Chile debate on Good Friday: the Church and the workers, in favor of the holiday

The debate on the Holy Holiday continues in Chile, involving the great firms of shopping centers, political sectors, workers’ unions and even the Catholic Church, which asks that the holiday be respected on such an important day for Christians.

The discussions began the last month, when it was learned that the three largest shopping centers in Chile intend to open their doors next Good Friday, an unpublished decision in the history of the country where, despite not being an inalienable holiday, tradition has been respected for decades, allowing workers to participate in religious celebrations.

The tradition, the profession of faith and labor rights were wielded as arguments in this intense debate, which is in the sights of the owners of the Falabella, Paris and Ripley shopping centers, and their intention to open its doors normally next Good Friday.

Within that framework, unions referents maintained a few weeks ago An encounter with the Archbishop of Santiago, Cardinal Fernando Chomaliwho stressed that “if the State of Chile declares a holiday on Good Friday is because it recognizes in these celebrations a good for the Chileans, while strengthening the Christian values ​​that have nurtured and encouraged our culture and unite us around them”, qualifying as “unfortunate” the decision to open the premises and calling the entrepreneurs to reconsider it.

Despite this, missing a few days for Holy Week celebrations, merchants have maintained their position, arguing that, if not opening, income will be affected and that will have an impact on economic activity.

Both the Government and the Catholic Church expressed their support for employees, who protect themselves in tradition and religious practice, and even a group of deputies in the block Vamos Chile He has entered the National Congress a bill to declare inalienable holiday on Good Friday, which would force the closing of all department stores, large supermarkets and establishments that are not served by their owners.

In the Chilean calendar, so far the inalienable holidays are: January 1 (New Year); May 1 (Labor Day); September 18 and 19 (National Fiestas and the Army Glories); and December 25 (Christmas).

The National Chamber of Commerce (CNC), which groups the merchants of Chile, criticized the bill ensuring that it is a maneuver of “electoral opportunism” in the face of October parliamentary elections, collects the portal BioBioChile.

Despite not being an inalienable holiday, for decades, on Good Friday it was a date on which stores did not open the public. But in 2025, both Falabella, and Paris and Ripley, the three largest firms in Retail in Chile, announced that they will normally operate, offering financial compensation to their employees because it is a festive day.

The workers assure that the Holy Friday Holiday is an acquired right, and received the support of the Labor Directorate, which issued a statement holding that “not having opened the public trade stores during the previous years during the religious holiday corresponding to Good Friday, unfailingly leads to reason that, during that date, the employer has tacitly agreed with such workers that the holiday is expressed as a rest as a rest in a rest. Purposes of religious, spiritual or other reflection, without affecting their remuneration ”, reproduces The third.

This tacit agreement, the document points out, “is part of the current contract with those workers and, consequently, obliges the parties to their full compliance”, since the tacit clauses “are a projection of the principle of the primacy of reality and, therefore, their nature is eminently protective and guarantee.”

Another arguments to defend the right to rest on this day indicates that ignoring on Good Friday shows “indications of discriminatory behavior to freedom of conscience, the manifestation of beliefs and freedom of worship.”

In recent days, Cardinal Chomali spoke again on the subject. In a statement entitled “Take care of Good Friday is to take care of Chile”, While recognizing the good that these retail companies make to society, generating employment and offering goods and services, emphasizes the lives of workers and their social value.

Religious festivals, says purple, express the values ​​that support, encourage and unite society. Therefore, “going against them causes very deep damage to the community,” he warns, also pointing out that this attitude “shows that the supreme value of those who intend to eliminate them from the calendar is the economic gain; that achieving wealth justifies to put obstacles so that workers live their faith; that it matters more to have than being; that things are more important than people; that capital is imposed on work.

This measure, he adds, “divides us as a community” since, despite being Chile a secular state, “he has been very wise to keep a few days of our calendar,” as on Good Friday, date that despite not being inalienable, “no one should be forced to give up it,” considers, something that would happen if the big stores opened that day, mainly harming the workers, “violating their beliefs and deteriorating their beliefs and deteriorating their beliefs and deteriorating their beliefs and deteriorating their beliefs familiar”.

“I call that those responsible for the retail do not open that day. With that decision they will demonstrate magnanimity, love of Chile and its traditions, empathy towards their workers who will appreciate that gesture, and above all respect for the faith of millions of people who want to celebrate with recollection with their families the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,” he concludes.