In an effort to makes things a bit more interesting, a priest in the Philippines used a hoverboard during Christmas Eve mass.
The Catholic Church was not impressed.
The priest was captured on a video that has gone viral “hovering” around Our Lady of Miraculous Medal in Biñan Parish singing a Christmas song before the final blessing, CNN reported.
“The hoverboard is lit from beneath by purple lights. Purple is the liturgical color for Advent,” Christian Today noted. “The priest is wearing white vestments, the color for Christmas.”
While the priest’s parishioners seemed to enjoy the moment, the San Pablo diocese had a different take, reprimanding him in a statement and saying his actions were inappropriate.
“That was wrong,” the diocese said. “The Eucharist demands utmost respect and reverence. It is the Memorial of the Lord’s Sacrifice. It is the source and summit of Christian life. It is the Church’s highest form of worship. Consequently, it is not a personal celebration where one can capriciously introduce something to get the attention of the people.”
It is not clear that he was suspended, but the statement said he “will be out of the parish” for a period of time to reflect on the incident, according to CNN.
He also “promised that it will not happen again.”
The reaction on social media to the incident has been mixed.
“I am sure the priest meant no disrespect,” a Facebook user wrote, according to CNN. “He was, no doubt, trying to be ‘relevant’ and establish a bond with the young. It was an error in judgment.”
Another user was more critical.
“Complete and total disrespect not only for Our Lord but also for the salvation of all those poor souls,” the individual wrote.
Here’s a sampling of other responses from Twitter:
@BuzzFeedNews What a totally cool priest. They should have made him a bishop not fire him. Imagine if he got to be Pope one day!
— Wandering i am lost (@FreedomEnslaves) December 29, 2015
@BuzzFeedNews @FamousDC But dude at least went out in style
— Alex Kantrowitz (@Kantrowitz) December 30, 2015
@BuzzFeedNews Catholics really know how to have fun.
— MaryL (@Mim5453) December 29, 2015
@BuzzFeed How dare a priest make mass fun. Should only be an experience you dread.
— David Doel (@daviddoel) December 29, 2015
@BuzzFeed @drtamnguyendc What would Jesus do?
— JLinNation (@jlinnation) December 30, 2015
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.
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