A group of Catholic bishops and priests that has been separated from the Roman Catholic Church since 1970 said that Pope Francis is spreading errors about church doctrine, according to the National Catholic Reporter. 

The Society of St. Pius X issued a statement on its website that said it must denounce the errors.

"The proclamation of Catholic doctrine requires the denunciation of errors that have made their way into it and are unfortunately encouraged by a large number of pastors, including the Pope himself."

The errors might include some of Pope Francis’ recent statements.

He said that "the great majority of our sacramental marriages are null," according to the Catholic News Service. 

NPR reported that Pope Francis said the Church should apologize to gay people as well as "to the poor, to exploited women, to children exploited for labor; it has to ask forgiveness for blessing many weapons."

The group believes that the Second Vatican Council promotes erroneous teachings about religious liberty, supremacy of the Roman Catholic Church over other religions, and about relations with Jews. In 2009, the Anti-Defamation League said the group is "mired in anti-Semitism."

Members of the Society are not considered to be in full communion with Rome, and its priests and bishops cannot exercise Roman Catholic ministry, according to the National Catholic Reporter.

Popes have sought to reunite Society of St. Pius X with the church over the years. Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunication of four of its bishops in 2009. Bishop Bernard Fellay rejected a doctrinal document for the group to sign then, according to the National Catholic Reporter.

Fellay closed the statement by addressing Pope Francis.

"The Society of Saint Pius X prays and does penance for the Pope, that he might have the strength to proclaim Catholic faith and morals in their entirety," the statement said.

The group's statement appeared to address reunification, saying that its focus is not on "canonical recognition," but on helping mankind during "this age of darkness in which the cult of man replaces the worship of God."

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