It has been reported in Times of Malta (September 19), that a consultation paper is proposing that all shops currently not allowed to open on Sunday can do so provided they remain closed on another day. The first reaction that comes to one’s mind regarding this proposal is how fortunate we are to have shops open every day of the week.
Such a move would help customers avail themselves of such a service whenever they feel the need, without worrying that they would have to miss out on something on Sunday.
But is not such reasoning somewhat selfish? Will not allowing shops to conduct business on Sundays have repercussions on families and society at large?
By allowing shopkeepers to open on Sundays, Economy Minister Chris Cardona is implying that Sunday is an ordinary day of the week like any other day. Don’t we Maltese consider Sunday a day of rest for the whole family?
Don’t the majority of Maltese, who are Catholics, consider Sunday as a day of recollection and time to observe their obligations as Catholics and go to Mass?
Shouldn’t those who are in government look primarily at the good of society as a whole rather than the interests of specific sectors of society? This is not simply a question of allowing shopkeepers decide for themselves “which day it would be most wise to keep a business open” as the minister has been reported to have said.
Of course, it is better to have shops open all the days of the week but don’t we want Sunday to be a special day, a day of rest for all members of the family? Don’t we want Sunday to remain a day where one can relate with one another and safeguard those values so needed to strengthen the family?
What’s the use of giving employees another day of rest instead of Sunday when all other members of the family are working?
This is not a question of an emergency service as is the case of medical staff and the police but a question of accommodating businessmen to make more profit.
If we want to safeguard the common good and preserve our values, we must be ready to sacrifice shops opening on Sundays for the good of society at large.