ENDTIME ISSUES NEWSLETTER No. 159

“Bacchiocchi Responds to False Allegations”

Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D.

Retired Professor of Church History and Theology

Andrews University

Most readers of this newsletter may not be aware of the on-going controversy about my academic achievements at the Pontifical Gregorian University. If you go to GOOGLE and enter “Bacchiocchi’s Gregorian Controversy,” you will find several hundred websites and discussion groups questioning my academic credentials. Simply stated, the allegations are that I made false claims about graduating with magna and summa cum laude, receiving a gold medal from Pope Paul VI for earning the academic distinction of summa cum laude, and publishing my dissertation in part and in full at the Gregorian Press with the imprimatur—Catholic approval.

The controversy was ignited especially by a letter sent by Dr. Barbara Bergami, the General Secretary of the Pontifical Gregorian University, to Bishop James Murray of Kalamazoo. The complete text of the letter is cited below. In her letter, Dr. Bergami asked Bishop Murray to investigate my alleged false claims just mentioned.

The text of Dr. Bergami’s letter has circulated far and wide in cyberspace, offering my detractors ammunitions to launch a defamation campaign against me. Many people are raising serious questions about my moral integrity and the credibility of my research. Lately, I have received numerous messages, even from trusted friends, asking me if there is any truth in the false allegations against me.

It has become evident that I can no longer ignore the false allegations against me, because the controversy is becoming like a fire that is burning out of control. Thus, I have decided to take time to respond to the major false allegations by submitting the pertinent documents issued by the Gregoriana—documents that will show beyond the shadow of doubt that my claims are absolutely correct.

Some readers may find the second part of this newsletter tedious because it presents and discusses important Gregorian University’s documents in my possession, which prove the absolute accuracy of my claims. I beg to bear with me this time. Keep in mind that this newsletter is prepared primarily to respond to false allegations against me. This calls for a thorough response. My Jesuit professors in Rome taught me that it is better to overkill than to leave half-dead.

Before dealing with the tedious task of proving the falsity of the allegations against me, I decided to share with you what led me to study at the Gregoriana in the first place. This is a gripping story of God’s providential leading in my life, which for many readers may prove to be more enjoyable that the second part. It will help you to understand why I developed such a passionate interest for the Sabbath. By introducing this newsletter with the story of how God led me to the Gregoriana in my search for a fuller understanding of the Sabbath, I hope to provide a helpful context to the current controversy.

FORTHCOMING VISIT TO SYDNEY AND BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA

Our Australian subscribers living in Sydney or Brisbane, will be pleased to learn about my forthcoming visit to their cities. The details of my itinerary are as follows:

November 17-18: PARRAMATTA SDA CHURCH, SYDNEY

Location: 77-81 Hammers Road, Old Toongabbie, Sydney NSW 2146

For information feel free to contact Pastor Rein Muhlberg at (02) 9620 5382 or (02) 9896 3158. I look forward to a great rally. Pastor Muhlberg is a fine pastor who invited me many years ago in Auckland, NZ.

November 19 (Sunday): SYDNEY CHINESE SDA CHURCH

Location: 14a Jersey Road, Strathfield, NSW 2135. For information call Pastor Daniel Chong at 02 9745 4035. I will present a mini version of my Sabbath Seminar from 7:00 to 9:00 p. m.

November 20: Monday 9:00 a. m. – SYDNEY WORKERS’ MEETING

Location: Greater Sydney Conference, 4 Cambridge Street, Epping, NSW 2121, Sydney. For information call the Ministerial Secretary, Pastor Garth Bainbridge at (02) 9868 6522. The meeting is primarily for our GSC workers, but Pastor Bainbridge may be willing to grant you admission, if you first make public confession of all your past sins (Please laugh!).

The plan is for me to present two lectures. The first is entitled “From Sabbath to Sunday: How It Came About.” In this powerpoint presentation I will share the highlights of my research on the change of the Sabbath, done in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University. The second lecture is entitled “The Mark and Number of the Beast.” This powerpoint study examines the various past and present interpretations of the mark and number of the Beast. It is designed to help our pastors and members understand why our Adventist church has moved from the numeric to the symbolic interpretation of 666.

