Three hermits living on an Orkney island in Scotland have been excommunicated from the Church after accusing Pope Francis of heresy.

The Black Hermits of West-ray in Orkney – Fr Stephen de Kerdrel, Sister Colette Roberts and Brother Damon Kelly – received notice of their excommunication from the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles on Christmas Day.

The diocese’s action was in response to a declaration’ signed by the hermits in April 2019, in which the they state that Catholicism is “being transformed inexorably into [a] False Church” and that the Pope, “by his utterances, his behaviour, his teaching and his actions, has shown himself to be…a great heretic.”

The three hermits’ excommunication means they will no longer be able to receive the sacraments licitly unless they reconcile with the Church.

The diocese has clarified that, given the declaration contained a statement by the hermits that they have withdrawn “obedience from Pope Francis and sever [ed] communion with the Holy See,” the group had, canonically speaking, excommunicated them-selves.