The bishop in Den Bosch, Holland, has banned gays from taking communion at the St Jan cathedral.

Last weekend dozens of gays and lesbians went to mass at the cathedral in protest at the bishop's decision.

The priest at the mass, Geertjan van Rossem, preached that in order to receive communion, worshippers must have the "correct" sexuality. It is believed that this inflammatory comment caused many of the protestors to leave in a "noisy" manner.

Van Rossem said:
"Homosexuals are welcome in the church. But we ask practising homosexuals not to take part in communion out of respect for the sacrament."

Vera Bergkamp, deputy chair of the gay rights lobby group COC, said:
"It is to be regretted that the bishop is taking such a hard line. And what the priest said in Sunday morning's sermon was downright insulting."

The activists have vowed to continue attending mass at the cathedral as a protest.