Aussies to get Catholic ads at movies this Christmas

Sydney, Australia - As well as being encouraged to enjoy the show, Australians going to the movies this festive season will be asked if they know about Jesus in the latest advertising campaign by the Catholic Church.

At a time when people's thoughts may turn to the birthday behind the celebrations, the Church is planning to run ads during the screening of "The Bee Movie", an animated film starring comedian Jerry Seinfeld, and the period drama "Atonement".

The advertisements ask cinema-goers: "Have you ever wanted to know what Catholics believe? Some aspects of the Catholic faith are a mystery."

The ad then tells the audience to call a telephone number to receive a series of free booklets.

"While newspaper advertising is still important to reach our market, newspaper readership is in decline, and this is another way to reach the mass market," said the Catholic Enquiry Centre on its Web site www.catholicenquiry.com.

"This is the peak time that people visit the cinema, with Boxing Day attracting the biggest viewing audiences of the year," said the centre, which has a link to an advertisement.

The Catholic Church remains Australia's biggest faith with 5.1 million followers, followed by 3.7 million Anglicans. But Australians are increasingly turning away from religion, according to the nation's census released in 2007.

About 3.7 million people, or 19 percent of the population, said they had no religion, up from 2.9 million or 17 percent a decade ago. While Christian denominations still prevail, the census found Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam to be the fastest growing religions in this nation of immigrants.

The Catholic Church cinema ads, which will be complemented by a newspaper campaign, are aimed at reaching people whose thoughts might turn to the faith at Christmas time, said the church.

"We know that our Churches fill up over the Christmas period, with people who haven't been to Mass for some time and even with some people who've never been to a Catholic Mass before," said Archbishop John Bathersby, Chairman of the Bishops Commission for Mission and Faith Formation.

"The Christmas season is an important time for people to take time out and remember that the birth of Jesus Christ is the cause of all the celebrations.

"Perhaps, in the quiet darkness of a movie theatre, they will be prompted to find out more about how the Catholic faith can help them find the peace they are searching for," he added.