Priest Burns Benedict Photo: Andrea Maggi Burns Picture of Pope Emeritus During Mass

In protest of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's recent abdication, Italian priest Andrea Maggi burned a photo of the former pontiff during Sunday Mass.

Maggi, a 67-year-old pastor in the rural Italian village of Castel Vittorio, immolated the likeness of Benedict XVI with a single candle in front of a shocked congregation saying "He was not a Pope. He abandoned us."

The town's mayor Gianstefano Orengo was in attendance and spoke to Italian publication Corriere della Sera.

"It was a shocking gesture, committed before a dozen children," Orengo said. "Many parishioners protested and others, like me, left, bewildered."

The bishop of the area, Alberto Maria Careggio, called the act of protest "execrable" telling Corriere della Sera that it "has gravely damaged the church and confused parishioners... I am mortified by the action of Don Andrea, who in other respects has proved a most generous and sensitive priest."

It is likely that Maggi will face serious disciplinary action from the Catholic Church.

Maggi, for his part, claims that he was only doing what he considered "orthodox" and compared the Pope's decision to abdicate to the actions Captain Francesco Schettino, who is accused of abandoning the Costa Concordia cruise ship that capsized off the Italian coast in January. Maggi reiterated that he doesn't consider Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI a pope and that Benedict "abandoned his flock."

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI resigned his papacy on Thursday, becoming the first pope to do so in almost 600 years. Since then, the church has seen a bit of an upheaval as Catholic authorities were left to decide what to do with the former pope and try to find a new pope to assume his duties.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI maintains that he resigned due to his faltering health, though numerous conspiracy theories have been floated as to his true reason for leaving.