November 24-26: BRISBANE: SABBATH CONFERENCE

Location: Brisbane Adventist College, 303A Broadwater Road, Mansfield, QLD 4122. The Sabbath Conference is co-sponsored by the South Queensland Conference and several sabbatarian churches in the Bribane area. For information feel free to contact Pastor Mark Pierce at 0417625884.

November 27: Monday 9:00 a. m. – BRISBANE WORKERS’ MEETING

Location: 19 Eagle Terrace, Brisbane, QLD 4000. For information call the Conference office at (07) 3218-7777. If you are not a pastor, ask the Conference office for permission to attend. There should be no problem.

UPDATE REPORT ON CRACKING THE DA VINCI CODE

The release of the DVD Album Cracking the Da Vinci Code, is generating considerable interest and enthusiastic responses from viewers in different parts of the world. At the last two weekend seminars, I have shown part of the DVD lecture Cracking the Da Vinci Code, before my afternoon presentation. The response was most encouraging. Many members queued up to purchase the album after the close of the Sabbath.

Three things you will appreciate about the newly released DVD album on Cracking the Da Vinci Code:

1) You will appreciate the clarity of the lecture which is delivered with the help of 140 appealing slides in the setting of an impressive virtual studio. The slides are professionally designed to vividly illustrate the concepts discussed.

2) You will appreciate the compelling refutation of Dan Brown’s blatant attacks against the fundamental beliefs of the Christian faith. To avoid confusing the viewer with technical scholarly arguments, I have focused on the major false claims of The Da Vinci Code, showing how they are totally devoid of biblical and historical support.

3) You will appreciate most of all the insights into the prophetic significance of Dan Brown’s neo-pagan false worship of the “sacred feminine” with ritual sex. You will see how this false worship is part of the endtime showdown between the true and false worship of God, portrayed dramatically especially in the book of Revelation.

To facilitate the sharing of the Cracking the Da Vinci Code to friends and neighbors, many have requested for a special discount on quantity orders of 10 albums or more. In response to these requests, we decided to offer until November 30, 2006, the DVD album Cracking the Da Vinci Code at an unprecedented introductory offer:

ONE DVD ALBUM for $35.00 instead of regular price of $100.00.

This represents 65% discount.

THREE DVD ALBUMS for $50.00 instead of $300.00.

This represents about 80% discount.

TEN DVD ALBUMS for $100.00 instead of $1000.00.

This represents 90% discount.

The quoted prices include the AIRMAIL expenses to any overseas destination. You can order the DVD albums on CRACKING THE DA VINCI CODE  in four different ways:

(1)  Online: By clicking here: http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/DaVinci/

(2)  Phone:  By calling us at (269) 471-2915 to give us your credit card number and postal address.

(3)  Email: By emailing your order to <sbacchiocchi@biblicalperspectives.com>. Be sure to provide your  postal address, credit card number, and expiration date.  

(4) Regular Mail: By mailing your check to BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVES, 4990 Appian Way, Berrien Springs, Michigan 4990, USA. We guarantee to process your order immediately.

IS YOUR CHURCH INTERESTED TO INVITE ME TO PRESENT A WEEKEND SEMINAR?

If your church is interested to invite me next year (2007) to present one of my three powerpoint seminars (Sabbath, Second Advent, and Christian Lifestyle), feel free to contact me at this time. I will be glad to email you the outline of each seminar and the cost, which is basically the refund of my travel expenses.

My calendar of speaking engagements for 2007 has still several open weekends, and I would be glad to reserve one weekend for your church. Feel free to contact me by email or phone: (269) 471-2915.

FREE CD/DVD ALBUM OF PROF. GRAEME BRADFORD

Several pastors have reported to me that after showing to their congregation Prof. Bradford’s live DVD lecture on Ellen White, most members were very eager to purchase a copy of the book MORE THAN A PROPHET at the special offer of $5.00 per copy, instead of the regular price of $25.00, when ordering the package of 30 copies.

To make it possible for every Adventist family to benefit from Prof. Bradford’s timely book MORE THAN A PROPHET, I decided to offer until November 30, 2006, one FREE CD/DVD album of Prof. Bradford, with any order of 2 or more copies of the book MORE THAN A PROPHET. The regular price of the CD/DVD album is $100.00, but you will receive this album free with your order of 2 or more copies of the book. The reason for this offer is the conviction that when your church members and friends view Prof. Bradford’s DVD lecture, they will be eager to purchase a copy of his book. For more details and order information, click here: http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/BradfordOffer/offer.htm If you have problems to order the book on line, feel free to call us at (269) 471-2915.

