent (RCT) contains "that teaching which is the common doctrine of the Church, from which all danger of doctrinal error is absent." [...]

25 07, 2023

“The Pill” Kills More Than Surgicals
“The Pill” Kills More Than Surgicals

“The Pill” Kills More Than Surgicals

By Father David Nix|2023-12-30T02:50:30+00:00July 25th, 2023|Theology|

This post is not about the morning-after pill or RU-486. Rather, it is about the much more common form of birth control, frequently referred to as "The Pill." We will be looking at all forms of Hormonal Birth Control (HBC) and combined estrogen-progestin oral contraceptives (COC.) How does HBC and COC work? WebMD explains the three methods in which most HBCs and COCs function: "Hormonal contraceptives (the pill, the patch, and the vaginal ring) all contain a small amount of estrogen and progestin hormones. These hormones inhibit your body's natural hormones to prevent pregnancy in a few ways. Hormonal contraceptives usually stop the body from ovulating. They also change the [...]

20 07, 2023

Pilgrimage as a Life of Penance
Pilgrimage as a Life of Penance

Pilgrimage as a Life of Penance

By Father David Nix|2023-07-20T12:51:32+00:00July 20th, 2023|Theology|

It hath also seemed good to the holy Synod, to subjoin, to the preceding doctrine on penance, the following on the sacrament of Extreme Unction, which by the Fathers was regarded as being the completion, not only of penance, but also of the whole Christian life, which ought to be a perpetual penance.—Council of Trent, Chapter 14, On the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, Second Session. The key words I want to focus on from Trent above is that "the whole Christian life...ought to be a perpetual penance." Why does this sound distasteful to even traditional Catholics? First, even good Catholics today tend to see Christianity through a post-Protestant-revolt lens. One [...]

18 07, 2023

Remedies to Self-Centeredness in the Spiritual Life
Remedies to Self-Centeredness in the Spiritual Life

Remedies to Self-Centeredness in the Spiritual Life

By Father David Nix|2023-07-19T14:46:28+00:00July 18th, 2023|Theology|

Many of you already know that the best remedy to self-centeredness in the spiritual life is to do the corporal works of mercy {to feed the hungry; to give drink to the thirsty; to clothe the naked; to harbor the harborless; to visit the sick; to ransom the captive; to bury the dead.} However, since many of you already know that, I want to discuss some other remedies in this post. When I was a charismatic before becoming a traditionalist, I was discerning a good group of Franciscans in the Bronx. (I still consider them quite faithful and evangelical, so this isn't a now I've moved on blogpost.) One [...]

13 07, 2023

You Cannot Be a “Schismatic” For Keeping the Faith
You Cannot Be a “Schismatic” For Keeping the Faith

You Cannot Be a “Schismatic” For Keeping the Faith

By Father David Nix|2023-07-16T04:54:47+00:00July 13th, 2023|Theology|

Archbishop Viganò recently wrote: The sensitivity that Bergoglio shows towards idols and false religions is second only to the contempt he has for the true God and the one Church. On the one hand, he receives notoriously blasphemous artists in the Sistine Chapel and supports the LGBTQ+ sect which publicly vilifies Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin; on the other hand he expresses “indignation” over a Koran burned by those who are exasperated by the Mohammedan invasion imposed by the New World Order he promoted. A crucifix dipped in urine is worth a papal audience full of smiles and a “thumbs up;” the Pachamama thrown into the Tiber arouses deploration. [...]

11 07, 2023

Demons and Celebrities
Demons and Celebrities

Demons and Celebrities

By Father David Nix|2023-07-11T11:51:16+00:00July 11th, 2023|Theology|

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.—Col 3:3 I don't like to give hell too much credit, but it's good to know the mind of the enemy. Salvation of souls is what I think of all day. What are the two main enemies of the salvation of souls? Sin (which often has nothing to do with demons, according to the Desert Fathers) and preternatural influence (which obviously has everything to do with demons.) I'm not an exorcist, so I really don't know how demons think. But since I know they are evil and smart (and maybe lazy) they probably see winning individuals through the [...]

6 07, 2023

“Backwardsism” and True Progress
“Backwardsism” and True Progress

“Backwardsism” and True Progress

By Father David Nix|2023-06-27T23:10:50+00:00July 6th, 2023|Theology|

An article at Rorate Cæli is titled Francis confirms his hatred for the Latin Mass and it quotes him as saying: "I certainly know that the Council is still being applied. It takes a century for a Council to be assimilated, they say. And I know the resistance to its decrees is terrible. There is incredible support for restorationism, what I call indietrismo (backwardness)." I too used to say things like, "It takes a hundred years for a Council to be implemented correctly." But now I see this doesn't apply to Vatican II. It only applies to dogmatic councils that were established to dissipate confusion, not seminate it. We have [...]

4 07, 2023

A Woman’s Conversion on Birth Control
A Woman’s Conversion on Birth Control

A Woman’s Conversion on Birth Control

By guest|2023-07-04T01:02:03+00:00July 4th, 2023|Theology|

From Fr. David Nix: This is a short conversion story written by a married friend. As you read it, notice how her own conscience comes into play with objective truth. She writes... As a new Catholic, I quickly fell in love with the Rosary. I loved the prayers, the meditations, the lovely beads. Not long into my devotional life with the rosary, as I was praying I had the fleeting thought, "Why am I not getting out of the Rosary what I think other people are receiving?" In the tiniest flash, the Blessed Mother's face was before me and I got the interior the message: "Birth Control." I had the [...]