Image caption Priest Paul Vlaar, right, gave the Mass an orange theme for the World Cup final 
 
 A Catholic priest in the Netherlands who held an orange-themed Mass in support of the national football team has been suspended. 
 
 The Reverend Paul Vlaar wore an orange robe and decked out his church in orange before Sunday's World Cup final. 
 
 During the service he even acted as a goalkeeper as a parishioner kicked a football down the aisle. 
 
 But the Bishop of Haarlem said he had not paid sufficient respect to the sacred nature of the Eucharist. 
 
 Maybe we allowed ourselves to be swept along a little too much in the 'Oranje' euphoria Win Bijman, Obdam parish vice-chairman 
 
 Footage of the service in the village of Obdam north of Amsterdam made it on to YouTube and was broadcast around the world. 
 
 However, it failed to impress Bishop Jozef Punt. 
 
 In a statement, he said the service had "caused outrage" in the Netherlands and overseas. He ordered Mr Vlaar to enter "a period of reflection" and suspended him from his duties. 
 
 Mr Vlaar was not available for comment, but Obdam parish vice-chairman Win Bijman told AP news agency the congregation was "shocked and disappointed" by the suspension. 
 
 "People do not understand it. Everybody supports Pastor Paul and we don't see what was so bad that he should be temporarily suspended," he said. 
 
 "Maybe we allowed ourselves to be swept along a little too much in the 'Oranje' euphoria," he added, referring to the Dutch national football team. 
 
 "But it is part of Pastor Paul's personality that he manages to harness that kind of enthusiasm to get people into church. The church here is full and in other places churches are empty." 
 
 Despite the congregation's best efforts, their prayers went unanswered. The Netherlands lost the final one-nil to Spain. ||||| A Catholic priest who made headlines around the world by holding an orange mass to pray for the Dutch team before its World Cup final against Spain has been suspended by his bishop, a parish official said on Friday. 
 
 Bishop Jozef Punt of Haarlem said in a statement issued late Thursday that Rev. Paul Vlaar's packed service in the village of Obdam north of Amsterdam "did not do justice to the sacred nature of the Eucharist." 
 
 Vlaar wore an orange robe and decorated the church with orange flags. During the service he acted as a goalkeeper when a parishioner kicked a football down the aisle. 
 
 The bishop said the service "caused outrage" in the Netherlands and overseas. He ordered Vlaar to enter "a period of reflection" and suspended him from his duties. 
 
 Vlaar was not available for comment on Friday, but Obdam Parish vice chairman Win Bijman said his congregation was "shocked and disappointed" by the popular priest's suspension. 
 
 "People do not understand it. Everybody supports Pastor Paul and we don't see what was so bad that he should be temporarily suspended," Bijman said in a telephone interview. 
 
 "Maybe we allowed ourselves to be swept along a little too much in the Oranje euphoria," he added, referring to the Dutch football team. "But it is part of Pastor Paul's personality that he manages to harness that kind of enthusiasm to get people into church. The church here is full and in other places churches are empty." 
 
 Vlaar's prayers went unanswered in the final: The Netherlands lost 1-0.
– A Dutch priest is in hot water for praying—in vain—that the Netherlands would defeat Spain at a Mass celebrated the day of the World Cup final, reports the BBC. Paul Vlaar decorated his church in the team color, orange; wore orange and white vestments; and played along as a churchgoer kicked a soccer ball down the aisle. He's been suspended so he can observe "a period of reflection," says his bishop. "Everybody supports Pastor Paul and we don't see what was so bad," a parishioner tells the AP.