More than a Prophet is the fruit of twenty years of Prof. Bradford’s painstaking research on the prophetic ministry of Ellen White. It is a long-overdue book that clears the air of prevailing misconceptions about Ellen White which have caused thousands of Adventists to leave church. It has been encouraging to receive messages from former Adventists who after reading More than a Prophet, express the desire to come back to the church.

A dozen of Conferences have already donated a copy of More than a Prophet to each of their workers. For example, the Texas Conference ordered 200 copies. Other conferences have ordered fewer copies because of their smaller number of workers. Overseas conferences like the South African Union, ordered 300 copies. Your personal effort to promote this timely book in your church is greatly appreciated.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AT THE END OF THE NEWSLETTERS

A detailed description of the special offers on goods and services is provided at the end of this newsletter. Here is a brief listing of the announcements that are expanded at the end of this newsletter.

1. CALENDAR OF FORTHCOMING WEEKEND SEMINARS for the months of November and December 2006. See the details at the end of this newsletter.

2. DR. BACCHIOCCHI’S DVD ALBUM ON THE MARK AND NUMBER OF THE BEAST. See the details at the end of this newsletter.

3. DR. BACCHIOCCHI’S PACKAGE OF ALL HIS RECORDINGS. The package consists of 6 albums (including the latest on Cracking the Da Vinci Code), which are offered for only $150.00, instead of the regular price of $700.00. See the details at the end of this newsletter.

4. PROF. JON PAULIEN PUBLICATIONS IN ONE CD ALBUM.  The album contains more than a dozen of books and scores of articles written during the past 20 years of research. See the details at the end of this newsletter.

5. TAGNET SPECIAL NEW WEB HOSTING OFFER for Adventist churches and members. TAGnet provides an incredible number of webhosting services to our churches and members. This newsletter comes to you through their gracious and efficient service. For detail information, visit their website at http://www.netadventist.org or http://home.tagnet.org/ You may also call their office 800 - 9TAGNET. They are ready and eager to help you.

6. SPECIAL OFFER ON HITACHI PROJECTORS: HITACHI has offered an additional discount to help especially our churches and schools in developing countries. For examples, the special offer for the new 2500 LUMENS PROJECTOR CP-X260 IS ONLY $1195.00, instead of the previous SDA price of $2595.00. See the details at the end of this newsletter or call me at 269-471-2915

7. SPECIAL OFFER ON NEWLY RELEASED TOSHIBA LAPTOP TECRA A8 with dual processor and finger-print security. See details at the end.

8. REMOTE PRESENTER: Special offer on the smallest and most powerful REMOTE powerpoint presenter by Honeywell. See the details at the end of this newsletter.

9. BED & BREAKFAST FACILITIES IN LONDON, ENGLAND

If your travel plans call for a stop in London, you will be pleased to learn about a most gracious Adventist couple that offer the best accommodation and breakfast I have ever enjoyed. It has become my home away from home when in London. See details at: http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/Promotions/BED&BREAKFAST.htm

“Bacchiocchi Responds to False Allegations”

Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D.

Retired Professor of Church History and Theology

Andrews University

In preparing this response to the false allegations made against my academic achievements at the Pontifical Gregorian University, I found comfort and reassurance in the words of Jesus recorded in Luke 6:26: “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” The point of this warning is clear: Christ’s true followers who live and teach the truth, will sometimes be unpopular, at least with some people. As our Master, sometimes we will have to face false accusations, rejection, defamation, and persecution for standing for Bible truths.

Christ’s warning resonates with me because from my early youth I have faced ridicule, rejection, and persecution for taking a stand for what I believe to be fundamental Bible truths, especially the observance of God’s Holy Sabbath Day. Before addressing the controversy raging about the truthfulness of my claims regarding my earning the academic distinction of summa cum laude, receiving the gold and silver medals from Pope Paul VI, and publishing my dissertation first in part and then in full by the Gregorian Press, I would like to share some background information about myself. The intent is to help the reader understand why I have developed such a passionate interest for the study of the Sabbath/Sunday question—an interest that eventually led me to enroll in the doctoral program of the Pontifical Gregorian University, in my search for a fuller understanding of the Sabbath.

