Press Release

Published 4 October 2005 Author: FSPC – Communication

Protect Sunday – strengthen fellowship

The Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches (FSPC) and the Conference of Swiss Bishops (CSB), supported by the members of the Working Committee of Christian Churches in Switzerland (WCCCS), firmly support a protection of Sunday in the joint document “Protect Sunday, strengthen fellowship - an ecumenical contribution by the churches to a revision of the law on work”.

The FSBC and the CSB have jointly launched the topic ‘Protect Sunday – strengthen fellowship’ in connection with the vote of 27 November 2005 on the parliamentary initiative “Shop opening times in centres open to public use”. At a media conference they presented to a wider public the booklet “Protect Sunday, strengthen fellowship - an ecumenical contribution by the churches to a revision of the law on work”, which has met with a great public response and is already in its third edition. A flyer was also presented which - together with the booklet – is intended to support the churches’ campaign.

The joint text is to be understood not only as a position statement on the revision of the labour law which is called for by the parliamentary initiative. Rather, it represents a further concrete step in the implementation of the “Charta Oecumenica”. Since the 1980s, the FSPC and the CSB have time and again spoken out on the value of Sunday, and in 2001 they emphasized the importance of a balance between rest and work in a joint “Word of the churches”. The booklet and flyer should now stimulate a discussion on the status of Sunday which goes far beyond the initiative and the specific interests of the church. The value of Sunday is one of the most distinctive topics of the Christian churches. In it, social fellowship and fellowship with God are indissolubly bound up together.

The President of the FSPC Council, Thomas Wipf, says that it is important for Sunday to be observed. “If there is no Sunday, the family, the circle of friends, the church, the association, lack those who do not have it. There is no compensation for this loss. A sensible policy which becomes increasingly aware of the dangers of losing social ties should not put at risk the most important institution which promotes fellowship, namely Sunday.”

Bishop Bürscher referred to the human right to the free practice of religion. “The protection of Sunday hitherto in the labour law opens up a window of time for worship and church activities and guarantees workers the possibility of taking part.” From the perspective of the FSPC and CSB, the argument of those who support the initiative saying that Sunday work is voluntary and can be compensated for by equivalent leisure presupposes a voluntary character which does not exist. Sunday work is voluntary if there is a guarantee that a refusal to work on Sunday is not a reason for dismissal and does not lead to other disadvantages.

Sunday must be valuable to a modern society. Central values are bound up with it which extend far beyond the religious sphere. The churches support these.

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