Sir, - It was interesting to see among national news items that the retail workers' union Mandate is putting pressure on the Government to give staff the legal right to opt out of Sunday working, and that the Labour Relations Committee has begun work on a possible code of practice on Sunday trading. This type of problem is, of course, something quite new to a country with such a long tradition of observing the Sabbath Day. Even in penal times people would rather risk their lives than abandon the practice of hearing Mass on Sunday. Old habits die hard and obviously Irish people still feel the need to satisfy that sabbatical urge. Mandate should ensure that the opportunity is made available to them.
Pope John Paul II, in his recent pastoral letter Dies Domini (The Lord's Day), noted that in predominantly Christian countries of the past a believer's observance of Sunday as a day of prayer and rest was supported by a culture in which most people went to church and almost no one worked on Sunday. Today, remaining faithful to the Sunday observance often requires going against the current.
He again referred to it in a meeting with local people and tourists at his mountain holiday resort in Borno, Brescia in north Italy where, as he said, "it is easier in the midst of this wonderful natural scenery to raise one's eyes to the Creator and to praise Him for his works".
It is to be hoped that our Government and the retail workers' union will ensure that such a privilege is available to the believing, working people of this land. - Yours, etc., (Fr) Placid C. Nolan, OP,
Holy Cross Priory, Tralee, Co Kerry.