THE SABBATH IN MY LIFE

My Parent’s Discovery of the Sabbath

I was born in a godly Catholic family that lived close to the Vatican wall. For the first 18 years of my life I lived under the shadow of the Vatican. My parents attended Sunday Mass regularly and recited the rosary faithfully every night. This continued until my father was introduced for the first time to the study of the Bible by a fellow carpenter who belonged to the Waldensian Church. In their earnest desire to become better acquainted with the teachings of the Scriptures, my parents joined the Waldensian Church when I was a year old baby. They attended with keen interest also the mid-week Bible study conducted by students of the Waldensian School of Theology in Rome.

One Wednesday evening, a theology student presented a Bible study on the origin and significance of the Sabbath. Basing his meditation on Genesis 2:2-23, the young man explained how the Sabbath is a creation ordinance for mankind. The presentation sparked a lively debate between those students who defended the Biblical origin and validity of Sunday observance and the few who refuted such a view by arguing for the continuity of the Sabbath. That animated discussion left my father astonished and perplexed, because he firmly believed that Sundaykeeping was a biblical institution, established by Christ and the apostles. That experience ignited my father’s interest for the study of the Biblical basis and historical origin of Sundaykeeping.

Months of intense study led father to the conclusion that the seventh-day Sabbath had not been nullified but rather clarified and magnified by Christ’s teaching and example. In fact, he became convinced that the Sabbath is a divine institution that enables the believer to express and experience commitment to the Savior.

Unable to find in Rome a Christian Church that observed the seventh-day Sabbath, for several months my parents chose to worship privately in their home on the Sabbath, thus disconnecting their affiliation with the Waldensian Church. An invitation to attend a Bible study held in the home of a friend, introduced father and mother to a pastor of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which they soon joined.

Honoring the Savior on His Sabbath day, became a test for our family. My father lost his job for refusing to work on Saturday. For six months he went out every day seeking for a job at various building sites, but consistently the builders refused to hire him because he would not work on Saturday. After six months are family was starving.

One morning my parents prayed the prayer of desperation, asking the Lord to touch the heart of a builder who would give father a job. After prayer, my father went out to a building site where he had not been before. He broke down in tears before the builder while explaining that his family was starving because for six months builders had refused to hire him on account of his Sabbath convictions. The builder was moved by father’s sincerity and hired him. For the next 50 years father never lost a day of work in the city of Rome. It is evident that the Lord was testing his faith.

The Sabbath: A Testing Truth in My Youth

Sabbathkeeping became a test in my youth. Those were the days when the shortened work-week did not yet exist, thus Saturday was a working day for most people, including teachers and students. The principal of the secondary school told my mother that I would be expelled from school if I missed school for three consecutive Saturday without a medical excuse. Our family doctor helped us by writing a funny medical excuse saying that I missed school on a certain Saturday because I was “psicologicamente incapacitato—psychologically incapacitated.”

Twice a week a Catholic priest came to our classroom to teach us “Il Catechismo Cattolico—The Catholic Catechism.” When the Priest learned that I was a “Protestante Avventista—an Adventist Protestant,” he told to the whole class that they should stay away from me because I was a “Protestante eretico—a heretical Protestant.” And this is exactly what they did. When I approached them to talk with them, often they would tell me to stay away from them because I was a “Jew” and a “heretic.” Such a rejection hurted me deeply, because I wanted to be accepted by my peers.

The ridcule and rejection I faced from principals, priests, classmates, and relatives, instilled within me the desire to investigate the history, theology, and relevance of the Sabbath. I felt that if I had to suffer to honor the Savior on the Sabbath, I wanted to be sure that I was suffering for biblical truth, not for a denominational tradition.

During the 12 years I spent studying in Adventist schools, first at our Adventist Academy in Florence, then at Newbold College in England, and finally at Andrews University in Michigan, I presented at least a dozen of research projects dealing with the Sabbath/Sunday question. The Sabbath has been such a testing truth in my life, that I was most eager to deepen my understanding of this biblical institution. My dream was to eventually one day to write a doctoral dissertation on this controversial subject. But I would have never imagined that I would be priviledged to conduct such an investigation at the prestigious Pontifical Gregorian University. In those days it was unthinkable for a non-Catholic to be accepted at any Pontifical University in Rome.

