Posters accusing Pope Francis of attacking conservative Catholics have appeared around Rome this weekend and are being swiftly covered up by city authorities.

Put up during the night between Friday and Saturday by mystery activists, the posters featured a picture of a stern-faced pope and the slogan: "Where's your mercy?"

The text accused Francis of several interventions targeting conservatives, including what the posters called "the beheading of the Knights of Malta".

This was a reference to an ancient Catholic order of knights which is now a worldwide charity and whose former Grand Master handed in his resignation to the pope last week after a two-month, highly public feud.

City authorities pasted white paper over them with the message "illegal advertising", as they had been put up without authorisation or the payment of a tax.

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