In Rome a man and woman were detained by police after being caught having sex in a church confessional during a morning mass service.

Reuters.com reports that the couple were cautioned for “obscene acts in public and disturbing a religious function” for their coitus inside the cathedral in Cesena, located in the northern region of Italy.

A lawyer for the couple explained that the indiscretion took place after a night of drinking, and that they regretted their actions.

According to the Reuters story, the couple’s lawyer told a local newspaper that offenders had a meeting with a local bishop where they expressed their regret, and that the bishop had offered them forgiveness.

The bishop later performed a “Mass of reparation” in the Cesena cathedral as a way of blessing and cleansing the scene where the ungodly act took place.