The Choice of the Pontifical Gregorian University

My acceptance at the Gregoriana in the Fall of 1969 marked the admission of the first “separated brother” into a regular study program in over 400 years of history of the University. I hasten to acknowledge that I was treated not as a “separated brother,” but as a genuine Christian brother. The climate of cordiality and respect was exemplified especially in the freedom and guidance I received while researching and writing my doctoral dissertation on the controversial question of the origin of Sunday observance in early Christianity.

Fellow believers often ask me this question: “Why did you, Dr. Bacchiocchi, a Seventh-day Adventist, choose to go to study at the Pontifical Gregorian University, which is a Jesuit university founded by Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order?” The answer may be surprising to some, but the idea was first suggested to me by a most congenial Catholic Priest, Giovanni Ravasio, who was the director of a Catholic Mission School in Ethiopia, located close to the Ethiopian Adventist College, where my wife and I were teaching. Ravasio visited us in our home on several occasions and we developed a cordial friendship.

One day I had a pleasant conversation with Ravasio while delivering some school furniture produced on our campus to his mission school. During the course of the conversation, I informed him that I had been accepted at Yale University and we were planning to return to the USA upon completing our 5 years mission service. Smilingly, Ravasio exclaimed: “Samuele, you a Roman, not a Yankee. You should go back to Rome and study at the Gregoriana!” I replied, “Surely, they will never accept a heretic like me!” He retorted: “Sam, after Vatican II you are no longer a heretic, but a ‘separated brother.’ If you apply at the Gregoriana, you stand a good chance to be accepted.”

My Admission at the Gregoriana

Initially, I dismissed the idea of applying to the Gregoriana, because I was not prepared to spend 5 years in a Jesuit university. I thought that it might be detrimental to my faith. But after thinking and praying about it, the conviction developed within my heart that perhaps I should apply at the Gregoriana. We felt that if the Lord would open the door for me to study there, that would offer me a unique opportunity to conduct my investigation on the change from Sabbath to Sunday in Vatican libraries.

I sent an inquiring letter to the Gregoriana doubting that my request would ever be considered seriously. Surprisingly, I did receive a reply, indicating that my application would have to be examined by the Secretariat for the Promotion of Christian Unity—a Vatican committee that deals with relations with Protestant churches. After several months of correspondence, I was invited to present myself for an oral interview upon our return to Rome from our mission service in Ethiopia.

In the meantime I contacted Dr. Earl Hilgert, the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Andrews University, to find out if the university would be interested to sponsor me for my doctoral studies at the Gregoriana. Dr. Hilgert, who remembered me as one of his good students, showed interest for my proposal and arranged for me to receive a call and some financial assistance.

Still, I had serious reservations about studying five long years at the Gregoriana while trying to support my wife and children. In fact, the first thing that I did when we arrived in Rome, was to visit the Pontificia Universita Lateranense, a historical institution located behind the Basilica of St. John Lateran. I had a pleasant visit with the Dean who reassured that I could complete my doctorate in Church History at their university in only three years.

Excited about the possibility of completing my doctorate in only three years at the Lateranense, I contacted Dr. Hilgert seeking for his approval. His reply was that I should stick to the original plan. He told me that though the doctoral program at the Gregoriana was longer and more demanding, I should go for it because ultimately I would receive a better education. Since he earned his doctorate at the University of Basel, studying under Karl Barth, Dr. Hilgert had become acquainted with some scholars of the Gregoriana while studying in Europe.

My Experience at the Gregoriana

My admission at the Gregoriana posed some concerns for the administrators. During the two hours interview the Dean, Frederick Kempf and his associate, asked me specific questions about my reasons for wanting to study at the Gregoriana. They reminded me that, being a non-Catholic, the degree granted by the Gregoriana would not allow me to teach in a Catholic seminary. I reassured them that I had no interest to teach in a Catholic Seminar, because I was sponsored by Andrews University where our family was planning to return upon the completion of my studies.