A priest in the Philippines has been suspended for riding a hoverboard up an aisle during Christmas Eve Mass.

One of the priests at the Diocese of San Pablo sang a Christmas song, while going up and down the aisles of the church on a hoverboard, as a way to greet the congregation on December 24, the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo said in a statement.

Members of the congregation took a handful of videos of the incident, many of which have thousands of views on YouTube. In the videos, people in the congregation appear to clap as the priest begins his journey down the aisle.

"That was wrong," the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo said in a statement on its Facebook page.

To top it off he couldn't even sing

It said he greeted people and sang a Christmas song on the hoverboard and he was now out of the parish to "reflect".

"The Eucharist demands utmost respect and reverence. It is the Church's highest form of worship, not a personal celebration where one can capriciously introduce something to get attention," the diocese statement said.

A version of the video was uploaded by traditionalist Catholic group Novus Ordo onto its Facebook page and was widely shared, but it has drawn a mixed reaction on Facebook.

"Complete and total disrespect not only for the Lord but also for the salvation of all those poor souls," said Scott LaLonde. "To top it off he couldn't even sing."

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