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. 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. Bishop Jozef Punt of Haarlem said in a statement issued late Thursday that Rev. 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. 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 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.
– 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.