Richard Simmons is a Roman Catholic priest who serves at Saints Peter and Lambert Parish, located in Skokie, Illinois. [1] Additionally, he is the host of a radio show on the Relevant Radio Network, which is owned by Catholics and airs on more than 200 stations nationwide. [2]
During a radio broadcast that aired back on September 13, 2023, the question of whether or not it was wrong to spend money at a restaurant on a Sunday was addressed. The following was published by Relevant Radio Network:
• “Do you love going out for brunch on a Sunday after Mass? The smell of pancakes and the warm crisp bacon may bring you to your happy place. But is it a sin to go to a restaurant on a Sunday because you’re making people work?” [3]
• “Fr. Richard Simon does not consider it a venial sin. However, he suggests that if all evangelicals and Catholics refrained from spending money on Sundays, it could lead to a return to a true Sabbath rest.” [3]
• “Fr. Simon likens this situation to the concept of a Sabbath elevator, which operates automatically on the Sabbath to avoid causing work. He explains that going to a restaurant on Sunday may involve some level of causing work, but it is unlikely to stop the work entirely, similar to how a Sabbath elevator still operates efficiently.” [3]
• “Ultimately, he emphasizes the importance of honoring the Sabbath and suggests that while going to a restaurant may not be a sin, not doing so can be seen as a virtuous act.” [3]
It is interesting how Roman Catholic theology breaks sin down into categories. Venial sins, according to Rome, are sins that “are lesser offenses that injure but do not destroy one’s relationship with God.” [4] However, what is prophetically insightful about this news item is that Roman Catholics in America realize they need the Evangelicals to help restore Sunday rest in our nation.
In the United States, Roman Catholics constitute a significant religious power, and they have had a considerable influence on various aspects of American society. The religious background of our politicians, including their Catholic faith, can sometimes play a role in legal and judicial decisions. The U.S. Supreme Court, for example, has a Roman Catholic majority, and their perspectives may be shaped, in part, by their religious beliefs. The same is true with members of our US Senate and US House of Representatives, which do have prominent Roman Catholics who are politically active.
Evangelicals in the United States also constitute a significant religious and cultural group with considerable influence in our political systems. Evangelicals play a key role in shaping political debates and elections. Issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, immigration, and education have been focal points for Evangelical political engagement. Evangelicals have been a significant voting bloc, and their support has influenced the electoral landscape.
When these two religious powers come together, they will be able to accomplish anything. Protestants and Catholics will be able to use their political clout to force government leaders to follow their positions 100 percent. And inspiration tells us that the “professed Protestant world” will form “a confederacy with the man of sin.”
“The word of God plainly declares that his law is to be scorned, trampled upon, by the world; there will be an extraordinary prevalence of iniquity. The professed Protestant world will form a confederacy with the man of sin, and the church and the world will be in corrupt harmony. Here the great crisis is coming upon the world. The Scriptures teach that popery is to regain its lost supremacy, and that the fires of persecution will be rekindled through the time serving concessions of the so-called Protestant world” (General Conference Daily Bulletin, April 13, 1891).
We are also told that Protestants and Catholics will unite to promote Sunday rest. The churches will use their so-called moral platform to dictate their beliefs to our politicians.
“The word of God teaches that these scenes are to be repeated as Roman Catholics and Protestants shall unite for the exaltation of the Sunday” (Great Controversy, p. 578).
If politicians do not go along with the coming Protestant-Catholic confederacy in America and impose Sunday rest by law, they will threaten them with the loss of votes, money, and office.
“The dignitaries of church and State will unite to bribe, persuade, or compel all classes to honor the Sunday. The lack of divine authority will be supplied by oppressive enactments. Political corruption is destroying love of justice and regard for truth; and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance” (Great Controversy, p. 592).
As Seventh-day Adventists, we have a duty to keep proclaiming the Third Angel’s Message, which opposes civil authority from upholding church doctrine. This is the heart of the entire matter, demonstrating once more that the message God has appointed to be delivered in the final days is an essential, relevant, and timely warning to everyone on the planet.
Sources
[1] https://www.sspeterandlambert.org/staff-directory.html
[2] https://relevantradio.com/author/fr-richard-simon/
[3] https://relevantradio.com/2023/09/is-sunday-brunch-a-sin-fr-simon-says/
[4] https://stboniface-lunenburg.org/mortal-and-venial-sin
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