St. Augustine - Letter to Januarius

“... if any of these customs is common to the whole Church throughout the world, it is the most unheard of madness to doubt that such custom is to be followed.”

Also known as "Letter 54", Augustine’s Letter to Januarius was written in response to a question posed by Januarius in a previous letter: at what time of day should the Holy Sacrifice on Holy Thursday be celebrated?

The letter contains a clear affirmation of the twofold authority of Scripture and Tradition, careful articulation of the distinction between that which is essential to the faith and that which is not, and a hint at some of the early Church’s procedural disputes... a humbling reminder that disagreements regarding accidental aspects to liturgy are as old as the Church itself!

Links

Translation courtesy of Catholic University of America Press: https://verbum.com/product/120434/saint-augustine-letters-vol-1

Alternate Translation at CatholicCulture.org: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=3202

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