Catholics Reply Kumuyi: Christmas Is Good, We'll Celebrate It

The Director of Social Communications, Catholic
Archdiocese of Lagos, Monsignor Gabriel Osu,
reacting to Pastor Kumuyi’s proclamation about
the celebration of Christmas, said:
“I don’t know what he means by saying the
practice of celebrating Christmas is wrong. “Is
he saying that Christ wasn’t born? That he
didn’t come to die for us? Does he not
celebrate his own birthday?
"Do Kumuyi’s pastors not celebrate him? It is
not everything I react to; some people just
seek attention. If Kumuyi is a Christian, then
he must believe in Christ.
“The celebration of Christmas didn’t just start
today; it is too public an event for anyone to say
that they don’t know what it is about. If Kumuyi
is condemning the commercialisation of
Christmas, I can understand that. Christ came to
redeem us from our lost state; this was
actualised through his coming, his birth; that is
why we celebrate Christmas. It is the fulfilment
of God’s promise.
“I saw him on the television a few days ago. He
was in Akwa Ibom State and was the chief
preacher during their Christmas celebration
event. Kumuyi is just saying what he feels; he is
not making any doctrinal statement.”
On his part, the spokesperson for the Christian
Association of Nigeria, Oshodi chapter, Lagos
State, Pastor Barnabas Otoibhi, said that
Christmas is worth celebrating. Otoibhi told
Punch in a telephone interview that the origin of
Christmas was not as important as its essence.
He said, “The origin of Christmas, as we know it,
could be traced to Roman Emperor,
Constantine. Christmas was a day for
celebrating the Sun God. However, because
Constantine was a Christian, the day was
changed to commemorate the birth of Jesus
Christ.
“The tradition has continued to date and since
the aim of Christmas is to celebrate Jesus since
there is nothing bad in honouring Jesus. Also,
the worship of the Sun God was done in Rome
and not everywhere in the world, so it is not part
of our history.”