Cinema bosses provoke anger from Church leaders by announcing they will open on Christmas Day

Nov 27, 2016 by

by Jonathan Petre, Mailonline:

Britain’s biggest cinema chain is to show films on Christmas Day, provoking anger from Church leaders.

The Odeon group has scheduled more than 120 screenings in 20 of its cinemas on Sunday, December 25 – some of which will clash with services.

Cinemas were heavily criticised last year for refusing to show a short Church of England advertisement featuring the Archbishop of Canterbury and others reciting lines from the Lord’s Prayer.

Church leaders said the chain’s ‘commercial’ decision to open on one of Christianity’s most important feast days was a further erosion of traditional values.

Andrea Minichiello Williams, a member of the Church’s ‘parliament’, the General Synod, said: ‘The stillness of Christmas Day in our country is one of the last reminders of our great Christian heritage.

‘It is a day when, together with family and loved ones, we remember something greater than ourselves – the birth of Jesus Christ with his message of salvation, hope, peace and goodwill that is for all of us. Do we want to ruin this?’

Under the Christmas Day Trading Act 2004, large stores are banned from opening on December 25, but cinemas do not face such restrictions.

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