The Roman Catholic archbishop of Atlanta said Saturday that he will sell a $2.2-million US mansion just three months after he moved in as he tried to appease angry parishioners who insisted that he follow the example set by Pope Francis.

Archbishop Wilton Gregory announced the decision following a closed-door meeting with members of several church councils at his headquarters. He publicly apologized Monday for building the Tudor-style residence and will move out in early May.

"I have decided to sell the Habersham property and invest the proceeds from that sale into the needs of the Catholic community," Gregory told The Associated Press after the meeting. He declined to take questions.

A group of Catholics in Gregory's diocese had asked since January that he sell off the more than 560-square-metre home in keeping with the tone of austerity set by Pope Francis. Elected last year, Francis said he wants a church for the poor, drives in an economy car and lives in a guestroom instead of a Vatican palace. He has denounced the "idolatry of money" and warned against "insidious worldliness" within the church.