A Catholic diocese in Germany has apologised after a televised Christmas Eve Mass featured a woman covered in sticky rice paper and curled in a foetal position. The portrayal, dubbed ‘slime Jesus’, attracted more than 1400 comments, many of them critical.

The Mass, at St Mary’s Church in Stuttgart was the concept of the Catholic Broadcasting Service (SWR) and it was aired on ARD, Germany’s main public television channel.

In a statement, the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart said: “The reactions to the broadcast have shown that religious sensibilities were offended,” adding that those responsible “deeply regret” the portrayal. The statement said that “at no point was any provocation or denigration of central tenets of the faith intended”.

The diocese said it would now tighten its decision-making processes to reflect the sensitivity required when broadcasting worship on a national platform.