A Catholic priest, Fr. Oluoma, has shared his perspective on the controversy trailing Nollywood actress Ini Edo’s film Dirty Christmas, after the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) called for the movie to be taken down over its title.
The issue surfaced after Ini Edo publicly expressed concern over CAN’s threat to withdraw the film, with the association arguing that the title undermines the Christian faith.
Responding to a video of the actress appealing to CAN, Fr. Oluoma acknowledged that it is within the rights of Christian bodies to question content they believe is offensive to their beliefs. However, he emphasized that such judgments should be made after reviewing the actual content of the movie rather than relying solely on its title.
He pointed out that Ini Edo has repeatedly stated that the film does not mock or belittle Christianity and has challenged critics to identify any scenes that may be offensive. Based on this, the priest suggested that CAN should first watch the movie and evaluate its message before taking further action.
According to him, it would be unfair to undermine or attempt to shut down a film purely because of its title, especially considering the time, effort, and financial investment involved in producing it.
Fr. Oluoma also stressed that the responsibility of censoring or withdrawing films lies with Nigeria’s recognized film and regulatory bodies, not religious organizations. He maintained that unless the movie breaches established ethical or regulatory guidelines, it should be allowed to remain available to the public.
While praising CAN for standing up for Christian values, the priest criticized the group for what he described as its quiet stance on more pressing issues within the faith. He mentioned concerns such as alleged fake miracles, unverified prophecies, and the exploitation of believers by some church leaders.
He concluded by urging CAN to pay greater attention to these internal challenges, which he believes pose a more serious threat to Christianity than the title of a movie.
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