Free Good Friday

Renewed calls from the Protestant church for a public holiday

The Protestant Church is once again campaigning for the Good Friday holiday.

(Bild: Evangelische Pfarre Johanneskirche)

As it has done every year since it was abolished in 2019, the Protestant Church is calling for its former Good Friday holiday to return. Lutheran-Evangelical Bishop Michael Chalupka calls for a "public holiday for all".

On the occasion of Good Friday tomorrow, there are renewed calls from the Protestant Church to make Good Friday a public holiday again. Five years ago, the holiday was abolished following a ruling by the Constitutional Court (VfGH).

Previously, the Friday before Easter was a legally recognized holiday for members of the Protestant churches and Old Catholics. Believing Christians go to mass at 3 pm on this strict fasting day to commemorate the hour of Jesus' death - three days later comes the resurrection, which Christians celebrate at Easter. On a normal working day, this religious rite is not possible on Good Friday. Employees can now only apply for a regular day off.

Demand: public holiday for all
Lutheran-Evangelical Bishop Michael Chalupka once again spoke to the "Wiener Zeitung" newspaper in favor of an additional public holiday for everyone on Good Friday. According to Kathpress, the Protestant pastors in Burgenland made the same demand in an open letter.

The abolition of Good Friday as a public holiday is "still a painful memory today", the letter states. The Carinthian Protestant superintendent Manfred Sauer in turn announced to the "Kleine Zeitung" (Thursday) that he would leave "no stone unturned" on this issue in this election year. "We will continue to fight hard for the holiday, not just for Protestants, but for all Christians," said Sauer.