Rededicate 250: Cardinal Dolan Links the Sabbath and the Common Good to our American Identity

Cardinal Timothy Dolan was one of the featured speakers at the Rededicate 250 event, and he also serves as a member of the White House Religious Liberty Commission. Unfortunately, his remarks were not patriotic at all. Instead, they reflected an effort to redefine America’s identity through the lens of Roman Catholic social teaching. What makes his statements especially concerning is the deliberate linking of the “Sabbath” and the “common good” to America’s national identity—language that points toward the formation of a unified Catholic-Protestant political system. According to Bible prophecy, this kind of language helps prepare the way for a union of church and state.

Cardinal Timothy made the following statement:

• “As our country pauses to thank Almighty God for guiding our nation unfailingly over the last two hundred and fifty years, you know as well as I do, in every chapter of the American story, our faith in God has been the bedrock of our greatness, the source of our success” (Video).

• “Boy, going back to the days of the Revolutionary War, our very way of life has been defined, in part, by a few key principles: prayer, trust, worship, the Sabbath, loyalty to family, freedom of religion, the power and strength of democracy, the principle of subsidiarity, devotion to the common good” (Video).

• “In other words, our deepest values as a country have always been rooted in our identity as a people of God and anchored in the reality that we’re not only American citizens—you bet we are, and grateful for it—but that we are bound someday to be citizens of heaven” (Video).

• “We Catholics, I’m grateful to say, have played a key role in the story of the United States” (Video).

• “To commemorate this momentous anniversary, boy, am I grateful that we bishops in the United States intend to consecrate the United States of America to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on June twelfth of this year” (Video).

The Catholic cardinal’s statement that America’s “way of life” has been defined by “the Sabbath” is especially prophetic. Historically, when Roman Catholic leaders speak about “the Sabbath,” they are not referring to the biblical seventh-day Sabbath of Scripture but to Sunday—the day Rome claims authority to have transferred from Saturday. And when influential Catholic leaders publicly connect “the Sabbath” to America’s founding principles and national greatness, they are advancing the idea that national morality and stability are tied to Sunday worship.

Even though Cardinal Timothy Dolan referred to “religious liberty” as part of America’s unique identity, he also paired it with an emphasis on the “common good.” In Roman Catholic social teaching, the “common good” is often presented as taking precedence over personal individual liberty and has historically been used to justify closer cooperation between religious institutions and civil governments for the moral benefit of society.

The “common good” has often been used as a justification for pressuring society to conform to the beliefs and practices of the majority. Because Revelation 13 warns of a future system in which religious and political powers unite to enforce worship practices upon the world, it becomes deeply concerning when religious leaders begin redefining national identity around specific religious obligations and then appeal to the state, under the banner of the “common good,” to uphold and promote those ideals.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s announcement that U.S. Catholic bishops plan to consecrate America to the “Most Sacred Heart of Jesus” is also prophetically significant. He intentionally omitted the fact that the consecration to America will also connect with devotion to Mary. This reflects an ongoing effort to place the nation under distinctly Roman Catholic spiritual teachings and symbols while further mixing religious identity with political life.

Sunday sacredness is increasingly being presented as part of America’s identity, heritage, and moral responsibility. The final crisis will center on worship and obedience to God’s commandments. The issue will ultimately become whether the world will follow the commandments of God or the traditions of men. As religious leaders continue pushing Sunday observance, national renewal, and the “common good” into America’s public life, faithful Sabbath keepers must recognize the prophetic significance of these developments and stand firmly for liberty of conscience and the everlasting gospel of Revelation 14.