Sunday should be left work-free except for cases where it was absolutely necessary, Gozo bishop Mario Grech said today.

In a statement, he appealed to the people to cooperate with the European Sunday Alliance which is today celebrating a European Day for Work-Free Sundays.

"I appeal to the people to cooperate with this initiative and not work on Sunday unless their work is necessary in society."

Bishop Grech said it was satisfactory that society was defending Sunday because this left people time to rest and spend with the family and in the community, take part in cultural activities and carry out other activities which did not have anything to do with productivity and consumption, such as voluntary work and sports.

It was a shame that because of a profit of culture, workers rights were not being respected, he said.

Bishop Grech said facts showed that this day was being celebrated at a time when because of the economic and financial crisis in Europe, social and economic rights were under an enormous pressure and people were finally realising they did not depend just on production and the economy.

Man was more than a machine or a consumer of objects and services so neither political nor market power should exploit workers by obliging them to also work on Sundays.

Work on Sunday also went against the spirit and work of the EU's declaration of fundamental human rights, he said.

To leave Sunday work-free was a civic and religious value because to Christians Sunday meant the celebration of the sacrifice of Christ and his victory over sin and death.

Mgr Grech said one hoped that, this time round, Christinas of certain values, which according to some opinion makers were conservative, would be proved right.