Conservative and traditionalist Roman Catholics have been wary of Pope Francis since he took office in 2012.

Yet one hyper-conservative group is gaining attention for not recognising him as Pope at all.

The group, Tradition In Action, which is based in Los Angeles, is reported to claim that there hasn't been a true pope since 1959, when Pope Pius XII died. The following decades saw the Second Vatican Council which is lionised by progressive Catholics as the moment the Church embraced the modern world, but is seen as a liberal backward step by some conservatives.

According to The Times, Tradition in Action isn't the only voice crying in the wilderness. Cardinal Burke, a favourite among traditionalists has again spoken out.

'In a diabolical way, the confusion and error which has led human culture in the way of death and destruction has also entered into the church,' he told a conference in Kentucky.

The Archbishop also said the Church, 'draws near to the culture without seeming to know her own identity and mission, without seeming to have the clarity and the courage to announce the gospel.'

Francis has been critiqued by conservative vices from day one but his teaching document Amoris Laetitia has especially angered some with their perception of its liberal attitude to social issues.