Pope Francis wants you to take Sundays off, whether you're Catholic or not.

The Roman Catholic Church leader visited Molise, Italy, on Saturday, The Associated Press reported. The southern Italian region's unemployment rate is chronically high. During his visit, the pope told the people to keep their stores closed on Sundays and instead spend time with their families and friends.

According to Pope Francis, people's priorities should be "not economic but human."

"Maybe it's time to ask ourselves if working on Sundays is true freedom," he said.

Pope Francis urged people to focus on families and friendships instead of material earnings. Sundays, he said, should be spent strengthening these relationships. As a result, doing so is an "ethical choice" for everyone, no matter their faith or lack thereof, the Argentine explained.

The AP reported that the 77-year-old pope traveled to Molise via helicopter. He spent the day there, and his activities included eating lunch with the poor and visiting those held in a nearby Isernia prison.

Ahead of the pope's arrival, he had suffered a "spate of illnesses," according to the AP, but he seemed fine during his trip. He reportedly appeared happy and energetic while interacting with his followers.

According to the Vatican, the pope's health issues are "mild."

Pope Francis also stopped at the University of Molise in Campobasso, the school's Great Hall, Romagnoli Stadium, the Cathedral of Campobasso and the Sanctuary of Castelpetroso, according to a program of the pastoral visit.

During his stop at the University of Molise, Pope Francis also addressed environmental issues.

"This is one of the greatest challenges of our time: to convert ourselves to a type of development that knows how to respect creation," he said according to Reuters. "When I look at America, also my own homeland [South America], so many forests, all cut, that have become land ... that can [no] longer give life. This is our sin, exploiting the Earth and not allowing her to her give us what she has within her."
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Follow Scharon Harding on Twitter: @ScharHar.

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