We will post this in three sections . . . this is the first . . .
Asking the Pope about the Change of the Sabbath
In 1956, this letter from a Georgia gentleman and the subsequent reply appeared in the Catholic Extension Magazine, the largest Catholic magazine published in the USA at the time.
From: J.L. Day, Thomaston,
Georgia May 22, 1934
To: Pope Pius XI Rome, Italy
Dear Sir:
Is the accusation true, that Protestant’s accuse you of? They say you changed the seventh’ day Sabbath to the, so called, Christian Sunday; identical with the first day of
the week. If so, when did you make the change and by what authority?
Yours truly,
(Signed)
J. L. Day
(Reply)
THE CATHOLIC EXTENSION MAGAZINE
180 Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
(Under the blessing of Pope Pius XI)
Dear Sir:
Regarding the change from the observance of the Jewish Sabbath to the Christian Sunday, I wish to draw your attention to the facts:
(1) That Protestants, who accept the Bible as the only rule of faith and religion, should by all means go back to the observance of the Sabbath. The fact that they do not, but on the contrary observe the Sunday, stultifies them in the eyes of every thinking man.
(2) We Catholics do not accept the Bible as the only rule of faith.
Besides the Bible we have the living Church, the authority of the Church, as a rule to guide us. We say this Church, instituted by Christ, to teach and guide men through life, has the right to change the Ceremonial laws of the Old Testament and hence, we accept her change of the Sabbath to the Sunday. We frankly say, “Yes, the Church made this change, made this
law, as she made many other laws, for instance, the Friday Abstinence, the unmarried priesthood, the laws concerning mixed marriages, the regulation of Catholic marriages,
and a thousand other laws.”
(3) We also say that of all Protestants, the Seventh-day Adventist are the only group that reason correctly and are consistent with their teachings. It is always somewhat
laughable to see the Protestant Churches, in pulpit and legislature, demand the observance of Sunday, of which there is nothing in the Bible.
With best wishes,
(Signed)
Peter R. Tramer, Editor
Hummmm . . .
Is this why the Catholic Church still considers the Protestants as part of the Mother Church ? We still follow Her lead ? Perchance we did not protest enough . . .
