A Catholic priest has apologised for knocking the head of an altar server while officiating a wedding ceremony.

In a viral video, the young boy is seen struggling to hold the microphone steady for the groom as the couple exchanged their marital vows. This apparently frustrated the priest who proceeded to smack the boy on the head.

The incident sparked mixed reactions on social media. While some users saw the smacking as harmless and lighthearted, others condemned it as unacceptable, especially during a sacred ceremony.

In a recent video, the priest whose identity is yet to be disclosed apologised to the altar server and his family. He also described his action as “a mistake”.

“This your boy was handling mic and he did not hold the microphone well towards the mouth of the person that will confess their vow. So accidentally or mistakenly, I knocked his head,” he said.

“Eventually someone took the picture and posted it on the internet. They said I should come and apologise to your family and to him, that I am sorry for what happened.

“It was not a deliberate act. It was just something I did unconsciously because of the people who were doing the wedding. That was what precipitated the action. I am very sorry.”

Patrick Doyle, the ace Nigerian actor, has criticised the phrase “I am chosen”, commonly chanted by members of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries.

In a recent Facebook post, Doyle described the phrase as “nonsensical” and argued it is not a Christian doctrine.

“The phrase ‘I am a chosen,’ as used by members of the religious sect called ‘Chosen,’ should never be connected to the Body of Christ,” he wrote.

“The members of this sect do not have Jesus in mind when they chant the phrase. Their adoration is unequivocally directed at a man, their GO, and the sect he founded. The phrase does not mention or even imply Jesus in any way.

“To infer that the nonsensical phrase is remotely connected to giving glory to the name or person of our Savior, Jesus Christ, is to make a mockery of our faith.

“Bloggers and content creators using the phrase are not mocking the Church of God but the sect in question and its founder.”

Doyle’s remark comes on the heels of skepticism surrounding testimonies from the church.

Last week, social media users shared old clips of congregants recounting their miraculous experiences.

In one video, an elderly woman claimed four armed robbers attacked her but miraculously gained control of their guns, leading to the arrest of three of the assailants.

Similarly, a man testified that he survived a kidnapping, machete assaults, and gunshots “without sustaining any injuries.”

Another man alleged that a lion rescued him from kidnappers by lifting him into the air and guiding him to safety.

Kemi Lala Akindoju, the Nollywood actress, has criticised the doctrine of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries.

The film star’s comments come after viral social media clips showed church members sharing strange testimonies.

In one video, an elderly woman claimed four armed robbers attacked her but miraculously gained control of their guns.

Similarly, a man testified that he survived a kidnapping, machete assaults, and gunshots “without sustaining any injuries.”

Another man alleged that a lion rescued him from kidnappers by lifting him into the air and guiding him to safety.

A church member recently argued the testimonies are “verifiable” and referenced businessman E-Money and the Bayelsa governor as witnesses.

In a video, the man warned critics to stop mocking the church, citing the risk of facing God’s wrath.

“Let me make an input so that people who want to make money from the videos can stop it,” he said.

“It is not good for your image, it might affect you tomorrow and you come to the altar of Lord Chosen to kneel before the God of Chosen and apologise.

“When my pastor made that declaration for all members worldwide, he said it can be said once you meet a danger.

“Be it armed robbery, fire or road accident or seeing a snake or lizard in the bush. After the declaration, you will see something beyond human power.

“… Many testimonies have happened. These are all verifiable testimonies, chosen testimonies are verifiable. They are not cooked up.

“.. I’m advising you not to make caricatures of the testimonies so that the wrath of God will not come upon you.

“If you doubt it, ask E-Money and governor of Bayelsa.”

Reacting to the video, Akindoju wondered why church members are instructed to call upon their pastor’s God instead of Jesus in times of trouble, contrary to Biblical teachings.

The movie star attributed the doctrine to church members’ “lack of knowledge about their religion”.

Akindoju emphasized the importance of understanding one’s religion and reading the Bible personally.

“I’m not a fan making fun of the testimonies. But what happened to calling Jesus in time of trouble? As stated in the Bible,” she wrote on Instagram.

“Why should people be indoctrinated to shout chosen thrice and call on the God of their pastor?

“Anyway, it is because they won’t read their Bible for themselves. And their leaders are happy to keep them ignorant.”