wfn.org | German churches concerned about observance of Sundays

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

Is the Basic Law still being respected?

HANOVER, Germany/GENEVA, 24 March 1999 (lwi)   The leadership of the United
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (VELKD) has criticized the
increasing erosion of the observance of Sundays and public holidays.

Meeting in Hanover from 11 12 March, the church leaders pointed out that
increasingly, local authorities tend to generously approve extra opening
hours of shops during events such as fairs, village fetes, jubilees or
specially organized festivals, even on Sundays and public holidays.

According to a press statement issued at the end of the meeting, the VELKD
leadership expressed concern that in view of the growing number of special
rules, the question arises whether the regulation concerning the observance
of Sundays and public holidays contained in Germany's Basic Law is still
being respected.

The national church body said it considers Sundays to be an "irreplaceable
blessing of social culture" which must continue to be protected. Therefore,
the VELKD leadership considers the wish for a general liberalization such
as abolishing the law regulating shops' closing time, hosting  rock
concerts on "Eternity Sunday", allowing discos to open on Good Friday and
operating car-wash services also on Sundays, as a dangerous pointer to the
tendency to allow  economical reasons to override the protection of
elementary human concerns.

According to the VELKD, the observance of Sundays and public holidays is a
cultural blessing which needs to be adhered to against the background of
the Third Commandment   "observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy"   and
not only from a Christian perspective.

The meeting stressed that human beings and society need the rhythm of work
and rest, adding that placing short-term economic interests, whose
consequences are controversial in the economy and industry, above human
concerns does not contribute to the commonweal.

During their meeting representatives of the VELKD churches expressed deep
concern over the persecution of Christians in India and Indonesia and
declared the national body's solidarity with the churches concerned.

The VELKD leadership also affirmed to intensify the promotion of projects
in eastern Germany. In view of the structural changes in the new lander
(Mecklenburg, Saxony and Thuringia) and considering the need to make
savings, the medium-level capacities in the area of human resources and
crisis management must be strengthened, the press statement underlined.

In addition, the VELKD leadership, in cooperation with its Center for
Congregational Renewal in Celle, promotes a project for further vocational
training in congregational counseling and institutional development for the
churches in the east.

Regarding participation in the Christian Pavilion at the world fair Expo
2000 in Hanover, the VELKD leadership says it will take part in the project
of digital information on faith, which aims at electronically offering
information on the Christian faith.

The communication of religious themes to congregations is one of the major
activities of the VELKD. This is portrayed among other ways in projects
such as the catechisms for adults, for congregations, for children and for
confirmation candidates. The German Protestant and Roman Catholic churches
are implementing the Expo project in cooperation with their respective
Bible societies,  the Protestant Association for Media Communication (GEP)
and the Catholic church's Katholische Glaubensinformation (kgi).

Representing 11 million members, the VELKD comprises the Evangelical
Lutheran Churches in Bavaria, Brunswick, Thuringia, Hanover, Mecklenburg,
Saxony, Schaumburg-Lippe, and the North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church.
It is headed by Bishop Horst Hirschler (Hanover).

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Lutheran World Information
Assistant Editor, English: Pauline Mumia
E-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/