Styrian governor Hermann Schützenhöfer started another debate! Easter Monday must be sacrificed to “save” Good Friday as a holiday for the evangelical believers. Both the Protestant and the Catholic Church applaud this initiative. The FPÖ is heavily critical.
Good Friday has not been a public holiday since 2019 – this decision hurts evangelical believers to this day. Hermann Schützenhöfer wants to eradicate this “injustice” with his initiative and finds support from the local churches.
Evangelical Church welcomes advance
For example, Michael Chalupka, Bishop of the Evangelical Church in Austria, applauds the initiative: “It is gratifying that the governor is relaunching a debate here.” The proposal is theologically justified by the great importance of Good Friday, Chalupka says, proposing that the Chancellor set up a working group “to implement all aspects of such a holiday arrangement and the proposal”.
The Styrian chief curator of the Evangelical Church, Michael Axmann, also welcomes the proposal: “It is balanced because it also takes into account the interests of the economy. The Easter Bunny would bring no fewer presents and no fewer Easter sausages would be eaten. The purchases are moved to the previous days. The weekend would be just as long. There would be just as much time for the families.”
“Good Friday more important than Easter Monday”
The Catholic Church of Styria also sees the initiative positively: “Of course we support it when Good Friday is discussed as a holiday, because this day is also a special day for the Catholic Church. In any case, it is more important than Easter Monday, Whit Monday or St. Stephen’s Day, which are not obligatory holidays in our church. Of course, the church does not have to decide on holidays.”
Criticism, on the other hand, comes from the FPÖ: Styrian club president Mario Kunasek describes the discussion as “completely unnecessary” and demands: “The Styrian head of government would do well, instead of starting such pointless discussions in times like these, it would be better to tackle the level of the LH conference to make the looming carbon tax strong.”
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
