Bavaria – Churches protest against amended shop closing law

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The Bavarian State Parliament passed an amended shop closing law. This affects, among other things, shop opening hours on Sundays. Representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the Bavarian State Church protested this “attack on Sunday protection.”

Sunday is specially protected

Apparently opposing tendencies regarding the special protection of Sunday in Bavaria. Representatives of the Roman Catholic Church regularly declare, with a raised finger, that Sunday is “most holy,” naturally referring to the celebrated Mass. The Evangelical Lutheran churches organized in the EKD (Evangelical Church in Germany) also insist on the special protection of Sunday.

To lend more weight to their own arguments for observing Sunday, both church institutions regularly refer to written law. Sunday rest is enshrined in the Basic Law, with an article referring to the validity of articles of the Weimar Constitution. Article 140 of the Basic Law states:
“The provisions of Articles 136, 137, 138, 139 and 141 of the German Constitution of 11 August 1919 shall form an integral part of this Basic Law.“

Article 139 of the Weimar Constitution states:
“Sundays and state-recognized holidays remain legally protected as days of rest from work and spiritual uplift.“

Ergo, Sunday is a legally protected day. It is applied just as Emperor Constantine first introduced it in 321.

A written, enforced law must be observed. Moral concerns notwithstanding. If it doesn’t suit you, there are democratic ways to amend the law accordingly (statute). Bypassing, ignoring, or disregarding an existing law is a violation of the law. It’s that simple.

Protest against Bavaria’s shop closing law

Matthias Belafi, the head of Bavaria’s Catholic Office, and Dieter Breit, the regional church representative, are pointing out the traditional and legally mandated Sunday rest with a protest note. The reason for this is the new shop closing law passed by the Bavarian state parliament on July 10, 2025. This will take effect on August 1, 2025. Among them is a “protesting Catholic”—that’s something.

New rules in Bavaria

Municipalities are authorized to grant extended “evening shopping” hours to local businesses within their respective catchment areas. Stores can remain open until midnight for up to eight working days. This is no longer the case, as was previously the case only for specific reasons. A simple notification from management to the municipality is sufficient.

The new shop closing law also affects the handling of “digital micro-supermarkets” that operate without the presence of staff. The new shop closing law allows these digital markets to open 24 hours a day, even on Sundays. The limit is a maximum retail space of 150 square meters.

Despite the relaxations, Bavaria remains the only federal state in which the federal shop closing law from 1956 applies. This means that shops generally close at 8 p.m. on weekdays, while in most federal states, they must close by 10 p.m. at the latest.

The new shop closing law for Bavaria thus extends the “open evening shopping” period, which is still treated as a special case, and the authorization of digital markets that operate without any staff.

“An attack on Sunday protection”

However, for representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the Bavarian State Church, a red line appears to have been crossed. They even describe the legislation as a “clear attack on the constitutionally protected Sunday rest.” (Source). This is also being compromised by the unlimited opening of digital mini-supermarkets.

The relaxation of restrictions is likely to change the character of Sunday and alter people’s shopping behavior to the extent that Sunday protection is massively compromised, according to the arguments put forward. There is a risk that the opening of supermarkets on Sundays and public holidays will gradually become the norm.

The Dispute Between Two Fronts

A bit of a fuss from the church representatives. It’s telling that they primarily argue with the factor of “educating people” who supposedly adopt behavior that could contradict Sunday observance. Digital markets operate without staff, and other relaxations remain exceptional cases, but have been exempted from a large package of (“educational?”) bureaucracy.

The usual tug-of-war. It’s about Sunday. One side (seemingly) pays little to no attention to Sunday observance, while the other side vehemently defends it. Two fronts, clashing with each other. If one takes into account the prophecy according to Revelation 13, then the group of people who, contrary to the arguments of the church representatives, still adhere to God’s law, will no longer be able to shop even in a digital mini-supermarket. (Info).

The Sabbath is not even on the radar

Sunday protection as the subject of an open dispute. Until a (desired) compromise was found, satisfying all involved disputants. Goal achieved (Hegelian dialectics). But what was completely ignored, even repressed, was what should actually be the subject of the “disputes,” and that is the Fourth Commandment according to Exodus 20:8-11. This commandment prescribes not Sunday (the first day of the week), but Saturday (the seventh day of the week) for observance. This law, written in stone by God himself, has never been violated in either the Old or New Testament. And the Roman Catholic Church knows this very well, as it itself emphasizes, among other things. (Info).

The (once) Protestant churches already failed during the Reformation to observe the biblical requirement of the binding Sabbath commandment (Info). The Church of Rome must even be acknowledged when it emphasized (Council of Trent) that Protestantism, still in its infancy at the time, was hypocritical when it preached “Sola Scriptura” but observed Sunday. For in doing so, the Protestants were not following the Bible, but a Roman Catholic tradition..

It’s time to learn about Sabbath

There’s a lot of noise about Sunday, but not a single word about the biblical Sabbath. That’s actually what it’s all about. Time to educate yourself about the Sabbath observance required by God.

Key points of the Sabbath – here
The Sabbath still applies to all(!) people – here
The “Lord’s Day” is NOT Sunday – here
War against the biblical Sabbath since the beginning of the Church of Rome – here
Jesus Christ neither broke nor abolished the Sabbath – here

Bible verses from King James Version (1611)