The Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral of the Serbian Orthodox Church has called on Montenegrin authorities to preserve Sunday as a mandatory day off for most workers, as public debate continues over the legal status of Sunday trading.

In a statement published on its official website, the Metropolitanate stressed the special religious significance of Sunday for Christians as the day of Christ’s Resurrection and participation in worship services. Church representatives argued that maintaining a common day of rest not only protects the rights of believers but also strengthens family life and social solidarity.

The renewed debate follows a January 28 decision by Montenegro’s Constitutional Court to lift a ban on Sunday trading. The restriction, in place since 2019, required shops to close one day a week, effectively making Sunday a mandatory rest day for retail employees. After the court struck down the ban, the future of the non-working Sunday once again became a subject of public and political discussion, according to local media reports.

A group of lawmakers has requested an extraordinary parliamentary session on February 16 to address the issue. Meanwhile, the country’s Minister of Economic Development has urged retailers not to rush into reopening on Sundays until political consensus is reached.

In its appeal, the Church noted that many European countries maintain restrictions on Sunday trade. In Germany and Austria, shops are generally closed on Sundays, while Poland has gradually introduced a near-total ban on Sunday trading since 2018, with certain exceptions.

The Metropolitanate emphasized the need to balance the constitutional principles of the right to work, freedom of enterprise, and the protection of family life. It called on the authorities to carefully weigh all arguments and adopt a lawful solution that would safeguard labor rights while preserving Sunday as a day of rest for the majority of citizens.