Democratic Unionist leader Mr Paisley is famous for his opposition to Catholic doctrine- at one stage dubbing the Pope the anti-Christ- and said this week`s papal intervention was startling.

"This excommunication of all Christendom, by the Pope, spells out the strongest possible message that the Pope of Rome has not changed," he said.

"All outside the pale of Rome are told dogmatically by him that they do not belong to the true church of Jesus Christ." ...