A Church of England theological college has apologised after trainee priests held a service that referred to Jesus as as "the Homie Chavvie" and the Holy Spirit as "the Fantabulosa Fairy". 

The liturgy was compiled using the gay slang language known as Polari.

The service was held at the chapel of Westcott House, Cambridge, to commemorate LGBT history month, BBC News reports.

The alternative liturgy included rending of Christ as "the Homie Chavvie" and the Holy Spirit as "the Fantabulosa Fairy".

Polari is a type of slang which was used particularly in the gay subculture at a time when homosexual activity was still illegal. Its usage became less common when homosexuality was decriminalised in the 1960s.

The congregation was told that the use of Polari was intended to "queer the liturgy of evening prayer". A service commemorating LGBT history month had been permitted, but the new liturgy had not. College officials have now expressed regret at the occasion.

The service featured an Old Testament reading from the book of Joel, where the words "rend your heart and not your garments, return to the Lord your God" were printed in Polari as "rend your thumping chest and not your frocks - and turn unto the Duchess your Gloria: for she is bona and merciful".

The traditional prayer of "Glory be to the father, and to the son, and the Holy Spirit" was translated to: "Fabeness be to the Auntie, and to the Homie Chavvie, and to the Fantabulosa Fairy".

The translation was based on the Polari Bible, a scripture translation work compiled in 2003 by a group known as the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The introduction to the Polari Bible comments that "good taste has never limited the Sisters' activities." A Polari Koran is also in the works.

The service was not led by a licensed minister, but by a trainee priest. The principal of Westcott House, Canon Chris Chivers, said the liturgy had not been authorised for church use.

He said: "I fully recognise that the contents of the service are at variance with the doctrine and teaching of the Church of England and that is hugely regrettable.

"Inevitably for some members of the house this caused considerable upset and disquiet and I have spoken at length to those involved in organising the service.

"I will be reviewing and tightening the internal mechanisms of the house to ensure this never happens again."