Church of England angry with U.K. theaters refusing to show ad before ‘Star Wars’

The Church of England hoped to reach an incredibly wide audience on Dec. 18 by showing a commercial before screenings of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Even though the British film and advertising agencies approved it, the U.K.’s biggest theater chains have all refused to show it.

The 60-second spot features the Lord’s Prayer and was approved by both the British Board of Film Classification and the Cinema Advertising Authority, reports The Guardian. However, Odeon, Cineworld and Vue all refused to screen the commercial, claiming that it “carries the risk of upsetting, or offending, audiences.”

“The prospect of a multi-generational cultural event offered by the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on 18 December - a week before Christmas Day - was too good an opportunity to miss and we are bewildered by the decision of the cinemas,” The Rev. Arun Arora, the Church’s Director of Communications, said in a statement. Arora called the theater chains’ decision “rather chilling in terms of limiting free speech,” adding that they hope the chains change their minds.

The commercial was also intended to promote the Church’s new JustPray.uk campaign, which is aimed at getting younger Christians engaged.

Digital Cinema Media, which handles theatrical advertising in the U.K., told Arora that it has a policy against running political and religious advertisements because they could be offensive to theatergoers.

The Force Awakens opens on Dec. 18 in the U.K., the same day it opens in the U.S.