Three leaders of the French nationalist party Front National have hit out at French bishops for supporting refugees.

They demanded that Catholic leaders stay out of politics and concentrate instead on "filling their churches".

In one of several post-Christmas radio interviews given by the party figures, the party's vice-president Louis Aliot complained about the attitude of the bishops towards the Front.

"I've never seen a large majority of Catholics voting for us," he said. "I've seen a large majority of bishops spit in our face, one has to say, and systemically denigrate the Front National, its leaders and its policies."

Aliot went on: "Catholics should concern themselves with filling their churches — which is not certain they can do, let me tell you— and should let the political parties manage public affairs."

Gilbert Collard, one of FN's two MPs in the National Assembly, said the church was "disconnected from reality". He added: "In the name of welcoming others, they reject us."

He claimed that the church was "represented today by political bishops, who are opponents of the faith".

And while party secretary-general Nicolas Bay denied that the interviews were a "declaration of war", he added that the Front National "didn't need to hear any lessons from the clergy about migration".

Bay said that he would prefer to hear bishops "remind people of the social doctrine of the church, which is very far from the ultra-liberalism we see today."

The attacks came as France prepares for presidential and parliamentary elections in the spring. The race for president appears to be between the Front leader Marine Le Pen and conservative François Fillon.

Fillon enjoys strong support among Catholics, but The Tablet reported that there is division within the FN over whether to seek to woo members of the church.

On the one hand, Le Pen and Aliot reportedly reject the church while others, including Le Pen's niece Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, have been trying to appeal to traditional Catholics.

Polls show rising support for Front National among churchgoers in recent years but it is not clear whether this merely reflects the nationalist party's growing appeal across France.

Many pundits believe Le Pen will perform the latest major upset amid the rise of populism that saw the Brexit vote in the UK and the election of Donald Trump as president in the US.