The Bishop of Haarlem has suspended a priest who made headlines around the world by holding an orange mass to pray for the Dutch team in its World Cup final against Spain.

The bishop says in a statement that Reverend 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.

Vlaar was not available for comment on Friday.

Parish vice chairman Win Bijman says the village is "shocked and disappointed" by the popular priest's suspension.

Vlaar's prayers went unanswered in the final: The Netherlands lost 1-0 to Spain.

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