It is clear from the historical quotes mentioned earlier that Sabbath observance didn't immediately end after the resurrection of Christ. It is also clear that the promotion of anti-Sabbath worship and pro-Sunday worship in Christendom was the strongest coming from Rome and Alexandria and not the east. I read through the section dealing with the Great Shcism by the Orthodox scholar that was mentioned in an earlier post, but I could not see anywhere where the contents of the original letter sent from Patriarch Michael Caerularius of Constantinople was quoted, the Catholic Encyclopedia does give the details, the three issues were the type of bread used in the Euachrist, fasting on the Sabbath, and celibacy. I've re-copied the article below for reference. Finally, to get back to the main point of my question: It seems that up till 1054 the keeping of the Sabbath in a joyful, non-fasting manner, must have been important enough and widespread enough among the Orthodox Church in 1054 for the Patriarch Michael Caerularius to take a stand against Rome; then what happened since then that we don't see weekly Sabbath keeping in the Orthodox Church in our time?
Michael Cærularius
(Keroulários).
Patriarch of Constantinople (1043-58), author of the second and final schism of the Byzantine Church, date of birth unknown; d. 1058.
Suddenly, after no kind of provocation, in the midst of what John Beccus describes as "perfect peace" between the two Churches (L. Allatius, "Græcia orthod.", I, 37), Cærularius sent a declaration of war against the pope and the Latins. His agent was Leo, Metropolitan of Achrida in Bulgaria. In 1053 this latter sent a letter to Bishop John of Tranum in Apulia, complaining of certain Latin customs, especially fasting on Saturday and the use of azyme (unleavened) bread for the Holy Eucharist. He says that the letter is meant for "all the bishops of the Franks and for the most venerable pope" (published by Will, "Acta et scripta", 56-60). There is no doubt that it was dictated by Cærularius. John of Tranum sent the letter on to Cardinal Humbert of Silva Candida, who translated it and showed it to the pope. Cærularius then sent to the other patriarchs a treatise written by Nicetas Pectoratus (Niketas Stethatos in Greek), a monk of Studion, against azyme bread, fasting on Saturday, and celibacy.
Brooks
