Pope Francis demoted a conservative U.S. cardinal Saturday who has stymied the Pontiff's efforts to reform and modernize the Catholic Church.

Cardinal Raymond Burke, 66, was sidelined as the head of the Vatican's highest court, the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, and demoted to the ceremonial post of chaplain of the charity group Knights of Malta, Reuters reported.

Prior to his demotion, Burke, the former archbishop of St. Louis, had been the highest-ranking American in the Vatican.

In an October 17 exclusive article, Cardinal Burke told BuzzFeed News that he had been told the Pope had intended to demote him.

"I very much have enjoyed and have been happy to give this service, so it is a disappointment to leave it," Burke said.

When bishops from around the world met at the Vatican last month, Burke had been responsible for leading a conservative bloc to oppose the Pope's plans for the Church to adopt a more welcoming embrace of gays and lesbians.