Pablo de Rojas Sánchez-Franco, a self-styled bishop who was excommunicated in 2019, will now have jurisdiction over 16 Spanish nuns who have announced their decision to leave the Catholic Church.

Based in the northern Spanish dioceses of Burgos and Vitoria, the 16 Poor Clare nuns belonged to the Franciscan Order of Saint Clare.

The schism comes amid conservative outrage over Pope Francis' leadership. Letters to "all Cardinals and Bishops of the Catholic Church," written in February by 90 Catholic clergymen and scholars, urged them to oppose a document that the pope endorsed that permitted priests to bless same-sex couples.&nbsp;

The 16 sisters, led by Sister Isabel of the Trinity, released a five-page open statement on their convent website announcing their split from Catholic authority.

Sister Isabel wrote that Catholics had to put up with "the silence of our pastors," who "left their sheep alone and helpless to face the wolves."

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"We have been receiving contradiction, confusion and doublespeak, ambiguity, lack of clear doctrine, which is all the more necessary in stormy times, to hold the rudder more firmly," she continued, referring to the pope.

Despite Sánchez-Franco's excommunication by the Vatican, the sister said that the group would instead recognise him as a "legitimate bishop of the Holy Catholic Church" and place itself under his leadership.

The 16 sisters were under the supervision of Archbishop Mario Iceta of Burgos, who stated in a broadcast on Spanish radio station COPE that he "thought it was fake news" when he first learned they were going, according to the Catholic News Agency.

According to the Catholic News Agency, the archbishop said, "I don't know if they realize the profound consequences that this step has and that is why my option or my opinion is that this should not be done precipitously, let this media tidal wave pass, let's see if it's possible to establish a relationship with them and dialogue and look at these issues and give them time to reconsider this situation that seems so surprising and strange to me."

(With inputs from agencies)

Pablo de Rojas Sánchez-Franco, a self-styled bishop who was excommunicated in 2019, will now have jurisdiction over 16 Spanish nuns who have announced their decision to leave the Catholic Church.

Pablo de Rojas Sánchez-Franco, a self-styled bishop who was excommunicated in 2019, will now have jurisdiction over 16 Spanish nuns who have announced their decision to leave the Catholic Church. Based in the northern Spanish dioceses of Burgos and Vitoria, the 16 Poor Clare nuns belonged to the Franciscan Order of Saint Clare. The schism comes amid conservative outrage over Pope Francis' leadership. Letters to "all Cardinals and Bishops of the Catholic Church," written in February by 90 Catholic clergymen and scholars, urged them to oppose a document that the pope endorsed that permitted priests to bless same-sex couples. The 16 sisters, led by Sister Isabel of the Trinity, released a five-page open statement on their convent website announcing their split from Catholic authority. Sister Isabel wrote that Catholics had to put up with "the silence of our pastors," who "left their sheep alone and helpless to face the wolves." Also read: Pope asks Italians to have babies: 'No shortage of little dogs, cats. There is a lack of children' "We have been receiving contradiction, confusion and doublespeak, ambiguity, lack of clear doctrine, which is all the more necessary in stormy times, to hold the rudder more firmly," she continued, referring to the pope. Despite Sánchez-Franco's excommunication by the Vatican, the sister said that the group would instead recognise him as a "legitimate bishop of the Holy Catholic Church" and place itself under his leadership. The 16 sisters were under the supervision of Archbishop Mario Iceta of Burgos, who stated in a broadcast on Spanish radio station COPE that he "thought it was fake news" when he first learned they were going, according to the Catholic News Agency. According to the Catholic News Agency, the archbishop said, "I don't know if they realize the profound consequences that this step has and that is why my option or my opinion is that this should not be done precipitously, let this media tidal wave pass, let's see if it's possible to establish a relationship with them and dialogue and look at these issues and give them time to reconsider this situation that seems so surprising and strange to me." (With inputs from agencies)

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