A priest in Hong Kong called off a Christmas mass for 30 LGBT Christians after an auxiliary bishop described homosexual acts as “violations of chastity,” according to the Hong Kong Free Press. 

Members of Compassion HK LGBTQ Catholics Union said that Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha cancelled the service at the last minute, adding that they felt that Bishop Michael Yeung had ordered the move. 

A spokesperson from the Catholic Church said that Yeung had not been involved in the decision. 

“Bishop Ha communicated with the relevant persons, and pointed out that the Catholic Church considers homosexual acts as serious violations of chastity,” the spokesperson told the Hong Kong Free Press. 

Compassion HK LGBTQ Catholics Union voiced its disappointment with the cancellation on Facebook. 

“Are homosexuals not fit to join in the annual celebrations on this peaceful and holy night of Jesus Christ’s birth?” the group wrote. 

Instead of the mass, the members held a “ceremony of gratitude,” the Hong Kong Free Press reported.