27. "Wise pastoral intuition suggested to the Church the christianization of the notion of Sunday as "the day of the sun", which was the (Pagan) Roman name for the day . . ."

And skillfully attempting to lay a groundwork for establishing historical precedent, or so-called Christian tradition as authority for the "Christian Sabbath", the Pontif asserts that,

64. "Only in the fourth century did the civil law of the Roman Empire recognize the weekly recurrence, determining that on 'the day of the sun' the judges, the people of the cities and the various trade corporations would not work."

However, observe what is further stated about "civil" responsibility regarding "the Lord's Day":

65. "By contrast, the link between the Lord's Day and the day of rest in civil society has a meaning and importance which go beyond the distinctly Christian point of view. . ."

66. "In this matter, my predecessor Pope Leo XIII in his Encyclical Rerum Novarum spoke of Sunday rest as a worker's right which the State must guarantee."

67. "Therefore, also in the particular circumstances of our own time, Christians will naturally strive to ensure that civil legislation respects their duty to keep Sunday holy."

Some might view this Apostolic Letter as only applying to Catholics. Dear Friends, that could never be further from the truth. It is generally appealing to "Christian duty" (all Christians), as noted in paragraph 67 above.

Friends, the gospel of salvation cannot and should not be legislated, but the Roman Church has throughout history sought to use the civil arm to enforce her will. The Apostle John vividly saw in vision a time just prior to the return of Christ in glory, when the apostate church would once again use civil law to persecute all who would not "worship the beast and his image." Society is being prepared for such a time, when under the guise of "family", "correcting society's ills", or "getting back to our nation's Christian roots", laws will soon be introduced which will honor the unscriptural "sabbath" of Roman tradition, the Sunday.

You can view the whole Apostolic Letter by Pope John Paul II at: The Official Vatican Web Site.